The Snake The Cross The Crown

Like all of the best indie labels, Equal Vision has been diversifying its roster over the years to include bands that wouldn’t have fit on the label were it still just putting out straight-edge metallic hardcore. But without a doubt, this debut full-length from Santa Barbara by way of Huntsville, Alabama’s the Snake The Cross The Crown has to be the most adventurous thing they’ve put out since the first Coheed and Cambria album. While probably a punk band at heart, the quintet’s sound is something more like Coldplay meets Jimmy Eat World — and I don’t mean that in a bad way. I simply mean that in the context of keyboard-laced art-core, Sander Mails manages to be passionate and moody without being wimpy.