Chris Ord and Krzysztof Furgała

If I ever told you that someone implemented progressive and complex song-writing elements into punk rock you’d think I’m going insane. Punk rock has always been about that punch and that wall of sound that hits you with intensity and ferocity, and Newcastle-based rockers Crux didn’t compromise any of those elements when they developed a hybrid style between prog and punk. Their latest single, Radgie Gadgie, is British slang for a violent man who bullies others and perpetuates vulgar and violent manners (AKA toxic masculinity). The lyrics of this song depict this character very accurately. Moreover, the processing of the vocals and their power suit the angsty mood of the song very well. The verses maintain enough melody, even though they are yelled in typical nostalgic punk tradition. The guitar tone is so on point that it delivers this catastrophic feeling as if the “radgie gadgie” is making a dramatic entrance into your street, and I love how the songwriting can stimulate such visual cues with no need for a music video. I never thought I would hear a punk song utilizing keyboard/synth sounds in such a percussive way to support its bass and drum lines. In the bridge section of the song, there is an intermission which seems to be a fight on the metro that the radgie gadgie got involved in, followed by some amazing screamed vocals, followed by a fast-paced outro verse that perfectly ends the song with both heaviness and complexity. This is not your standard verse-chorus-verse, but it’s also still easy to follow and I’m sure it will be a crowd-pleaser amongst punks and rockers regardless of their music taste. Kudos to Crux for delivering exactly what they promised with this perfect blend of prog and punk that a lot of people wouldn’t have thought possible before.