Cretus – Dux Mea Lux (Pavement Entertainment)
Tuesday, 13th October 2015
The New Orleans bands tend to stick together, and, support each other with kind words through the press. Such a communal feel isn’t nearly as prevalent in other regions; perhaps these gents are so mellow from the oppressive heat that they have no other course of action than to be nice. (Or maybe, they’re just genuine dudes.) Either way, the ringing endorsement Cretus received from one Pepper Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity fame carries significant weight. That, and the fact this three-piece wears animal masks onstage, all the while playing a brand of memorable, heavy/heavier rock.
Dux Mea Lux is Cretus’s debut, a five-song EP that comes only a year after their formation. While the identities of the members in question are in fact, in question, the songs aren’t. All five run at a clip of riff-heavy metal, particularly “Darkness Bites” and the punk-inspired “The Leader.” No hint of sludge or grime here; the semi-melodic guitar work gives a proper hoist to clean, FM-ready vocals, to which are quite hooky on “Price of Immortality.” Further exploration is evident on “Little Children,” a dark, Sabbath-inspired spook jaunt, that if looked at from a different angle, would be considered doom. (Not exactly so.)
A fresh-sounding band with a cool angle, Cretus clearly have the goods to make an impact in the swampy NOLA scene. Dux Mea Lux is an EP that is easy to get behind; same with the band’s appearance, which leaves the door open for lots ‘o questions.
