Following the departure of frontman
Caleb Oliver,
Decyfer Down enlisted the talents of
T.J. Harris -- former vocalist for North Carolina's
Fighting Instinct -- to fill the gap.
Harris proves to be a nice addition to the group, as his voice is comprised of equal parts grungy grit and passionate, God-fearing catharsis.
Decyfer Down take strength in that presence, and
Crash aligns itself with albums by such similarly styled bands as
Puddle of Mudd and
Breaking Benjamin. Heavy guitars and fist-pumping, carpe diem lyrics are championed by all of those groups, and at no point does
Crash sound like the work of an overtly Christian outfit. The problem, however, is that
Crash sounds a bit too similar to
Decyfer Down's secular contemporaries, whose songs are often interchangeable in their fondness for minor-key verses, anthemic choruses, and studio-enhanced guitar crunch.
Crash may be on par with such music, but that only makes it competent, not memorable.