Blogs

In this week's paper, Nick Lucchesi profiles Cross Examination, a local thrash-punk band playing at FUBAR on Tuesday night, July 29, with Murphy's Law and others.

That night just so happens to mark the release of Cross Exam's Organized Crime Records CD, Menace II Sobriety. After the jump, check out an exclusive MP3 from the album, along with an excerpt from Nick's story.

It's about 11 p.m. at the Awesome Party Fest, a ten-band show held on a recent Friday at a rented hall in south city. A crowd of mostly male, long-haired punks — a few have sketchy Black Flag tattoos on their bare arms — pumps their fists in a way that, when photographed, resembles a brawl in a Warner Brothers cartoon.

But there's no real violence to speak of at this show, just rowdy fun that invokes memories of seeing Andrew W.K. before he became a motivational speaker for college kids and a Loveline guest.

Cross Examination performing on July 11, 2008 at ''Awesome Party Fest'' in St. Louis.

Cross Examination — this city's answer to W.K. crossed with Slayer — is ripping through another set of thrash that's too sloppy to be DragonForce and way too fun to be Danzig. The band plays songs from its 2004 self-titled demo and mixes in some new tracks from its upcoming record, Menace II Sobriety, which arrives July 29 on Chicago's Organized Crime Records.

Menace II Sobriety

MP3: Cross Examination, "Menace II Sobriety"

MP3: "Cross Examination, 'Thrashin' for the Cash-In (Royalty Check)'"