October File revealed a rapidly maturing
Die Kreuzen, as their hyperactive hardcore had begun to cool into something moody and mysterious. Their name references crosses, and it's more than appropriate considering the way they allowed squalling heavy metal to cross over into their sound, inadvertently setting the stage for grunge acts like
Soundgarden and
Alice in Chains years later. While it would be a stretch to call
October File goth, it's true that dark, mesmerizing songs like "Among the Ruins" and "Imagine a Light" wallow in an atmosphere of rural Midwestern gloom and angst, personified by singer Dan Kubinski's tortured wail. ~ Tom Forget