Verra Cruz
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Verra Cruz

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Press


"Innocence album review"

"Verra Cruz offer bleeding, grown up rock. Innocence is a bluesy cauldron of classic style numbers, laced with sexy lap steel riffs and ripe guitars." - Rocksound magazine, September 08


"Innocence album review"

"...with Innocence their second album, they once again prove themselves to be three honest men with important things to say and big powerchords to say them with. For whether they are thrashing manically (Blind Man), locking themselves into a Hendrix groove (Freedom) or getting all weepy on Friend To You, Verra Cruz are always in control of their own metal destiny." - Classic Rock magazine, September 08


"Emancipation Day album review"

BRIT BOYS DO THE AMERICAN RAWK THING WITH STYLE

Verra Cruz are the kind of band you'd expect to hear blaring from the radio as drive across middle America, which makes it surprising to find out they're from St Albans. With the kind of riffs that are Audioslave's stock in trade topped off with Eddie Vedder-meets-Jakob Dylan (The Wallflowers) vocals and a nice line in 70's rock-swagger, and damn if they're choruses don't work under your skin. This is a solid hard-rockin' (important to drop that 'g') collection and with the right kind of exposure - an opening slot on a Bon Jovi bill, maybe - they could really find an audience. - Kerrang! Magazine


"Soul Collides single review"

Verra Cruz release their eagerly awaited debut single "Soul Collides". Heavily supported by KROQ in LA, Verra Cruz have been touted as the best band of their kind since Pearl Jam and having heard a preview of some of their other material we too predict big things ahead for them. The song was recorded in an old factory in Hertfordshire and mixed and mastered in New York. The band , formerly known as Dust, display a natural flow of talent, from their thrilling guitar riffs to their dramatic drumbeats. The fast pace and gripping vocals are definitely set to give you that rock hype! - QSheet (UK radio monthly)


"New Bands Introducing feature"

UNSIGNED BRIT TRIO GET SET FOR STARDOM

As the winners of this year's prestigious Gibson Unsigned competition, British three-piece Verra Cruz were handed the opening slot on the guitar maker's stage at the Download Festival.

With zero promotion and no in-programme announcement, it could well have turned out to be a hard knock lesson with a big-show-no-crowd struggle..."But we walked out on stage and there was a full tent with thousands of people waiting to see us" beams vocalist/guitarist Marc James. "It was brilliant. We really had no idea if anyone would be there to watch. The sound was good, the vibe was good and the people seemed really into it."

The band - completed by Henry Cross on bass and Jimmy Cooke on drums - are no strangers to the big scale performance. Their spine-tingling fusion of grunge and bluesy rock has earned them shows supporting at UK venues such as Shepherds Bush Empire, and they've also completed a number of festival shows in Europe. We have played once in Germany to 14,000 people, says James. People were coming up to us afterwards presuming we were famous, but we went back to our jobs the next day! We've also had some of our best shows in tiny rooms with just two microphones, packed full of people. It's all experience."

With the self-produced, self-released second album Innocence, the future looks exciting for this retro rock trio.

"I don't think that we sound like anyone else that's around at the moment. We're something different, something to enjoy," states James. "We would really like to make it in this country, that's why being given a platform at Download and being told 'Just do what you do' was amazing. It was a total pleasure. We were left smiling for the whole day!" - Kerrang! Magazine


"Monitor - Those About To Rock"

LAP STEEL POWERED BLUES ROCK TO WOO THE NATION!

Verra Cruz are the talented three-piece who won the recent Gibson Unsigned band competition. The main proze? To play on the Gibson stage at Download Festival. With TG in the audience checking out their aural assault on a mainstay metal crowd, the Verra lads took no prisoners with their sizzlin' rock vibes and relentless performance. If they can win over a hard rock and heavy metal pit, they'll no doubt rock your world too.

What makes these guys so good? Well for starters guitarist and vocalist Marc James plays a lap steel guitar! Couple that with a rhythm section tighter than Jordan's sweater, in the form of drummer Jimmy Cooke and bassist Henry Cross, and you've got a three-piece to be reckoned with. Pumping out riff after dirty riff of blues rock goodness, Verra Cruz are a well-crafted lesson in how to put a fresh spin on a style of music that's been around since before the ascent of guitar god Jimi Hendrix. No doubt the Teenage Kicks-esque Cruz track 'She Don't Want Him' and the gritty 'Freedom' will grab the attention of the UK's rock contingent.

They must've been stoked to play Download. Indeed! Marc James said "We were so excited about winning and getting to play Donington.It's the home of some of the greatest rock concerts of our time, and for us to play there was just unreal". And as for their live sound? "We don't sound like anyone else around", says James. "We're not one of those bands you can easily say 'Oh they sound like this band or that band.' We are who we are and our sound is our own."

So what about that album of theirs, Innocence? As far as debut albums go, Verra Cruz kick some major rock ass. Riff-addled, gritty, bluesy and outright rocktastic. Innocence will keep you hooked from start to finish. It's no wonder the band have been landing gigs up and down the country. "we're so pleased with the album," says James. "It sums up who we are in a way we always wanted. We worked so hard to get it right and hopefully you'll get hit with that as soon as you hear it." - Total Guitar magazine full-page feature


Discography

Soul Collides EP (Crazeltown) - September 03
Soul Collides, UK single (Crazeltown) - July 04
Corner of My Mind, UK single (Crazeltown) - November 04
Guns In The Distance, UK single (Fierce!) - June 06
Emancipation Day, debut album (Fierce!) - July 06
Not In The Fire/She Don't Want Him, double A-side UK single (Fierce!) - August 08
Innocence, album (Fierce!) - August 08

Photos

Bio

Frontman Marc James met drummer Jimmy Cooke at their local music haunt The Horn of Plenty in January '95 in St Albans, UK. Inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Ben Harper, Pearl Jam and Rage Against The Machine, they formed a musical alliance that is now in its fourteenth year. Henry Cross completed the final line-up on bass in March 2007.

Back in September 2003 they launched Verra Cruz with the Soul Collides EP. Two singles followed produced by Jason Corsaro best known for engineering Soundgarden's Superunknown album, and Soul Collides received spins on LA's KROQ and UK's Radio 1. In July 2006 they released their long-awaited debut album 'Emancipation Day' on UK independent Fierce!.

After supporting Switchfoot on their European tour in 2007, they self-produced their second record 'Innocence' releasing it once again through Fierce! in April 2008. The band opened the Gibson Stage at Download Festival in June 2008 and spent much of 2009 back in the studio working on new material with acclaimed German producer Udo Rinklin. They also performed a headline showcase at the notorious Aqua club in Berlin in October with a view to building on their growing fanbase in Germany. Wanting to push themselves harder than ever before in the studio the band are working hard on writing for their third album which will begin production in 2010.