Die Kreuzen - October File LP

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. -All Music Guide