CRYSTAL LAKE Release New Single “Crossing Nails”
Photo credit: Jesse Kojima
Japanese metalcore heavyweights CRYSTAL LAKE are back with their brand-new single “Crossing Nails”, their first release of 2025 and the second track since signing globally to Century Media Records last year. Currently tearing through Europe with a run of headline shows and festival appearances, the band’s latest offering is a blistering nu-metal-infused anthem that perfectly captures their explosive live energy.
Alongside the single, CRYSTAL LAKE have also revealed that a brand-new album is officially on the way in January 2026. The as-yet-untitled record will be their first full-length since 2019’s Helix, marking a huge moment for the Tokyo-based quintet.
Speaking about the meaning behind “Crossing Nails”, vocalist John Robert Centorrino shared: “I have a very love/hate relationship with God and the church. Growing up in a super religious household and going to two Catholic schools – I saw first hand how they use God as a weapon of control. I needed people to be there for me. To save me from myself. To love me… and they were never there. They made me fear & hate something I should have loved. Fear is not love. Hate is not power. Control is not faith. Believe in YOURSELF. Love YOURSELF. Control YOURSELF. Faith is not a weapon – it’s peace. Crossing Nails.”
Guitarist YD added: “With this track, we’ve kept the heaviness that’s always been core to our sound, but brought the straight, speedy riff work to the forefront and wrapped the whole song in a more catchy structure. We also experimented with rhythmic and groove elements that haven’t really appeared in Crystal Lake’s music before, allowing us to explore a new kind of expression. By blending parts of my personal musical background into the song in a playful way, I think we managed to mix that classic hardcore and metal vibe in a fresh and exciting form.
“‘Crossing Nails’ is a new kind of hybrid song that combines explosive live energy with a strong sense of unity everyone can enjoy. Hope you feel that when you hear it!”
CRYSTAL LAKE have been on the road nonstop throughout 2025, and their European run continues this month with six headline shows across Germany, Denmark, and The Netherlands, joined by Canadian deathcore crushers Angelmaker.
