Best Wishes

Best Wishes is the second album by New York hardcore band, Cro-Mags. It was released in 1989 on Profile Records and was subsequently re-released on Another Planet – along with their debut album, The Age Of Quarrel, on the same disc.

The album's cover reflected the band's interest in the Hare Krishna religion which started with previous singer John Joseph and then carried on through Harley Flanagan who also became a devotee. The Krishna faith was ultimately the demise of the band, as the contradiction of a faith of pacifism against the violence of the band's music was often even too much for the band members to handle. However, before this, in 1992, their next album, Alpha Omega, saw the return of John Joseph to the Cro-Mags fold, and an even further gravitation towards a metal sound.

Overview

After the short, sharp bursts of song encountered on their previous album, 1986's The Age Of Quarrel, this album saw a complete change of style as Cro-Mags entered the crossover thrash arena, complete with guitar solos. The songs also became longer – averaging around four minutes, whereas over half of Quarrel's songs came in under the two minute mark. There were two line-up changes from the previous album – most notably, John Joseph's departure paved the way for Harley Flanagan to take up both bass and vocal duties. Flanagan's was a very different vocal style and it further juxtaposed the band's image from straightout hardcore punk to a more metal sound. Another change was Pete...
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