Red Animal War use imaginative arrangements, earthy guitar textures, a strong melodic sense, and pure rhythmic muscle to create an exciting variation on indie post-punk. The overall flavor of Black Phantom Crusades is reminiscent of D.C. post-hardcore (Burning Airlines), but the band incorporates some unusual instrumentation (saxophone, xylophone, piano) into their sound to make it a bit more varied than most of their peers. “Mouse” and “Jambalaya,” in particular, employ particularly adventurous rhythmic ideas and unpredictable, dynamic twists and turns in the arrangements, resulting in a fresh take on melodic hardcore aggression. – Andy Hinds