Location: San Francisco, California
Country: USA
Genre: Metalcore, nu metal
EP: Crisis
Format: Digital
Label: Independent
Release date: September 26, 2025
If a vocalist and her band merged traits of Lady Gaga, Korn, Black Label Society and Arch Enemy, how would it come across? Alex Sandra (also known as Aleksandra Marshaniia) mixes the heavy grooves typical of metalcore and nu metal with rawer energy, more brutal honesty, and a unique theatrical style, pushing the boundaries of those genres.
I was surprised how quickly I was drawn to the strength of her music and the sincerity with which she presented her ideas. The clip I came across by chance was brief, but something about her presentation struck me as being more painfully honest, so much that it made me want to hear more.
From her hometown Georgia, Russia, to China and the U.S. Bay Area, her live shows have left a significant mark on her audience. By showcasing a seemingly vulnerable persona, she opens her heart’s deepest recesses, infusing her lyrics and diverse vocal style with massive amounts of urgent sensitivity. Confronting conventional views of women in entertainment, Sandra addresses serious issues like child abuse and domestic violence with rather unsettling frank intensity.
The frank intensity of "Crisis" shows her readiness to share her struggles and give a voice to those who relate, regardless of demographics. Her appeal comes not from stepping outside her comfort zone but from completely disregarding limits, ignoring boundaries between genres as well as boundaries between lifestyles. Sandra aims for the heart, calling attention to the core anguish to draw strength from it.
Presented as a form of musical theater. or confrontational theater, which she considers artistry; "Crisis" features a massive wall of sound that’s louder, darker, and more passionate, with added depth. Enriching its metalcore and nu metal roots, it incorporates organic and electronic elements, a biting guitar sound, occasional ambience and vocals that blend aggression, melody, and diction likened to hip hop.
Drawing also from the start of her musical career when she was doing alternative rock and pop, she blended them with an accessible and heavy sound to get noticed in industries that thrive on sameness. I gather "Crisis" tackles body shaming, pressure to adhere to societal norms, suppression of individuality, scapegoating, and penalizing independent thought (at least any thought deviating from the majority).
As a catalyst for change, "Crisis" is a call for society to assume responsibility, keeping in mind the idea that change always starts with one person. The title track's promotional video is even more expressive, highlighting a punk attitude as she confronts standards of body type, expressing her frustration with the previously mentioned pressures, dismissing expectations and reaffirming her identity. This is a common theme in her videos, and I imagine Sandra will continue to build her reputation on it. –Dave Wolff
Track list:
1. Crisis
2. So You Can't
3. What's Inside
4. Lowest
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