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August 29, 2008 |
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01. Fixation On Plastics
02. Lay The Tarp
03. Black Santa
04. Antman
05. Clients
06. Upper Decker
07. Hospice Residence
08. Dragon Wagon
09. Love On The Concrete
10. Blue Line Cretin
11. He Was Dead When I Got There
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Massachusetts grindcore rockers THE RED CHORD have just unleashed their sophomore release on the masses. However, fans should be wary of the label 'grindcore'. Formed a mere five years ago in Boston, the band released their first disc, "Fused Together In Revolving Doors", in 2002 and it became something of an underground cult favorite. Now, on "Clients", THE RED CHORD show themselves to be much more than a typical 'core' band, as they combine the best aspects of grind, metalcore, death, and metal, without sounding like an amalgamation of genres. The first band that comes to mind by way of comparison is CRYPTOPSY. Throughout the disc, the only constant is change. Just when you think the band is heading in one direction, they move to another. Then, when you get 'comfortable' with a pace, they change that. This is a wicked ride that might not be for everyone - only those adventurous souls that look for songs that are out of the ordinary.
There are no rules with THE RED CHORD, and anyone hoping to find the tried and true song structures utilized by so many (most?) bands, might find this a little difficult to listen to.
THE RED CHORD (Guy Kozowyk - vocals, Gunface - guitars, Kevin Rampelberg - guitars, Gregory Weeks - bass, Brad Fickelson - drums) have also set themselves apart for the overcrowded genre by writing interesting songs (they have some of the best song titles) and really good production. The band co-produced the disc with HATEBREED and SHADOWS FALL producer Zeus, and the results are definitely impressive. The vocals in particular have a great sound, almost touching on the BEHEMOTH vocal sound - very intense. Kozowyk has the ability to effortlessly morph between the deep gutteral, DYING FETUS-ish vocals to the higher hardcore screams. Not as easy task for any singer, but it is done here quite nicely.
With songs like "Fixation On Plastics", "Black Santa", title track "Clients", "Antman", and "Love On The Concrete", THE RED CHORD show that they have a sense of humor with their lyrics, and as such the listener will find these songs almost like a breath of fresh air. Why be like everyone else? Why stick to certain genres? Why follow the 'rules'?
The only downside of this very cool release is the very last tune, the instrumental "He Was Dead When I Got There". The problem with the one is that it doesn't fit in very well with the rest of the fairly chaotic songs. It's a rather simple instrumental that comes across almost as half finished. But man, talk about a title that creates a LOT of images in the listener's mind. The band are able to tell the entire story with only seven small words and this song gets my vote for the best song title of the year (so far...)!
This is a really good disc and if you like your music extreme, chaotic, and in your face, I highly recommend "Clients" as a great addition to your collecition. As this is the major label debut for THE RED CHORD, I see this band having a very cool, heavy future ahead of them. If they keep producing albums like this one, and continue to push the predefined limitations of being in one particular genre, they should become a household name (well, a ‘'metal household' name at least). This is a very impressive disc. Well done guys!
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