Hailing from Massachusetts, The Red Chord is a rampaging death/grind/metalcore band, whose latest CD Clients is a blistering juggernaut of extreme & technical sounds that is sure to raise many eyebrows on the metal scene. There's little or no subtlety here, save for a few moments of atmosphere or jazzy guitar passage, as the 11 cuts attack the listener with hungry ferocity and virtuoso precision in much the same fashion as bands like Mastodon or The Dillinger Escape Plan. Insane, technical guitar riffs and passages from Mike McKenzie and Keven Rampelberg permeate the CD (check out the manic & churning harmonies on tunes like "Dragon Wagon" and "Upper Decker"), and the bloodcurdling shouts from singer Guy Kozowyk are right on the money. Even though his vocals are not for the timid, you can understand the lyrics perfectly, which is a plus in my book, as many extreme singers fail to get the lyrical content across with their unintelligible rantings. The rhythm section of drummer Brad Fickelsen and bassist Gregory Weeks pummel their way through each track with reckless precision, especially on the brutal "Love on the Concrete", an angry and heavy tune that also has some great technical guitar work.
What's also cool about Clients (besides the artwork from Paul Romano, who has also worked with Mastodon, Nasum, Godflesh, and Dead to Fall) is that the songs are not short little 2-3 minute long ditties like some metalcore bands are known to do. These guys give themselves the chance to rip it up and build some tension. Plus, they threw in a great instrumental to end the CD called "He Was Dead When I Got There", that shows off the bands instrumental prowess even more. It's filled with slower riffs, some tasty leads, and a real sense of class that differs from the rest of the tunes on the CD, but again shows the talent these guys have. Good stuff all around!
Track Listing
1. Fixation On Plastics
2. Lay The Tarp
3. Black Santa
4. Antman
5. Clients
6. Upper Decker
7. Hospice Residence
8. Dragon Wagon
9. Love On The Concrete
10. Blue Line Cretin
11. He Was Dead When I Got There
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