There is a bunch of music out there at the moment, and due to this if you want to shine above the rest you really got to bring something innovative, relevant and different to the game, or else you’ll quickly fade into the background. Speaking from experience this is far easier said than done. This brings me to Red’s latest offering, “Release The Panic”.
Formed out of Nashville, Tennessee in 2004, these ex-post grungers come metal rockers have not changed that much over the duration of their career. It’s not to say that they make bad music, or putting dispute to their skill ability, its just that for me they don’t match up to the hype that often proceeds a release. The band’s line-up consists of singer Michael Barnes, guitarist Anthony Armstrong, bassist Randy Armstrong and drummer Joe Rickard.
On “Release The Panic” they seem to try and put out a bit more punch in their album with head banging hair spinning songs for the more serious metal head (“Release The Panic”, “Same Disease” and “If We Only”) and for those whom like their lighters there are ballads(“Hold Me Now”, and “So Far Away,”). They are certainly attempting to broaden their shoulders, but the formula is still the same. I am certain this album will fare well out there, and its broader shoulders should constitute a greater audience for their music. But honestly there is nothing new here. I did enjoy “If We Only”, for its great sound and burst of energy. As a standalone from the rest of their work this a good album, though not 100% fresh from the trenches of Red, what they do, they do well, at a very high quality, and one cannot give a proper evaluation without taking this in consideration. At the end of the day, good is good, regardless if it’s the same as before.
This is a fan album, and the true Red fans will love this, there is more hits out of the baseball park than strike outs on this release. As rock albums go you won’t go wrong with this, just don’t expect too much from it in terms of covering new ground. Songs like “So Far Away” and “The Moment Come Alive” seem geared for radio top of the pops hit lists.
In conclusion like I said an album in order to give a truly subjective review one needs to look at all the angles before plummeting in making remarks that might not totally be true to the album in all seriousness at the end of the day. So some of the ballads suck, but not all of them, I think they hit it on the mark with “So Far Away”. Overall it’s an energetically engaging and hard hitting album that reflects great talent and has the goods to keep them at the top of the game, but it’s by no means better than their previous releases, it neither worse than them, it’s a sure foot sideways, but I don’t believe they have lost ground here totally (“The first two albums earned the group Grammy Award Nominations for Best Rock Gospel Album while Until We Have Faces had a No. 2 debut on Billboard 200” – Wikipedia). It’s what I would term a foundational release, it has everything to build and establish a strong foundation for future releases, well hopefully….and hopefully what we will see is a genre defining release in the future. Go guys, show us!
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Written by: Donovan de Necker
Track list:
Release The Panic (3:02)
Perfect Life (2:52)
Die For You (2:47)
Damage (3:42)
Same Disease (3:02)
Hold Me Now (4:01)
If We Only (3:47)
So Far Away (3:56)
Glass House (3:33)
The Moment We Come Alive (3:23)
Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks:
Love Will Leave A Mark
As You Go
Hymn for the Missing (Guillotine remix)
Death of Me (Guillotine remix)
Breathe Into Me (Remix Acústica)
Record Label: Essential Records, Feb. 2013
Band members:
Michael Barnes – lead vocals
Anthony Armstrong – rhythm guitar, lead guitar, backing vocals
Randy Armstrong – bass, piano, backing vocals
Joe Rickard – drums, percussion
Discography:
End of Silence (2006)
Innocence & Instinct (2009)
Until We Have Faces (2011)
Release the Panic (2013)
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Weblinks: Website / Facebook / Twitter
Video below: Release The Panic