Band: Red
Title: End Of Silence
Label: Essential
Release Date: 6/06/06
Review By: Josh IndieVision
Tracklisting:
01. Intro
02. Breathe Into Me
03. Let Go
04. Already Over
05. Lost
06. Pieces
07. Break Me Down
08. Wasting Time
09. Gave It All Away
10. Hide
11. Already Over, Part 2
Members/Duties:
Michael: Vocals, Piano
Anthony: Guitar
Randy: Bass, BGV’s, Piano
Jasen: Guitar
Hayden: Drums
Red, a name chosen to symbolize the blood of Christ, is yet another example of Essential Records pushing the boundaries of their particular style. They’re moving full force into the harder modern rock market and they’ve gotten it right this one.
“Breathe Into Me” is the first song on the album and the first single released to the public. It’s a perfect example of who this band is and what they’re bringing to the table. The song deals with a person who’s gone as far as they can on their own and finally call on God to “Breathe Your life into me”. “Let Go” drops in second with a hard-edge rock anthem. I personally feel as though this track should be pushed to mainstream rock radio. It’s hard enough to draw in the nu-metal fans but catchy enough to gain pop fans. A perfect rock radio crossover.
The middle part of the album mellows things out, at least partially. “Already Over” takes it’s time during the verses, allowing the emotion to build before unleashing it’s intensity. The track also contains one of the catchier sing along choruses on the album. “Pieces” would be considered the ballad. It’s a very quiet soulful song, which is a nice break from the rest of the album.
“Wasting Time” is a heavy hitter bringing a grunge feel, for fans of heavy melodic rock. Reminiscent of some of Sevendust’s work at times, this song could really catch on as well. It is a more straight forward approach, adding less strings and more punch.
An impressive collection of memorable melodies are presented here. Unfortunately Red’s influences tend to show too much and prevent the band from truly creating a sound of their own. I believe they are on their way though, especially with the inclusion of an orchestra throughout. No, this is not Metallica’s “S&M” redone, it’s a blended sound which only helps to increase the album’s beauty.
Standout Tracks:
“Breathe Into Me”, “Wasting Time”, “Lost”
Overall Rating: Sadly for this band, this album will be labeled unoriginal. While at times I can see why people may dismiss it as such, I believe they have shown themselves capable of quality. They do rely heavily on groups like Linkin Park & Trust Company musically but Red has the musical talent and sound to overcome this freshman mistake. “End Of Silence” is a great album and an even better debut! It’s quite amazing how easy it is to listen to this disc over and over. I feel that they have replay ability that some of the bands they can be compared too do not. I hope that they’ll learn from this and branch out on their next album, like labelmates Day Of Fire did with “Cut & Move”. If they are able to break free of the comparisons the sky truly is the limit for this quintet.
Individual Ratings:
Album Art/Design: A very professional design, catchy yet not overdone. [All lyrics included]
Lyrics: I really enjoyed all the lyrics on this album. They are very Christian related and encouraging (which we all need) yet at the same time an every day rock listener can enjoy at the same time. I think too often bands really fall on one side or the other with their lyrics. So overtly Christian that mainstream outlets won’t play it or too secular that you don’t know what they’re talking about, let alone understand where they stand. Much of the album deals directly with our relationship with God and turning things over to Him, instead of keeping control ourselves. I was glad to receive a printout directly explaining the meanings of the songs, although just by reading the lyrics you can pretty much reach the understanding.
Marketability: An album fully capable of dominating both markets. I have no doubt that they will quickly reach the tops of the Christian rock charts and if pushed properly they will also bleed over into secular markets. Compared with most of the stuff on Modern Rock Radio right now they could use more outings like this.
Production: The album is beyond top notch. It blows away the production of many, money fueled efforts from top secular rock labels. All looking to record a modern rock/nu-metal release should take special interest in this album and follow its lead. The team of Rob Graves and Ben Grosse deserve some praise!
Vocals: A great rock voice! Michael has the ability to go from quietly sung melodies to outright nu-metal screams. His voice perfectly fits the music supporting it! One of the more enjoyable voices out there!
Similar To: Chevelle, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Thousand Foot Krutch
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