I was rather indifferent to this French band’s debut album, “Therapy Of The Evil”, as it came across as safe and lacking ingenuity but three years is a long time in music as their split EP with Undead Vision and Son Of A Shotgun, “Sons Of Red Visions”, passed me by unfortunately. Like I said three years is a long time in music and it is fair to say that the band has substantially increased their playing ability but also improved the song writing.
A desolate intro piece, “Funeral Path” complete with animal noises, footsteps and backing tribal like beat maybe a tad clichéd but it works to pave the path for the title track as it steadily increases in power ready for the thrashing riff that greets you. The guitar sound is excellent possessing an acerbic biting quality that cuts through the mix as the drum work is equally penetrating producing a formidable sound. The song is actually extremely catchy too and I guarantee your head will be nodding in appreciation as “The Gatekeeper” follows by slowing things down a tad but retaining the cloying density. The song is rife with riff changes as it sweeps from one caustic phase to another as the drum work again adds huge amounts of texture where every nuance exhibited sounds perfectly placed.
Abrupt and violent “Butchers Path” is prime old school death metal as it leads into a half blasted assault but with some quirky drumming being added. This album has copious riffs and hooks as the schizophrenic “Red Eyes Children” ably demonstrates with its thrashing poise evident again without losing any hint of power. I particularly liked the ending phase to the song which whilst fading out (I have never liked fade outs on songs) borderline carves the album in two ready for the latter half.
“Old Skull Road” has a grisly aura, slow and suffusing the song channels its wrath down a cool riff that is unveiled with the bulldozing drum work again. “Antidote Trap” has a thrash like opening riff that ingrains the song with razoring vehemence as the half blasted mayhem produces a frenetic barrage. Interestingly “Epidemic Fangs” utilises a thrashing riff again but is laced with a core like overtone as the song quickly swerves into more familiar territory where the song snaps and gnashes rabidly but not with any great degree of speed. That is left to “Wind Of Chaos” which has a cool sequential intensification bolstered by the excellent drum work. With overarching density the song funnels its savagery down the rhythm section which is bludgeoning as the momentary blasts add a grinding facet to leave “Into The Void” to end the album. The song is short, sort of like an outro but is fully metalized with atmospheric additions and a doomy morose riffing style that works to finalise this excellent second album by Red Dead.
(8.5/10 Martin Harris)
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