The Red Death External Frames of Reference

A common theme lately is to be a hardcore band with metal influences, which usually only amounts to blatant rip offs of more competent metal bands. The output seems like a weak string of half-assed metal riffs with their only purpose being to get the listener from one mediocre breakdown to the next. However, the reverse (a metal band with hardcore influences) is less common, and generally turns out to be the better of the two types of bands that try to pull off this mix of styles.Even the newest listener to this type of music shouldn't have a hard time coming up with bands like this (e.g. Unearth, etc.), and no shortage of opinions to accompany where bands like this stand either. The Red Death is another band trying to tread water between the shores of metal and hardcore. Seemingly, they tend to swim closer to the metal side than the hardcore side, and it clearly shows in their music. The dual guitar attack is very metal driven instead of chugging breakdown driven (though there are enough breakdowns to satisfy the picky hardcore listener). The riffs and harmonies also seem to have a refreshing amount of American metal influence instead of being direct copies of Swedish bands or the like. Though the Red Death's newest offering External Frames of Reference can sound uncomfortably close to other contemporaries, such as the Black Dahlia Murder, at times, there is definitely enough that is different about this release to separate it from similar records or bands. Some of the more melodic moments, like the end of the song "Consciousness Delayed," showcase this band's ability to settle down, lock in, and write some really memorable riffs. Bottom Line: While this style of heavy music has become somewhat stagnant, there is still creativity to be explored. The Red Death seems to have done a little of that exploration, but more work remains. If they can focus on the unique moments of their approach (the compelling blend of textures and melodies) and truly show what they're capable of doing, future releases should be special.