Redefine - The Harbinger King




Good day to you waveriders!  Unless I miss my guess you're here looking for some new audio narcotic to put a smile on your face.  Well since that's the case I'd like to introduce you to the latest release from Dallas, Texas based rockers Redefine.  The album is called The Harbinger King and it rocks something fierce!

Redefine is a five man unit whose members get their jollies by combining their rock and metal influences into a glorious concoction designed for mass appeal.  Hitting play on any of the seven songs that make up The Harbinger King invites the listener to pick up strains of progressive metal, thrash, NWOBHM, hardcore, and 1990s alternative metal underneath a high-gloss exterior of radio friendly melodicism.  Do all of these elements work well together you ask?  Oh yes waveriders.  Yes they certainly do.  The band flexes their collective musical muscle over the course of the entire 33 minute running length of The Harbinger King with nary a drop in energy or intensity.

Solid opener "Fiction" lays the groundwork for what is to come, specifically the fantastic one-two punch of "Whole" and "Fall On Your Sword".  I love how these two songs complement each other.  "Whole" takes almost a full minute to ramp up but when the main guitar riff emerges and the vocalist goes to eleven it's off to the races!  "Fall On..." takes the emotion generated from "Whole" and transitions it into much poppier territory with less distortion and call and response vocals.  The metallic grit is still evident, but it takes a backseat to the quote-unquote happier mood of the song. 

"Over And Over Again" is my favorite track on the record.  I feel it combines everything Redefine is adept at into one musical nugget.  Then again, I do love the combination of NWOBHM overtones with a modern metal approach on "When Fear Resists".  Fair warning folks, the chorus to this song will implant itself in your head and you will not be rid of it for some time.  Closer "Beware The Bear" lulls the listener into a false sense of serenity before slapping you upside the head with a frenetic blast of riff-based energy.  It's pretty fantastic!

Waveriders, I strongly recommend that you check out Redefine.  The Harbinger King is a great album, and you all deserve some new rock in your lives.  Trust me.  You deserve the best!

- Penfold


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