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
Comments