Red Seas Fire – ‘Confrontation’ [Review]
Metal’s been around for a long time now – but it never ceases to amaze me how many musicians are still finding ways to breathe new life into a genre so frequently mocked for its backward-looking retromania.
On Confrontation, Red Seas Fire take all manner of pre-existing metallic mutations and mix them into still another fresh sound. Think Korn’s first album mixed with Periphery’s latest and you have Tyrants; visualise Chester Bennington laying down vocals over a Killswitch Engage / Tesseract jam and you’ll get closing track Compass. The Gold Room, meanwhile, offers fuzzy riffs and hardcore vocals alongside catchy lyrics sure to translate live and a bit of Dillinger Escape Plan-esque mathiness toward the end, while The Grand Escape is pure djent-fuelled filth. In short, Confrontation is all killer, and absolutely no filler. Read more…
Chelsea Grin do not piss about! Heavy as Tolstoy and as dense as a black hole’s singularity, Playing With Fire is exactly what you need if you’re struggling to stay awake as the excitement of summer fades and winter slowly rolls in. Or if you just feel like listening to some music that kicks serious ass and takes more names than an identity thief. 
A note-one winner. Melodic tech-metal with elements of Periphery-influenced djent and (on opener Ephemeral) a fantastic Tom Morello stutter-guitar moment kept me set on staying put for this LP’s full running time. I do not regret that decision. 
I’m not sure if it’s too early to compare a band to Lostprophets, but I’m going to do it anyway. Until recently, that band was one of my favourite acts ever; regardless of what was cool at the time, Lostprophets were always able to blend it all into a fresh sound with a unique edge. Tigers Of Junction Street do much the same thing – and it’s completely won me over. 
Prepare to have your brain broken.
The secret to effective writing is to omit unnecessary words. So the words that follow are the only ones you need to read.
First things first. Beneath Dead Waves are a great band. They clearly know their shit; their instrumental technique is borderline flawless; and any self-respecting metalhead will find something to love on Inertia. Personally, I felt as if this album had been written just for me, clearly influenced as it is by many of the bands that defined me as a metal fan. There’re moments that bring to mind Dream Theater, Tool, Mudvayne, SikTh, Slipknot, and Meshuggah – and it’s clear that Beneath Dead Waves love those bands as much as I do (if not more). For that reason, Inertia has earned a special place in my heart. 
No, Dillinger, it isn’t. Sorry.