Code Orange - Underneath: Album Review
How does the new album from the Grammy winning metal band weight up?
Genre: modern metal/ groove metal
For some, the days of metal bands swallowing vast quantities of mainstream exposure seems to be a thing of the past. Huge names such as Parkway Drive and Mastodon are dominating the modern scene but rarely receive any acknowledgement outside the confines of the genre. Code Orange however are moving in the right direction and achieving exactly that. The Grammy award winning metal group released their third record earlier this year and look to continue riding their tidal wave of momentum.
Following on from 2017’s ‘Forever’ is always going to be tough and after a shrieking, abstract intro, ‘Underneath’ opens up with ‘Swallowing the Rabbit Whole’. Monstrous vocals come in with deafening impact, mixing with the distorted atmosphere of the song perfectly. Corrupted, digitalised vibes continue as ‘In Fear’ takes over. The distinct Code Orange sound is clearly evolving as they become darker, murkier and more mysterious with their metal approach.
Picking up the pace with pummelling drumming is ‘You and You Alone’. The tempo of this song is brutal and the heavy groove metal affiliation plays in its favour. The strong reliance on the production stage of the music is also more apparent here, with the organic Code Orange style fading at stages. ‘Who I Am’ persists with the irregular, unconventional Code Orange mentality as clean vocals feature on the record for the first time. However, the electronic elements briefly overpower the song, distracting you slightly from the talented musical execution.
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