Red – Until We Have Faces – Review

I’m going to go ahead and say that in my vain attempt to continue honest music journalism, I’ve learned that there isn’t much from the four-piece Christian-rock band Red that would have me believe they are worthy of the considerable praise (or the Grammy nominations) they’ve garnered over the last several years. Very blunt from the start of this I know, but with the bands new album “Until We Have Faces” rearing its head next month, I thought a little analysis was in order. From the very start with, “End Of Silence” and the bands sophomore “Innocence & Instinct” the cycled formula had always been to create music that is somewhat vaguely Christian, wrapped in an inoffensive radio-friendly rock packaging, that always seemed catchy in the way an old Linkin Park song did, but would quickly became noticed as a sound that wasn’t capable of eventual progression or experimentation. Basically, the safest music to make.

“Until We Have Faces” does attempt to correct and build on it’s previous efforts with songs that purposefully explore new avenues of rock and new instrumental additions, but it never really gets completely out of the still pool of formulaic hard rock. I also don’t know if anyone else has heard the artist 12 Stones‘ self-titled album from back in 2002, but it is essentially the same album. Both had soft-sung lead singers, lyrics spoke with religion in mind, nontechnical breakdowns peppered in, and plain linear percussion. Even Red‘s second track, “Faceless” feels eerily reminiscent of the 12 Stones‘ track “Broken.” I’m not insinuating that Red has in some way plagiarized other artists — it’s more like correlating how little wiggle room some rock bands have in the cookie-cutter music-making business. It starts to feel like beating a dead horse, but listening to ”Until We Have Faces” several times will have you connecting the dots between Red and other bands like Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Puddle Of Mudd, (a tame) Staind, Creed, and the list goes on.

So while the average music listener (definition: someone that listens and views music not as a passion, but as mere entertainment) believes the cohesive and catchy rock that Red delivers is so fascinating and communicates deeply (this is you Christian Music Review websites), you may want to step back from the radio-driven tunnel-vision to see that, “Until We Have Faces,” like the band who created it, is quite recycled. I feel that it must be mentioned that we don’t have any personal axes to grind here other than one reserved for stagnate music. The well-versed fans of rock might sample this new Red effort with a passing listen, while those lazily glued to “92.1 Alt. Rock Nation” will eat it up — leaving me to wonder if they’ll find their own identity. ~Staff

Score: 2.5 (out of 5)

Release Date: February 1stth, 2011
Record Label: Sony Music
Genre: Rock

Track Listing:
1. Feed The Machine
2. Faceless
3. Lie To Me (Denial)
4. Let It Burn
5. Buried Beneath
6. Not Alone
7. Watch You Crawl
8. The Outside
9. Who We Are
10. Best Is Yet To Come
11. Hymn For The Missing