86
This review was released on Tuesday, February 26, 2013.
Release the Panic
Red
Essential Records
Released Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Holy Visage rates this album:
★ ★ ★ ★ - Great
Collected score:
43/50
+ The Best Albums of the Year list, No. 5 highest-rated album (2013)
Red returns with a brand new sound for Release the Panic. The band's fourth studio album introduces shorter songs, most of which contain a mainstream feel, devoid of violins or powerful choruses heard in the band's previous three albums. Spiritual content is featured less on this album. Unlike the band's previous efforts that cry out to God, this album cries out to the human race, providing solutions to overcome a struggling world by giving up the pursuit to reach perfection and turning to brokenness. The album features a form of electric sounds in several songs, working well with the heavy rock that accompanies them. Red's fourth studio album stands out from their previous efforts as it introduces a more mainstream sound that may appeal to music enthusiasts outside of the Christian and Gospel genre.
Before the band began recording the album, they announced that they would be replacing Rob Graves, producer of the band's previous three album, with Howard Benson, a Grammy-nominated producer who has worked with several successful rock bands. Howard Benson's producing style is definitely noticeable throughout the album, as the entire piece feels slightly over-produced. The most saddening difference with this album is the lack of violins that served as the band's signature sound in their previous three releases. The album is completely devoid of violins for the first six tracks, as they don't make an appearance until "If We Only." Violins also appear on "Glass House" and faintly on "The Moment We Come Alive." The album's lack of violins is replaced with electric sounds that serve as a major element of songs such as "Die For You," "Damage," and "Same Disease."
The album opens with the band's first ever title track, "Release the Panic." The song is brief and straightforward, but makes its impact in the short amount of time it gives you. The song is written from the perspective of a person dealing with great anxiety from the declining condition of the world. The album's lead single, "Perfect Life," is a mainstream-esque rock track about rejecting the media's portrayal of the perfect life and choosing imperfect brokenness. "Die For You" convinces a loved one of one's unconditional love for them. The song clocks in at under three minutes and is centered around an electric beat. "Damage" is a very enjoyable listen. The song speaks of the struggles we may face when abandoning God, and how our lives fall apart when we're apart from him, finding our true character with how we repair the damage. This track is easily the heaviest song on the album, as lead singer Michael Barnes screams through nearly the whole track. "Same Disease" is the third consecutive song to begin with an electric beat. The song reveals that all humans, whether they believe in a divine power or not, fall short of perfection. This track is the lowest point of the album.
Things begin to look up for the album with the second half, beginning with "Hold Me Now," one of the band's finest ballads ever recorded. The song reminds us that even when we reach the lowest point of our lives, God is stronger than us and will catch us when we fall. This track is one of the most powerful songs on the album. It's the first song on the album that feels that it was given the proper amount of time to develop into its full potential. This track is one of our favorites on the album. Heavy rock returns with "If We Only," one of few heavy tracks on the album. The song opens with a thunderous clashing of drums and a heavy guitar riff. The song asks us what the world would become if we could get over our hate and pride. The song features the violins that we love and miss so dearly throughout the whole song. "So Far Away" is a heavy ballad that is easy to relate to, speaking of how quickly we drift away from everything we once stood for, so quickly that we wonder when we even began to decline. The bridge offers a solution for how to return to where we used to be. This ballad is one of our favorite tracks on the album. "Glass House" is a lyrically powerful song that reminds us that while humans only see our outer appearance, God sees deeper into our souls and hearts. The song is only the second track to feature violins. The album closes with "The Moment We Come Alive," an uplifting anthem that finds hope in a struggling world with the belief that there's a brand new life waiting for us. The track's powerful verses and chorus make this one of our favorites on the album. Closing with a powerful anthem is an extraordinary way to close the album.
Though we feel that Release the Panic is an over-produced result that failed to surpass Until We Have Faces or Innocence & Instinct, the album is an overall work of art. The album disappoints us in the fact that it failed to meet its towering expectations, but Howard Benson can easily be blamed for that. Though the band's new sound may feel incognizable and difficult to grasp at first, Red has stayed true to who they are as a band and as Christians. The band still values the relationships they make with fans and lives they may impact more than success. Even though we feel that this effort didn't meet its high expectations that would have come with Rob Graves producing the album and longer, more majestic songs accompanied with violins, Release the Panic is a remarkable rock record by today's finest rock band. We look for Red to return stronger and better than ever with their next release.
Ratings by track listing:
1. "Release the Panic" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
2. "Perfect Life" - ★ ★ ★ ★
3. "Die for You" - ★ ★ ★
4. "Damage" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
5. "Same Disease" - ★ ★ ★
6. "Hold Me Now" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
7. "If We Only" - ★ ★ ★ ★
8. "So Far Away" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ + The Best Songs of the Year list
9. "Glass House" - ★ ★ ★ ★
10. "The Moment We Come Alive" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Top five songs of this album are seen in gold.
This review was written by Austin Lovelace.
Red
Essential Records
Released Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Holy Visage rates this album:
★ ★ ★ ★ - Great
Collected score:
43/50
+ The Best Albums of the Year list, No. 5 highest-rated album (2013)
Red returns with a brand new sound for Release the Panic. The band's fourth studio album introduces shorter songs, most of which contain a mainstream feel, devoid of violins or powerful choruses heard in the band's previous three albums. Spiritual content is featured less on this album. Unlike the band's previous efforts that cry out to God, this album cries out to the human race, providing solutions to overcome a struggling world by giving up the pursuit to reach perfection and turning to brokenness. The album features a form of electric sounds in several songs, working well with the heavy rock that accompanies them. Red's fourth studio album stands out from their previous efforts as it introduces a more mainstream sound that may appeal to music enthusiasts outside of the Christian and Gospel genre.
Before the band began recording the album, they announced that they would be replacing Rob Graves, producer of the band's previous three album, with Howard Benson, a Grammy-nominated producer who has worked with several successful rock bands. Howard Benson's producing style is definitely noticeable throughout the album, as the entire piece feels slightly over-produced. The most saddening difference with this album is the lack of violins that served as the band's signature sound in their previous three releases. The album is completely devoid of violins for the first six tracks, as they don't make an appearance until "If We Only." Violins also appear on "Glass House" and faintly on "The Moment We Come Alive." The album's lack of violins is replaced with electric sounds that serve as a major element of songs such as "Die For You," "Damage," and "Same Disease."
The album opens with the band's first ever title track, "Release the Panic." The song is brief and straightforward, but makes its impact in the short amount of time it gives you. The song is written from the perspective of a person dealing with great anxiety from the declining condition of the world. The album's lead single, "Perfect Life," is a mainstream-esque rock track about rejecting the media's portrayal of the perfect life and choosing imperfect brokenness. "Die For You" convinces a loved one of one's unconditional love for them. The song clocks in at under three minutes and is centered around an electric beat. "Damage" is a very enjoyable listen. The song speaks of the struggles we may face when abandoning God, and how our lives fall apart when we're apart from him, finding our true character with how we repair the damage. This track is easily the heaviest song on the album, as lead singer Michael Barnes screams through nearly the whole track. "Same Disease" is the third consecutive song to begin with an electric beat. The song reveals that all humans, whether they believe in a divine power or not, fall short of perfection. This track is the lowest point of the album.
Things begin to look up for the album with the second half, beginning with "Hold Me Now," one of the band's finest ballads ever recorded. The song reminds us that even when we reach the lowest point of our lives, God is stronger than us and will catch us when we fall. This track is one of the most powerful songs on the album. It's the first song on the album that feels that it was given the proper amount of time to develop into its full potential. This track is one of our favorites on the album. Heavy rock returns with "If We Only," one of few heavy tracks on the album. The song opens with a thunderous clashing of drums and a heavy guitar riff. The song asks us what the world would become if we could get over our hate and pride. The song features the violins that we love and miss so dearly throughout the whole song. "So Far Away" is a heavy ballad that is easy to relate to, speaking of how quickly we drift away from everything we once stood for, so quickly that we wonder when we even began to decline. The bridge offers a solution for how to return to where we used to be. This ballad is one of our favorite tracks on the album. "Glass House" is a lyrically powerful song that reminds us that while humans only see our outer appearance, God sees deeper into our souls and hearts. The song is only the second track to feature violins. The album closes with "The Moment We Come Alive," an uplifting anthem that finds hope in a struggling world with the belief that there's a brand new life waiting for us. The track's powerful verses and chorus make this one of our favorites on the album. Closing with a powerful anthem is an extraordinary way to close the album.
Though we feel that Release the Panic is an over-produced result that failed to surpass Until We Have Faces or Innocence & Instinct, the album is an overall work of art. The album disappoints us in the fact that it failed to meet its towering expectations, but Howard Benson can easily be blamed for that. Though the band's new sound may feel incognizable and difficult to grasp at first, Red has stayed true to who they are as a band and as Christians. The band still values the relationships they make with fans and lives they may impact more than success. Even though we feel that this effort didn't meet its high expectations that would have come with Rob Graves producing the album and longer, more majestic songs accompanied with violins, Release the Panic is a remarkable rock record by today's finest rock band. We look for Red to return stronger and better than ever with their next release.
Ratings by track listing:
1. "Release the Panic" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
2. "Perfect Life" - ★ ★ ★ ★
3. "Die for You" - ★ ★ ★
4. "Damage" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
5. "Same Disease" - ★ ★ ★
6. "Hold Me Now" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
7. "If We Only" - ★ ★ ★ ★
8. "So Far Away" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ + The Best Songs of the Year list
9. "Glass House" - ★ ★ ★ ★
10. "The Moment We Come Alive" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Top five songs of this album are seen in gold.
This review was written by Austin Lovelace.