95
This review was released on Sunday, February 27, 2011.
Until We Have Faces
Red
Essential Records
Released February 1, 2011
Holy Visage rates this album:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ - Excellent
Awarded The Best Album of the Year by Holy Visage in 2011
Collected score:
51/55
The highly anticipated return of one of our favorite bands. In all honesty, we found it impossible for Red to top their last album, Innocence & Instinct. They came remarkably close. The album brings a theme of finding one's true identity, in themselves and in God. The album offers a variety of loud guitars, clashing cymbals, beautiful orchestras, and flawless vocals. This album is geniusly composed, and is a superior performance from Red.
1. "Feed the Machine"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The album opens with arguably one of the hardest Red songs ever recorded. Heavy guitars, a hard bass riff, and clashing drums introduce the album in an epic manner. The song depicts fearing people who fight to maintain their appearence, and the dangerous act of comformity. The song calls those people to wake up and understand that they don't have to fight and surrender to those secular lies. The song ends with a peaceful symphony of violins and angelic voices. This song is, to say the least, a perfectly composed and geniusly written work of art.
2. "Faceless"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Awarded The Best Song of the Year by Holy Visage in 2011
The best song on the album. This song has a place inside of everybody. Honestly, we find this song one of Red's greatest records, if not their greatest. This song shows a psychological perspective on somebody who desires freedom, but feels prisoned by their past decisions to turn his back on God. Identifying they have made a wrong move, they allow somebody else (God) to shape their identity. The song opens with a loud guitar riff, followed by genius verses and an epic chorus. This song is the perfect definition of Red music, and is arguably their best so far.
3. "Lie to Me (Denial)"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Opening with a faint sound of silence and progressing to a loud clashing of cymbols and heavy assembly of guitars and bass, this song simply rocks. The song tells of recognizing the lies of this world, and overcoming one's self-deception. This song includes one of the most powerful bridges and choruses ever composed by Red. Definitely one of the better songs on the album.
4. "Let It Burn"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Another geniusly written song, this song sings from the perspective of God, asking us how long will we hide our real faces, as if He doesn't already know our true self. He asks us how long we will live our lives without seeking Him. The song is a perfect example of hard rock with a softer tempo. The song combines heavy drums and peaceful violins into one beautiful melody.
5. "Buried Beneath"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A magnificent melody and deafening wave of beautiful noise, this song brings back the Red that we all are familiar of. The song makes a reference to Matthew 7:24-27 in the second verse. The idea of the song tells of somebody who is in over their head in the depths of this world, crying to God, asking Him to pull them out before they are lost forever. An absolute perfect flow of strings and percussion, this is one of their best works so far.
6. "Not Alone"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Taking things down a notch, this song is in both the perspective of God, and the perspective of somebody seeking God. He reminds us that he will never leave us, that He will never forsake us. He tells us that He is always with us, that He will be our hope. This song will grow on you more and more. Just a fair warning, this song will give birth to tears, and possibly many of them. A beautiful song from a band that proves they can write flawless music in all tempos and all volumes.
7. "Watch You Crawl"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★
Welcoming back the high volume and head-banging, this song is composed of intelligent guitar riffs and impressive drum beats. This song is about a confrontation with the devil, and how he brings those of God to their knees in temptation. The song inspires how those of God can overcome his lies with the strength of God through them.
8. "The Outside"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★
Continuing the loud noise, this song brings back the hard rock edge of Red. The only complaint we have with this particular song is that this song and its preceder are too similar. Not to say that Red would ever write a useless piece of music. This song has epic guitar harmony and flawless screaming by Michael Barnes. Definitely one of the harder songs on the album.
9. "Who We Are"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This song speaks of refusing to believe the lies of the world, and comforts the eternal life that awaits those of God, saying that those who believe will be forever, not to be overcome by those of the world. The song continues the streak of hard rock, but with a slower tempo than the proceeding tracks.
10. "Best Is Yet To Come"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This song speaks to those who are unsure; to those who are living in the guilt of their past. The chorus wonderfully speaks of letting the past be outrun, believing that God is here, reminding us that this life is just the beginning, that the best is yet to come in this life on Earth, and life after Earth. The song ends with a beautiful arrangement of violins. A beautiful melody and magnificent lyrics of truth, this is one of the greatest tracks on the album.
11. "Hymn for the Missing"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★
This song ends the album in an emotionally arousing manner with a slow tempo, composed of pure strings and piano. Michael Barnes' vocals are accompanied by the apparent voice of angels. Probably the darkest song on the album, being in the fact that he sings of wondering where his love is, wondering if she is lost, wondering if he will ever see her again. There is never a resolution, or a definite answer. We are left wondering if they have moved into the light, or into the darkness. The album ends with a beautiful flow of violins and flawless voices.
If you are fighting whether to purchase this album, let us be the first to put an end to that war. This album is worth your every penny, and you will not be disappointed if you make that purchase. Red is a dominant band of modern rock music, and they have proven themselves with this superior performance. I would rank this album with many of the alleged greatest albums. This album is an instant classic.
Top songs of this album:
1. "Faceless"
2. "Feed the Machine"
3. "Lie to Me (Denial)"
4. "Buried Beneath"
5. "Let It Burn"
This review was written by Austin Lovelace.
Red
Essential Records
Released February 1, 2011
Holy Visage rates this album:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ - Excellent
Awarded The Best Album of the Year by Holy Visage in 2011
Collected score:
51/55
The highly anticipated return of one of our favorite bands. In all honesty, we found it impossible for Red to top their last album, Innocence & Instinct. They came remarkably close. The album brings a theme of finding one's true identity, in themselves and in God. The album offers a variety of loud guitars, clashing cymbals, beautiful orchestras, and flawless vocals. This album is geniusly composed, and is a superior performance from Red.
1. "Feed the Machine"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The album opens with arguably one of the hardest Red songs ever recorded. Heavy guitars, a hard bass riff, and clashing drums introduce the album in an epic manner. The song depicts fearing people who fight to maintain their appearence, and the dangerous act of comformity. The song calls those people to wake up and understand that they don't have to fight and surrender to those secular lies. The song ends with a peaceful symphony of violins and angelic voices. This song is, to say the least, a perfectly composed and geniusly written work of art.
2. "Faceless"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Awarded The Best Song of the Year by Holy Visage in 2011
The best song on the album. This song has a place inside of everybody. Honestly, we find this song one of Red's greatest records, if not their greatest. This song shows a psychological perspective on somebody who desires freedom, but feels prisoned by their past decisions to turn his back on God. Identifying they have made a wrong move, they allow somebody else (God) to shape their identity. The song opens with a loud guitar riff, followed by genius verses and an epic chorus. This song is the perfect definition of Red music, and is arguably their best so far.
3. "Lie to Me (Denial)"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Opening with a faint sound of silence and progressing to a loud clashing of cymbols and heavy assembly of guitars and bass, this song simply rocks. The song tells of recognizing the lies of this world, and overcoming one's self-deception. This song includes one of the most powerful bridges and choruses ever composed by Red. Definitely one of the better songs on the album.
4. "Let It Burn"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Another geniusly written song, this song sings from the perspective of God, asking us how long will we hide our real faces, as if He doesn't already know our true self. He asks us how long we will live our lives without seeking Him. The song is a perfect example of hard rock with a softer tempo. The song combines heavy drums and peaceful violins into one beautiful melody.
5. "Buried Beneath"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A magnificent melody and deafening wave of beautiful noise, this song brings back the Red that we all are familiar of. The song makes a reference to Matthew 7:24-27 in the second verse. The idea of the song tells of somebody who is in over their head in the depths of this world, crying to God, asking Him to pull them out before they are lost forever. An absolute perfect flow of strings and percussion, this is one of their best works so far.
6. "Not Alone"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Taking things down a notch, this song is in both the perspective of God, and the perspective of somebody seeking God. He reminds us that he will never leave us, that He will never forsake us. He tells us that He is always with us, that He will be our hope. This song will grow on you more and more. Just a fair warning, this song will give birth to tears, and possibly many of them. A beautiful song from a band that proves they can write flawless music in all tempos and all volumes.
7. "Watch You Crawl"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★
Welcoming back the high volume and head-banging, this song is composed of intelligent guitar riffs and impressive drum beats. This song is about a confrontation with the devil, and how he brings those of God to their knees in temptation. The song inspires how those of God can overcome his lies with the strength of God through them.
8. "The Outside"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★
Continuing the loud noise, this song brings back the hard rock edge of Red. The only complaint we have with this particular song is that this song and its preceder are too similar. Not to say that Red would ever write a useless piece of music. This song has epic guitar harmony and flawless screaming by Michael Barnes. Definitely one of the harder songs on the album.
9. "Who We Are"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This song speaks of refusing to believe the lies of the world, and comforts the eternal life that awaits those of God, saying that those who believe will be forever, not to be overcome by those of the world. The song continues the streak of hard rock, but with a slower tempo than the proceeding tracks.
10. "Best Is Yet To Come"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This song speaks to those who are unsure; to those who are living in the guilt of their past. The chorus wonderfully speaks of letting the past be outrun, believing that God is here, reminding us that this life is just the beginning, that the best is yet to come in this life on Earth, and life after Earth. The song ends with a beautiful arrangement of violins. A beautiful melody and magnificent lyrics of truth, this is one of the greatest tracks on the album.
11. "Hymn for the Missing"
Holy Visage rates this song: ★ ★ ★
This song ends the album in an emotionally arousing manner with a slow tempo, composed of pure strings and piano. Michael Barnes' vocals are accompanied by the apparent voice of angels. Probably the darkest song on the album, being in the fact that he sings of wondering where his love is, wondering if she is lost, wondering if he will ever see her again. There is never a resolution, or a definite answer. We are left wondering if they have moved into the light, or into the darkness. The album ends with a beautiful flow of violins and flawless voices.
If you are fighting whether to purchase this album, let us be the first to put an end to that war. This album is worth your every penny, and you will not be disappointed if you make that purchase. Red is a dominant band of modern rock music, and they have proven themselves with this superior performance. I would rank this album with many of the alleged greatest albums. This album is an instant classic.
Top songs of this album:
1. "Faceless"
2. "Feed the Machine"
3. "Lie to Me (Denial)"
4. "Buried Beneath"
5. "Let It Burn"
This review was written by Austin Lovelace.