I usually don?t put much stock in label promospeak when it comes to an impartial evaluation of an album they?re releasing. A good press release is generally well-written, informative for biographical information, etc., but sometimes they?re full of hyperbole about how the new album from Band X is the best shit ever and makes Reign in Blood look like Indigo Girls blah blah blah. Not faulting the labels here; that?s their job. They?re passionate about their product and they want to sell it. That?s the way the world works.

In the case of the press release that came with the digipak of Raise the Red Lantern?s self-titled At a Loss Recordings debut, it?s worth quoting here, if only for the math involved. I submit the delightfully passive aggressive final line:

?Our label constantly puts out releases by bands you dig! You just wait until they go to another label — Black Cobra, (-16-), Baroness, Minsk, Rwake, Kylesa, etc?. Maybe get on board early!?

If you think about it, it?s true. At a Loss has helped break bands that have gone on to become some of this generation?s best and most heralded. Whether or not that means the same thing is destined for Raise the Red Lantern, I don?t know — they certainly wouldn?t be out of place on the Relapse roster — but there?s no denying the label?s impact on the underground heavy throughout this decade. Something worth thinking about, however it might skew your feelings on Raise the Red Lantern now.

Veterans of Seventh Rule Recordings (2005?s Breathe Fire) and builders of Emperor Custom Cabinets, the Chicago four-piece offer a varied eight tracks in a definitively modern style, blending post-Mastodon technicality with hardcore-style vocals and occasional and effective flourishes of ambience. The High on Fire gallop of ?This as Thieves? is offset by the melody that follows in ?Awaken,? and ?Deliver Us/Deliverance? is solo guitar that plays out like an advertisement for the expensive-as-hell cabs three-fourths of the band custom designs for the likes of Pelican and Russian Circles.

That thickened fuzz is a precursor to the heady resumption of action that is ?No Man?s Land,? which like ?Thick as Thieves? is an album highlight, despite its semi-metalcore buildup/breakdown switch. Raise the Red Lantern utilize an array of influences throughout, and what?s apparent immediately from the start of opener ?Ritual in Cm? is that they don?t want to be contained. Genre lines being ever more blurred in the American metal scene, Raise the Red Lantern are right at home with their forays into doom, grind, hardcore and ?other,? and it should go without saying that the production of Sanford Parker (everyone) does justice to the maelstrom with its usual clarity and natural vibe.

I can?t say if At a Loss is once again going to serve as AAA to the metal majors, but Raise the Red Lantern will no doubt impress the more open-minded headbangers out there with their fascinating sonic twists and almost-impossible cohesiveness. The album is heavy sometimes to the point of abrasion, but the band keeps a balance that speaks to their road time and drive toward progression. As my first encounter with them after hearing their name bandied about for the last couple years, I find myself pleasantly surprised.

Raise the Red Lantern on MySpace

At a Loss Recordings

Tags: At a Loss, Chicago, Raise the Red Lantern

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 12:50 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.