I’ll be perfectly honest, I haven’t gone back to Raise the Red Lantern‘s self-titled At a Loss debut once since reviewing it. I don’t know if that’s more of a statement about the busyness of my schedule or the mediocrity of that record, but it’s the truth one way or another. Nonetheless, if the Chicago act are willing to brutalize their egos and collective well-being with even a short Midwestern tour in January, they at least have my respect. Here’s what the PR wire has to say about it:

At A Loss Recordings metallians Raise the Red Lantern hit the road this week on their way to join the later half of the ongoing Translation Loss Records Tour with Battlefields and City of Ships. The band also meet up with killer acts including Racebannon, Struck by Lightning, Chord and Mouth of the Architect along the way.

1/25/2010 Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH w/ Battlefields, City of Ships
1/26/2010 Carabar – Columbus, OH w/ Battlefields, City of Ships, Struck by Lightning
1/27/2010 Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL w/ Chord, Battlefields
1/28/2010 The Afterdark – Steven’s Point, WI w/ Battlefields, City of Ships
1/29/2010 Eagles Nest – Milwaukee, WI w/ Mouth of the Architect, Northless, Savior for a Fallen Hero
1/30/2010 The Picador – Iowa City, IA w/ Snow Demon, Identity Crisis
2/13/2010 Elva’s – South Bend, IN w/ Mouth of the Architect

Raise the Red Lantern‘s self-titled full-length was released in October via At a Loss Recordings. Recorded in their hometown by Sanford Parker (Minsk, Nachtmystium), the unit have unleashed their most blistering release yet. A bombardment of metallic rock and roll riff shredding and distorted, low-end thunder, all topped with utterly savage throat-shredding bellows.

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.

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