Got an album, got a couple videos, got a beer, got a whole bunch of tour dates — it would seem that Portland, Oregon’s Red Fang haven’t missed a beat for all the tumult and chaos the last year-plus has wrought. The four-piece release Arrows today through Relapse Records and they’ll set out this Fall to support it, hitting both coasts, spots in between and even Alaska. The latter is one of the few places — presumably on the planet — they haven’t yet been in the last decade-plus, so kudos to them for ticking that box. Try the salmon, don’t feed the bears.

Of course, they’ll be at Psycho Las Vegas in August as well, and they’ll support All Them Witches in that band’s native Nashville on Halloween. That sounds more like a celebration of life than a concert, frankly.

Dates and all the whatnot came down the PR wire:

RED FANG ANNOUNCE U.S. TOUR

ARROWS ARRIVES THIS FRIDAY VIA RELAPSE RECORDS

PRE-ORDERS: http://bit.ly/redfangarrows

RED FANG X WAYFINDER BEER AVAILABLE JUNE 4

Red Fang, who release their eagerly-awaited new album Arrows (Relapse Records) arrives this Friday, have announced a U.S. tour that sees the Portland-based band trek across the continent, including the group’s first Alaskan performance.

“It’ll be two years in the waiting, but we’re finally hitting the road in October! If we don’t stop pinching ourselves we’re gonna draw blood,” guitar player Bryan Giles enthusiastically shares. “I’m so happy to announce that Starcrawler, Here Lies Man and Warish are joining us on this epic tour! It’s gonna be a barn burner from start to finish with this line-up for sure. I can’t wait to play tunes off our new album on stage for the first time and see old friends and new, so please come join the celebration with us! Long live LIVE!!!”

Tickets for the month-long outing are also available this Friday, June 4, at 10 am local time. Starcrawler opens on all headlining dates (except Alaska), with Here Lies Man (Oct. 15 to Oct. 27) and Warish (Oct. 29 to Nov. 18) rounding out the bill. Previously announced performances include Aug. 21 at Psycho Las Vegas, Sept. 26 at Louder Than Life, and a special Halloween show with All The Witches at the fabled Ryman Auditorium.

Red Fang tour dates:

August 21 Las Vegas, NV Psycho Las Vegas *
September 26 Louisville, KY Louder Than Life Festival *
October 15 Tacoma, WA Sabertooth @ Spanish Ballroom
October 16 Portland, OR Sabertooth @ Crystal Ballroom
October 17 Eugene, OR Sessions Music Hall
October 19 TBA
October 20 TBA
October 21 TBA
October 22 TBA
October 23 Tucson, AZ 191 Toole
October 25 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
October 26 Houston, TX Secret Group
October 27 Austin, TX Empire Control Room & Garage
October 29 Atlanta, GA Terminal West
October 30 Birmingham, AL Saturn
October 31 Nashville, TN The Ryman Auditorium **
November 2 Washington, DC Black Cat
November 3 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts
November 4 Brooklyn, NY Warsaw
November 5 New Haven, CT Toad’s Place
November 6 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
November 8 Pittsburgh, PA Spirit Hall
November 10 Detroit, MI El Club
November 11 Chicago, IL Metro
November 12 St. Paul, MN Amsterdam
November 13 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre
November 15 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
November 16 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
November 17 Salt Lake City, UT Metro Music Hall
November 18 Boise, ID The Olympic
November 20 Anchorage, AK Koot’s ***

* Previously announced
** w/All Them Witches (previously announced)
*** Different support acts to be announced

Red Fang is Aaron Beam (bass/vocals/guitar/keyboards), Bryan Giles (guitar/vocals), John Sherman (drums) and David Sullivan (guitars).

www.redfang.net
www.facebook.com/redfangband
www.instagram.com/redfangband
http://redfang.bandcamp.com
www.relapse.com
relapserecords.bandcamp.com

Red Fang, Arrows (2021)

Portland heavy rockers Red Fang will release their new album, Arrows, in June on Relapse Records. They have a new song up that you can hear now, and in a usual-suspects gathering, they have a video that continues their long-standing collaboration with director Whitey McConnaughy, and the track, “Arrows,” is every bit as Red Fangy as one would hope, with the catchy-catchy and the heavy-heavy there. Longtime fans will be glad to note the return of producer Chris Funk to the helm who, after taking a break for 2016’s Only Ghosts (review here), helms once again after overseeing 2013’s Whales and Leeches (discussed here) and 2011’s Murder the Mountains (review here, also discussed here). I haven’t heard the record yet — who do you think I am? — but that and the sound of the title-cut bode well, as you can find out for yourself at the bottom of the post.

Preorders are up. Here’s news from the PR wire:

Red Fang – Arrows

Physical pre-orders: http://bit.ly/redfangarrows
Digital pre-orders: https://orcd.co/redfangarrows

RED FANG return with their highly anticipated new album, Arrows! Their first album in four years, everyone’s favorite beer-crushing, zombie-killing, air-guitar-contest-judging metal heroes are back in action, doing what they do best- AND MORE.

“This record feels more like Murder The Mountains to me than any record we’ve done before or since,” bassist/vocalist Aaron Beam ventures. “It doesn’t sound like that record, but Murder the Mountains was us doing whatever the fuck we wanted, and that’s what this is, too.”

Arrows was recorded at Halfling Studios in the band’s hometown of Portland, OR, with longtime collaborator Chris Funk, producer of Murder The Mountains and 2013’s Whales and Leeches. “Chris is a major influencer as far as the weird ambient stuff in between the songs and the creepy incidental noises within the songs,“ guitarist Bryan Giles points out. “I think he definitely creates an added layer of atmosphere that we wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Arrows is also a proper title track, which is new territory for the band. “This is the first time we’ve named an album after a song that’s actually on the album,” Beam explains. “We have other albums that are named after songs of ours that are not on those albums. So this time we’re really fucking with you because we didn’t fuck with you.”

Similarly, fans might not believe what the song “Arrows” is partially about. “If you’re confused by some of the lyrics to the song, that makes sense,” Beam explains. “But it makes reference to meditation. I started meditating six years ago, but I can only do it when I’m not feeling too anxious. So, when I don’t need it, that’s when I can do it.”

Elsewhere, “Fonzi Scheme” was named after legendary Happy Days cool guy Arthur Fonzarelli—if only because it’s in the key of his famous catchphrase, “Aaay.” Producer Chris Funk came up with the idea of bringing in string players from the Portland Cello Project to class up the track.

Meanwhile, the opening riff of closer “Funeral Coach” was written 11 years ago. But it took until recently for the song to blossom into its full double-entendre glory. “I was driving around and I saw a hearse that said ‘funeral coach services’ on the back,” Beam explains. “So the first thing that popped into my head was a dude with a headset and a clipboard going, ‘Alright, dudes—more tears! Five minutes in is when the tears are critical, or no one’s gonna believe that anyone cares that this person died.’”

In a nod to tradition, Arrows will be available in formats that include all the drums, bass, guitars and vocals. But it could’ve gone another way. “Our original idea was to release the album with no vocals or guitar solos,” Beam explains. “If you want the guitar solos, it’s an extra five bucks. If you want the vocals, it’s an extra ten bucks. So basically people should feel lucky that we didn’t do that. You get to buy the whole thing altogether.”

RED FANG think of it as a generous display of gratitude toward their fans. “Yeah,” says Sherman, “Thank you for buying our album, you lucky bastards.”

releases June 4, 2021

Tracklisting:
1. Take It Back
2. Unreal Estate
3. Arrows
4. My Disaster
5. Two High
6. Anodyne
7. Interop-Mod
8. Fonzi Scheme
9. Days Collide
10. Rabbits in Hives
11. Why
12. Dr. Owl
13. Funeral Coach

Red Fang is Aaron Beam (bass/vocals/guitar/keyboards), Bryan Giles (guitar/vocals), John Sherman (drums) and David Sullivan (guitars).

www.redfang.net
www.facebook.com/redfangband
www.instagram.com/redfangband
http://redfang.bandcamp.com
www.relapse.com
relapserecords.bandcamp.com

Red Fang, Arrows (2021)

Red Fang, “Arrows” official video