Tuesday 18 October 2016

Red Fang - Only Ghosts (Album Review)


Release date: October 14th 2016. Label: Relapse Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Only Ghosts – Tracklisting

1.Flies 03:37
2.Cut it Short 04:11
3.Flames 01:30
4.No Air 04:52
5.Shadows 03:11 video
6.Not for You 03:19
7.The Smell of the Sound 05:23
8.The Deep 04:27
9.I Am a Ghost 04:08
10.Living in Lye 06:19

Band Members:

Bryan Giles - Guitar/Vocals
Aaron Beam - Bass/Vocals
David Sullivan - Guitar
John Sherman - Drums

Review:

Greetings all,
Red Fang has unleashed their fourth full length, Only Ghosts, and it is a dark, blazing, riff laden romp that is catchy as hell from beginning to end. This album rips. Only Ghosts is the bands third album for Relapse (who, by the way, have been having a killer year). As noted, the record is dark, not black metal dark, but death, hauntings and spirits permeate almost every track on the record.
Red Fang is in top form, and at the top of the heap in the somewhat hard to label, metal/rock genre. Right there with the likes of Torche and Baroness. On Only Ghosts, Red Fang remind me a lot of Weezer. If Weezer, were a bunch of bad asses that drank alot. With the big riffs, there are a lot of other influences, I may hear a bit of Weezer based on the almost 90's alternative rock vibe that makes its way onto the album. As noted, this album is catchy as hell, I found myself humming different parts for days after a ton of repeated listens.
The album kicks you in the teeth right from the get go. The opening track Flies will be stuck in your craw for some time. It then goes in to the next track, Cut It Short, which explodes with quite a riffy hook that may replace the first song as your newest ear worm. Flames is a brief little instrumental interlude that leads you in to No Air, a pounding bass intro that leads into a heavy stomp that is trademark Red Fang. Shadows and Not For You both show a bit of the 90's alternative rock influence that keeps these songs in your head. The Smell of Sound is a slow burner that crushes you, then steers you headfirst into The Deep, another rager that pounds you into submission. I Am A Ghost is the quintessential Red Fang track. Catchy, heavy, dark, but with the most singy-songy of choruses. Living in Lye is the final track that blazes your ears and snatches your soul
You can't help but give your head and your soul to Red Fang. There is not a bad track on this album. If you already know and love Red Fang, you will grab this and love every minute of it. If you are new to the Fang, this is the absolute jumping on point. I expect to see Only Ghosts on many a top ten list at the end of the year. Check this out, you will love it, and if you don't, there is something clearly wrong with you.
Words by Todd Stealey

Thanks to Dave Palmer at Division PR and Monica at Speakeasy PR for the promo. Only Ghosts is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Relapse Records.