Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
 Grind On This Freaks! March 20, 2006
Jeremy Brackeen (Cameron, WI United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
If you're looking for a real brutal vicious grind/death metal assault with sickening vocals, meaty guitar riffs, and jackhammering drums that'll make you want to punch someone in the face and raise some hell to, well you have come to the right place with The Red Chord's new album "Clients". This is their second album (their first with Metal Blade), and it's a great follow up to their highly acclaimed debut "Fused Together in Revolving Doors" (which I'll be looking forward to getting in the near future). This was the first Red Chord album I purchased, and I must say that I was blown away by the sheer grinding brutality of the band's sound. Guy Kozowyk's vocals are just brutal and vicious as hell. The guitars shred and grind through the listener's ears like a chainsaw, and the blastbeats are like a jackhammer pounding the head and face to a bloody pulp. My favorite songs are "Fixation On Plastics", "Lay The Tarp", "Black Santa", and "Antman". Every song is great, but those are my favorites.
The song ratings:
1. Fixation On Plastics - 5/5
2. Lay The Tarp - 5/5
3. Black Santa - 5/5
4. Antman - 5/5
5. Clients - 4/5
6. Upper Decker - 5/5
7. Hospice Residence -5/5
8. Dragon Wagon - 5/5
9. Love On The Concrete - 5/5
10. Blue Line Cretin - 5/5
11. He Was Dead When I Got There - 5/5
If you think Atreyu and As I Lay Dying are brutal, These guys will destroy your world. Whoever says The Red Chord are metalcore should be beaten senesless. This is pure in your face grind/death metal with a touch of hardcore. Overall if you're a fan of Napalm Death, Glass Casket, Pig Destroyer, Converge, Dying Fetus, Cryptopsy, Cattle Decapitation, or just heavy music in general, The Red Chord is definately for you. Buy this album now. STAY METAL!!
An expectantly more mature release. May 17, 2005
Nathan M. Golub (San Diego,CA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
When i first popped "clients" into my cd player a couple of weeks ago, i was immediately overwhelmed with a barrage of heavy pseudo breakdowns and extremely technical riffs, a trademark i expected from the red chord. But very quickly i realized that this album is much different than "fused together in revolving doors", very different indeed, while at the same time maintaining their very distinct sound. Being an avid fan of "fused..", i did not really get into to the album again until i saw them perform a lot of the new tracks, since then, the album has not left my cd player.
The album does sound different than their first release, but it is a vey expected healthy progression for such a talented band. This album really displays their ability to play music as a group, all aspects of the music, the production, the vocals...everything is near perfection.This album is equally as good, if not better, than their first release. To me, this album shows that the red chord is a serious talent that has not yet reached their full potential, the complexity yet simplistic heaviness that simultaneously coincide will hit you like a jackhammer and take your breath away.It's an utter barrage of pure organized metal chaos...and it's beautiful. Very highly recommended!
 (4.5 stars) The Red Chord find their niche May 30, 2007
A. Stutheit (Denver, CO USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Red Chord's debut, 2002's "Fused Together In Revolving Doors," was a very satisfying dose of death/grind/metal/hardcore. The only problem with it was when bands (i.e. Despised Icon, The Acacia Strain, Bleeding Through, and The Black Dahlia Murder) debuted over the next few years, the deathcore scene became kind of glutted, and "FTIRD" didn't sound that new anymore. So, for their sophomore full-length, The Red Chord completely changed their sound. 2005's "Clients" is at least five times smarter and more "mathy," intricate, complex, and unpredictable than the band's debut. It is loaded with frenetic energy, impeccable musicianshipo (including frantic, searing guitars, and airtight blast beat drumming), whiplash tempo changes, complex polyrhythms, and vocalist Guy Kozowyk's ultra deep, visceral, inhuman death-grind bellows. As a result, "Clients" sounds something like a mash-up of The Red Chord of old (circa 2002) meets Cephalic Carnage meets Dillinger Escape Plan meets Burnt By The Sun. In the end, this is a very unique, advanced, realized, mature, and confident-sounding album, so there is absolutely no denying that The Red Chord have finally found their niche (the type of music they are supposed to play and are best at).
The band members have clearly improved their own musicianship, because these eleven songs effortlessly flow through innumerable tempo changes without ever sounding forced. But "Clients" is a concept album, which is proof that The Red Chord have also improved their lyric-writing skills. See, each song is a different "client," or person who suffers from a mental ailment. (The ailments range from schizophrenia to multiple personality disorder to extreme obsessive compulsive disorder.)
"Clients" peels out of the starting gate with tires squealing. Opener "Fixation on Plastics" is a monstrous, skull-shattering barrage of straight grindcore. It is fueled by a rocketing tempo, surging guitars (including lots of pick squeals), jarring, roaring vocals, and thunderous, driving, lightning fast blast beats. Next comes one of the record's most normal-sounding tracks, "Lay The Tarp," which is primarily just a groovy, thrashy, chug and churn guitar lead and thumping drum beats. After this, we are treated to the pounding, whiplash rhythm with careening guitar noise of the ripping third track, "Black Santa." "Antman" is sure to become a mosh pit favorite, because it is an extremely punishing hardcore beatdown with pummeling drums. Then, at less than one minute in length, the title track is a vicious sneak attack on the listener's eardrums.
Next up is "Upper Decker," which is probably the record's highpoint. It blends grindcore with death metal with a superbly peaceful, mysterious, and dare-I-say pretty mid-section (composed of clean guitar strumming over tribal drums) that lulls the listener into a false sens of security. But then, an electric guitar leads comes storming back onto the scene and catapults the song back into very dissonant territory. Moving along, track seven, "Hospice Residence," briefly flirts with melody and harmony; "Dragon Wagon" boasts a big, swinging, Southern-flavored groove; "Love on the Concrete" is a decisively chunky and almost sludgy tune with a bass break; and "Blue Line Cretin" might be the ugliest song on here. It finds Guy laying down some deep, vocal-chord-straining, full-bodied yells of lyrics such as "I hate you more than you'll ever know!"
The dust is finally aloud to clear and the listener is finally allowed breathe again when the closing song, "He Was Dead When I Got There," approaches. The Red Chord clearly took a few cues from bands like Metallica for this song, because it is a very melodic and delicate instrumental piece with an epic running time (it's almost seven and a half minutes long), and a wealth of sterling melodic guitar leads and gorgeous, docile twin guitar harmonies.
The only downside to "Clients" is that it has so many tempo changes, dissonant sounds, and so few hooks that it is no where near as easy to listen to or digest as "Fused Together In Revolving Doors." Nevertheless, all math and tech metal fans will eat it up, and with repeat listens, it should become apparent to you that this album does make for multiple immensely satisfying listening sessions.
What word should I add "core" to? June 28, 2006
Big Ern (Salt Lake City, UT)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I don't believe in labeling metal now'a'days with "core" on the end, deathcore, grindcore, metalcore, polkacore. It's ridiculous. This band does have many influences but I think that they're mostly rooted in death metal. I'm not a big fan of death metal, but I do love this CD. Listening to this album, to me, is like stepping onto one of those amusement park rides that whip you around everywhich way until your head is about to detach from your shoulders, and IT'S FUN!! These guys are obscenely talented musicians, and the lyrics on this disc are great as well. A very enjoyable ride from start to finish. Buy this CD and be the client you were born to be.
Perfect album, through and through... January 15, 2006
J. GEAGHAN (Omaha, NE USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Wow, I don't know where to begin. I got hooked on "The Red Chord" with "Fused Together" which was a VERY impressive debut album, but this is a little better I believe.
The only problem that I see with it is that your typical 'underground metal fan' is going to be a little turned off by this album because they went all out with the production of it. Vocals, guitars and drums are top notch this time around. They are all talented of course, but "Clients" really shows it now.
But, I am sure they will get the rap like Slipknot or Mudvayne did on their second albums about stepping out of the "artistic" music rather then just writing good songs in whole. There isn't a bad song on here, trust me. I got a new found respect for these guys the first time I rolled through this album and now I can't stop listenening to it. It's worth your time and your money.
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