November 2023 Feature Release - The Gateway Edition

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month's feature release for The Gateway, nominated by me (Shadowdoom9 (Andi)), is the brand-new 5th album by Pittsburgh-based alt-/industrial metalcore band Code Orange, The Above. The band has returned with a more alt-industrial metal sound in their new album. It is a more mainstream yet ferocious path for the band to be explored throughout this offering, and one of the songs has guest vocals by the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan. The Above shall be worth some great discussion here in this site.

https://metal.academy/releases/47639

Here's my review summary:

You know how much I like when bands are in a transitional phase through albums. This once-metalcore/hardcore band Code Orange is already making their way towards alt-/industrial metal, and although Forever and Underneath will share the reign in that transition, The Above is an amazing continuation! The band that would go on to perform massive tours and even a WWE concert started off as an underground high school band from Pennsylvania named Code Orange Kids. After releasing their debut Love Is Love/Return to Dust, they dropped "Kids" from their name and showed the world what they're capable of in I Am King and Forever. Then Underneath showed them adding a more industrial/alternative flavor to their metal/hardcore. With The Above, they drop the hardcore violence and let their new form emerge. Throughout these 14 songs that alternate between rock-on alt-metal to electrifying industrial metal, with some bits of their earlier metalcore/hardcore, lead vocalist Jami Morgan performs moody whispering and savage screaming while guitarist Reba Meyers adds in her clean singing. The other two guitarists Eric "Shade" Balderose and Dominic Landolina can pull off harmonic chords and brutal riffing. The rhythm section consisting of Max Portnoy (from Tallah, and the son of Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy) and bassist Joe Goldman has undeniable groove. And early on in this journey is a killer anthem in which the one and only Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins performs his signature nasal singing over an ominous bridge. The Above continues Code Orange's imagination in different eras. They look back at the past, stand by the present, and plan out their future, checking out different styles to add to their own. Their song delivery has always been in great display as they go above and beyond!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Never Far Apart", "Take Shape", "A Drone Opting Out of the Hive", "Splinter the Soul", "Grooming My Replacement", "But a Dream...", "The Above"

For fans of: Circle of Dust, Northlane, Tallah

I reviewed this album already so to summarize: 

The newest Code Orange album The Above is a frustrating listen as it ping-pong's back-and-forth between heavier metalcore romps in the vein of Tallah, and alternative, industrial metal like Static-X. I always find that when you have an album such as this, it can be a difficult sell, since it is clear that Code Orange are trying to make a sound that is "more accessible", which I do not have a problem with on its own, but pairing it with heavier, bone shaking metalcore breakdowns has the added effect of scaring normies away in addition to putting the heads of their fans on a swivel.

The being said, the albums attempts at becoming more mainstream are pretty good as the vocal timbre is very sultry for this type of music, and the glitchy percussion rarely feels like it's taking over the production. Otherwise, my biggest issue is that The Above feels very immature as it appears to be calling upon the dreaded nu metal palette. This is obviously a subjective take, but nu metal rarely works for me in the modern age because of its immaturity. And hearing what was once a promising metalcore band starting to use it liberally is a wee bit disappointing.

3/5