Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Code Orange - Love Is Love // Return to Dust (2012)
Turning 18 allows you access to voting, guns, and X-rated porn, as you're ready to leave your adolescent years behind and enter the real responsibilities of adulthood (though turning 21 is like an extension pack). 18 is also the age where, even though there's no minimum age in starting a band, many bands were getting a head-start in making the best music out there, young with nothing to lose! This band was one of them...
It would make sense for Code Orange to originally have the original name Code Orange Kids, since they were high school kids at that time. Back then, they were reviving the metallic hardcore sound that was around at the time the members were born. Love is Love // Return to Dust puts them in the climbing heights they deserved!
"Flowermouth (The Leech)" opens with a scream, literally screaming, as the instrumentation rises. Then "Around My Neck // On My Head" is short and straight compared to most of the album, and it's probably this album's weakness. "Sleep (I've Been Slipping)" is short as well, but its slower pace reminds me of Cult of Luna's debut. There's some harmonic cleans in "Liars // Trudge" during the second half, while its first half is a strong extreme part of the album.
After that intense race, it's necessary for "Colors (Into Nothing)" to break things up, with Adam McIlwee of Tigers Jaw performing cleans. Producer Kurt Ballou (guitarist of Converge) definitely influenced the band in "Nothing (The Rat)". The more hardcore fans would love "Roots Are Certain // Sky is Empty", but it's a little awkward in placement.
"Choices (Love is Love)" shows the band building up harsh chaotic noise, all let loose at the end. "Calm // Breathe" is the calm intermission in the middle of this title track suite. Texture harmonies would keep you relax as noise builds up again before the deafening chaos returns in the closing track... "Bloom (Return to Dust)" crushes you with anger and frustration. And speaking of frustration, that's how I felt about the abrupt cut-off at the end, but it's a sign for me to turn off the tormenting greatness and wake up.
I'm not an expert at the more hardcore side of metalcore, which I've been slowly developing my knowledge for lately. Nonetheless, Code Orange has set up quite a challenge for their younger peers to write more than just breakdowns in their heavy sounds. Love is Love // Return to Dust is where this band thought of great elements to break traditions for something new. They've shown that hardcore is more than just a culture with this underrated heavy apocalyptic style. It's quite a captivating line between sludge from Old Man Gloom at that time and what can set off a pit, but what matters is the savage terror of old-school metallic hardcore, redefined!
Favorites: "Sleep (I've Been Slipping)", "Liars // Trudge", "Nothing (The Rat)", "Choices (Love is Love)", "Bloom (Return to Dust)"