Review by Saxy S for Code Orange - The Above (2023)

Nu metal gets a bad reputation from a lot of people and you know what....those people are probably right. I often feel like one of those "born in the wrong generation" kids who grew up with nu metal throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, but into my adult years find myself staying far away from nu metal with very few instances to the contrary.

So I was quite worried upon hearing Code Orange's new album The Above for the first time. Gone are many of the bands more traditional metalcore traits of Forever and Underneath as they continue to embrace more industrial techniques. And the result is a mixed bag. I will not go so far as to call The Above bad, but Code Orange sound like they are in a creative rut and are trying anything possible in hopes of reclaiming that "it" factor.

This album turned out to be a frustrating listen as it ping-pong'd between a heavier sound (closer to Tallah), and industrial metal circa Static-X. The Billy Corgan featured track, "Take Shape" even has a few ambient passages that reminded me of an early Nine Inch Nails. And as I found myself initially not feeling comfortable with the more pop friendly tunes, they actually turned out to be a lot better than the heavier rumps of "Never Fall Apart" and "The Game". Maybe it was the vocal timbre, perhaps it was the smoother incorporation of the glitchy percussion.

When the album's at its best, it has some pretty good choruses, while Eric and Reba's dual vocals provide songs with a sense of dialogue. When The Above is at its weakest, the glitchy percussion takes over and the harsh vocals are delivered with a childish flare. Overall, this new direction for Code Orange is not what I expected when I listened to Underneath, and the result leaves me feeling confused more often than not.

Best Songs: Take Shape (feat. Billy Corgan), Mirror, I Fly, Splinter the Soul, Snapshot