I keep getting recommended Code Orange by various friends and algorithms due to my penchant for metal, so I finally decided to give them a go. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure whether that was a good move or not.
Formed in 2008, Code Orange started as a punk band before shifting gears into metalcore and industrial, taking that influence to the extreme on Underneath, their latest album, by introducing more electronic influences, and even editing glitches into the music. For example, brutally heavy third track “In Fear” runs along with fairly standard screaming vocals and heavy guitars, but then occasionally it will just glitch out – a kind of digital artefact plays and the sound disappears to complete silence for a split second. It’s kind of jarring. Though I suspect that was the effect they were going for.
I can’t say I enjoyed it too much. The album is at its best when the band are allowed to play, when the talent they clearly have is put to just playing heavy music; my favourite track here is probably “Who I Am”, which shows the group at their best.
But I can’t get with all the glitches and audio artefacts and weird sound effects. A sprinkling is fine, like hundreds and thousands on an ice cream. Underneath is a bowl of hundreds and thousands with ice cream on top.
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CLTM (Chris Listens To Music) is my attempt to listen to a new album every day; you can follow my efforts on Instagram here (and send recommendations), and if you like what I’m doing, support my efforts by shouting me a cuppa at Buy Me A Coffee.