You might know that Amelie is more tasteful, but sometimes you just want to watch Rambo. Red are the Rambo of music. I wonder if, when they were writing this album, the band thought that the highest honour imaginable would be to end up as the soundtrack to some highlight reel of American Football on ESPN.

Of course, the days when this sort of music ruled the airwaves (remember Evanescence and Papa Roach?) are long gone. Still, Red truck along as if the nu-metal bubble never burst. And to their credit, they’ve made an album meaty enough to satisfy. The riffs on Until We Have Faces are muscular and satisfying, and the vocal melodies are often very catchy. The group have taken a slightly darker and moodier turn compared to past releases, and the likes of “Let It Burn” reminded me of Chevelle.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this release is the solid, workmanlike vibe which prevails. It’s definitely something that Red avoid the cartoonish feel of, say, Skillet. In reality, Until We Have Faces won’t change your life, but it’s still a good, solid effort.

Three and a half stars out of five.

– Rhett Snell
www.drone.co.nz