The last Red Lights Flash record, ‘And Time Goes By’, was a mini-masterpiece. Visceral and ferocious, it mixed a socially-aware viewpoint with chunky slabs of melodic hardcore. A three-way vocal attack brought melodies to the fore, making the Household Name release totally absorbing. It also brought them to the attention of A-F Records, the label owned and run by members of Anti-Flag. There are lots of comparisons between the two bands, so it’s not hard to see why the Austrians were made the label’s first non-US signings.
But (and for me it’s a big but), musically this new record does not compare to the previous release. For starters the vocal attack has seemingly been toned down and previously were harmonies and melodies were spat out alongside a vicious lyrical attack on the system, Red Lights Flash have replaced it with a sound which is less accessible and instant. Not in so much of a catchy way, no siree, more in a sense that it’s less welcoming. Not a good start. The guitars are also far more ‘metal’ in tone than they were previously too, with the tone seemingly higher and the drums less punishing. It’s maybe more Strike Anywhere and Good Riddance in style than the last record. With added metal bits. Am I making sense? Probably not.
Having said all that, ‘Free’ remains an honest and aggressive record which holds no punches. The band have something to say – and say it they do. But in moving to a bigger stage, which you have to commend them for, they’ve not necessarily made the move such an easy transition, bearing in mind the faux-pas i believe they’ve made on a musical level. The odd song stands out – ‘Politics of Hate’ and ‘Saving My Time’ are especially good – but on the whole this record doesn’t grab my attention as the previous release had. ‘Free’ is a good record but it disappointed me. It’s all well and good having a positive political message, but I don’t think the delivery is quite as effective as it could have been.
www.redlightsflash.com
A-F Records
Paul