Upon first listen, this third release by The Red Chord disappoints. On the surface, it comes off as a mere rehash of the intricate brutality of their masterful Clients. However, subsequent listens reveal semi-hidden patterns and very interesting structures only discernable after thorough inspection. What is more important, there is a certain delayed immediacy to all this material, a virtue that’s not shared by Clients (which was demanding with every spin). If anything, once you get this, you really get it. In my case, it wasn’t until the fourth play that I actually started to enjoy it. Initially, it had fallen flat on my ears and I had formed the idea that The Red Chord had in fact crafted the sort of generic tech death metal every band that’s out of ideas and on their way down in terms of quality is bound to make at some point. But Prey For Eyes is without a doubt an extension of Clients, as the band have gotten better at a technical level and tighter as a unit, their music acquiring a rare level of effortless interplay between the members. Now, I know I wasn’t there during the songwriting process, but the way this record jumps from brutal bash to prog thrash (“It Came From Over There”) tells me one thing: this band is so tight, they are compressed.

So instead of getting a mere rehash, this quintet delivers the next step in terms of brutality. But never leaving melody, or even the occasional beauty, to a second plane. No, Prey For Eyes is not an unpredictable record. Yes, it’s been cut from the same piece of cloth as Clients and, yes, their technicality and the brutal voice of Guy Kozowik (nothing new, yet totally distinguishable from the rest of cookie monsters out there) have remained unchanged. But its merits are entirely musical, and this release’s biggest merit is its gifted sense of flow. While most tech death metallers get busy with intricate patterns and work hard at copying & pasting in search of awe from the audience, The Red Chord’s incessant changes – though often radical and melodically unrelated – have a sense of fluidity that gives Prey For Eyes a tireless vibe that’s both playful and dead serious. The Red Chord also make two wise choices: they keep things short, a merit onto itself these days, and have co-produced the album with Eric Rachel (Atreyu, God Forbid), dishing out a recording that’s powerful and polished yet keeps the punch at every level.
www.theredchord.com
www.metalblade.com

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Hansel Merchor

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 Past Constructive Criticism

Robert posted the following Constructive Criticism: I think The Red Chord rules, they are highly original and write awesome songs. also Guy has a great voice. the only downside to The Red Chord is that they dont sound really heavy