REVIEW: Code Orange - 'Underneath'
Pittsburgh hardcore heavy hitters Code Orange have been redefining the mold of hardcore/punk music since their first full-length effort I Am King back in 2014. Now it seems the band has come back yet again with sparkling new release Underneath via Roadrunner Records. This is the band's follow-up to 2017’s Forever.
To say this third album is in a class in and of itself is an understatement, as it speaks volumes to the band’s grasp of delivering an original aggressive record that taps into an endless reserve of energy from start to finish. A cornucopia of sounds that merge into the territories of hardcore, metal, and electronic elements, Code Orange provides a soundscape experience that only they can bring.
Star-studded moments such as “In Fear” deliver a massively aggressive encounter you have come to expect from them. An orchestrated chaos that will leave you head-banging and blown away all the way til’ the very end, it’s a track that will quickly become a fan-favorite.
Other movements such as “Who I Am” are catchy and atmospherically different from the last few experiences up to this point. Clean vocals effortlessly coat the entire track, yet still, maintain its glitchy and odd instrumental repetitions throughout. “Who I Am” as well as various other songs on this album give the feeling as if the tracks have been purposefully corrupted, only adding depth to the myriad of non-joyous topics they cover on this album.
“Easy Way” continues its frenetic and intricate presence the band has presented since the beginning of the album while “The Last Ones Left” single-handedly outdoes all these junctures with its technical and creative brilliance.
Code Orange have never been a group that wanted to be apart of the latest crop of bands to achieve the notoriety they now possess. An exciting and well-thought-out brutal experience, Code Orange are here to prove that you don’t need to keep up with the biggest of bands to stand out, you simply rise above them.
Check out “Swallowing The Rabbit Whole” below for just a small sample of what this record has to offer!