Everyone including my Grandmother seems to know who Red Fang are these days, these hairy stoner metal chaps have been around years now but their second release Murder the Mountains together with a relentless touring schedule has really propelled them into superstar status. Deservedly so too, they were one of the stand out bands at this year’s Download Festival and even though their music would not sound out of place on rotation on Scuzz, they still have stupidly good riffs and a fairly unique feel. Red Fang almost become a gateway band, if people like them then there’s a chance they might look deeper into the scene and uncover heavier counterparts such as Melvins and Big Business… so a very important role. Anyway, here they are with their much anticipated third offering Whales and Leeches, which has some the best art work I have ever seen, let’s get stuck in.
Any album which opens with the lyric “Winter is your doooooooooooooooooom”, is always going to be awesome which is exactly what happens. The first track ‘DOEN’ doesn’t hold back, Red Fang just pumping out a fast yet sludgy riff with colossal drum combos but with a poppy feel, reminiscent of their song ‘Prehistoric Dog’. I believe stoner pop was a phrase coined to describe Torche but this is certainly applicable to these chaps. It’s like the Foo Fighters but ya know…. decent. It also has distinctive punk rock vibe, this is emphasized when the band chant "TURN IT UP, TURN IT UP, TURN IT UP" during the chorus of ‘Blood Like Cream’.
That’s pretty much the story of the whole album really, catchy punk rock numbers but having their head smashed against a stoner riff brick wall. Nothing particularly revolutionary has happened since Murder the Mountains but their song writing has gone up a gear. It has quite a broad appeal too so I fully expect Whales and Leeches to keep pushing them further up the chain and the fact they have managed to do this without comprising the slightest detail is to be admired. They have kept the songs nice and short too and you can tell much effort has gone into ensuring there’s minimum filler, excellent craftsmanship.
Three highlights of the album include the last minute of ‘Crows in Swine’ where they fly into one of the most delicious jams you will hear this year, I lost my shit the first time I heard it and I’m still recovering. The energy filled chorus to ‘Behind the light’ is brutal yet catchy which makes you scrunch your face up like a tosser and Mike Scheidt’s from Yob’s guest vocals on the wonderfully doomy ‘Dawn Rising’ is fucking incredible. Honestly, his vocals are like nothing I’ve heard before and implore you to find that track and listen to it as a matter of priority.
To sum it up, Red Fang aren’t reinventing the wheel or pushing that many boundaries really but if you write songs of this quality then there is no need. I don’t believe this band are quite on the level of Torche or the Melvins but at the same they kick a serious amount of ass. It’s just awesome music to chugs beers too and then smash into someone, us metal fans are a simple breed… that’s all we ask for so buy it.
