Every once in a while, there is a band that comes out of nowhere and shocks me when they win an award on The Monster Entertainment Awards. Bobaflex did it one year winning the rock album of the year and this year we can add metalcore act Code Orange to that list. The band made up of Eric Balderose (Vocals/Guitar), Reba Myers (Vocals/Guitar), Joe Goldman (Bass), and Jami Morgan (Drums/Vocals) were able to snag the award for Metal Album Of The Year with their major label debut Forever. It’s the band’s third album overall, but their first with Roadrunner Records and it did pretty well for itself. While the album did not crack the Billboard Top 200 Charts, it peaked at 62 on the Top US Album Sales, number four on the US Top Hard Rock Albums, number 7 on the US Top Tastemaker album charts, and number 12 on US Vinyl Albums. It was also voted number one on Revolver Magazines 20 Best Albums Of 2017 and Rolling Stone’s Best Metal Albums of 2017. Loudwire ranked it number three on their 25 Best Metal Albums of 2017 while Exclaim! ranked number three on their Top 10 Metal and Hardcore Albums of 2017. While some may have trashed the album and it’s lyrical content, it did pretty well in other people’s eyes.
1. Forever- The album’s opener and title track opens up with one heck of a groove that drives forward with Morgan’s screams. The song just screams intensity and it’s a statement that Code Orange is here forever. 5/5
2. Kill The Creator-The track explodes right out of the gate and right where the last track left off with it’s mix of industrial elements and the most bad ass breakdown you’ve ever heard all in two plus minutes. 5/5
3. Real– if you thought the last couple of tracks featured that in your face metalcore madness then brace yourself for this track, but one thing it’s does is mix in some cool electronics. 4.5/5
4. Bleeding In The Blur– This is a rock anthem that mixes in my favorite stoner metal elements that just bodes well with Myers clean vocals. I love Goldman’s bass playing on this track as well, it just shines when he is called upon. 5/5
5. The Mud– This track has that sluggish sledgehammer like riffs that just drives with the mix of electronic elements reminding me a little of a White Zombie track musically anyways. 4/5
6. The New Reality– A track that takes influence from the Nu-Metal genre, but they do it in a way that makes it their own with the hardcore element. 4/5
7. Spy– This is the better of the two tracks that features the Nu-Metal elements because it grooves like the best of them. It reminds me a little of Puya’s track Ride. 4.5/5
8. Ugly– This is a weird track compared to the others, but I love it. it starts with eerie clean channel playing that is just stalking until it hits the chorus and they turn it up. A very cool track and different from the rest. 5/5
9. No One Is Untouchable– A sledgehammer to the face kind of track that is going to get everyone going in a circle pit. It’s hardcore music at it’s finest. 4/5
10. Hurt Goes On– A track that makes you believe that it was totally influenced by the Nine Inch Nails with it’s spoken word vocals and industrial machine like beats. it’s an eerie gothic like track that will haunt you all the way into the next track. 4/5
11. dream2– This is another track that Myers shines on vocally as she hypnotizes you with every word on this eerie track. It just further showcases all of the ingredients the band poured into this record right here. 4.5/5
My Final Thoughts– The first time I saw these guys it was on a WWE event for their NXT Takeover show and I was hooked or at least interested. The album is a melting pot of musical styles and I think that’s a great thing. Bands should be able to explore a little bit as far as musical diversity. I’m all for that and I enjoyed listening to the album. My favorite tracks on the album are Ugly, Bleeding In The Blur, and Kill The Creator. My least favorite tracks are The New Reality and The Mud. I am giving the album 4.5 stars out of five for a final grade.
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