Flood Of Red

Leaving Everything Behind

BY Michael EdwardsPublished Dec 21, 2009

Like Biffy Clyro before them, fellow Scots Flood of Red have managed to find a melodic niche somewhere between those sensitive emo bands and the not-quite-so-sensitive metal bands. They built some buzz and then decided not to sign to a label, preferring to use both MySpace and the "$1 Download" method to build momentum for their self-released debut. Leaving Everything Behind is ambitious in both scope and length. With 14 songs, it's a little on the long side, especially considering there are some distinct peaks and valleys. It might be harsh to describe any track as filler, but not all their songs are created equal. It helps that they recruited Brian McTernan (Thrice, Converge) to produce the album, because it sounds great. At their best, Flood of Red elevate themselves above their ilk by writing songs that aren't afraid to go somewhere. On the epic "Home Run (1997)," the mood shifts and changes throughout its near five-minute duration, with the band sounding unstoppable. When they simply resort to a breakneck, frenetic pace, however, things aren't quite so rosy, as they sound like so many other bands. They still get pretty close for a first attempt though, and Leaving Everything Behind has its moments.
(Dark City)

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