Prey For Eyes
Just when I thought that 2007 would be a disappointing year for great music, I find these brilliant gems like Prey For Eyes by The Red Chord, which is a hardcore trip-fest that is complex in its artistry. An artistic hardcore metal album? Can there be such a thing? Fuck yeah there can, and this album shows you that you can be as brutal and dark as you want without being predictable and forgettable.
On a first listen, the album may not hook you right away. I remember when I first heard “Dread Prevailed,” I thought it was good song, but nothing that sold me right away. A day later, I couldn’t get some of the verses out of my head and I found myself revisiting the video on YouTube. I ended up being curious enough to go ahead and buy the album, and when I listened to it all in one sitting, again I thought, “Yeah, it’s not bad, but I don’t love it.” This is what I truly thought, and yet I started listening to the album more and I couldn’t stop listening. There are some really bizarre and haunting lines and verses that’ll stay with you. And the more times you listen to the album, the more you understand the greatness of it.
Prey For Eyes is definitely heavy. There’s some great guitar and drum work on all of the songs, and the lead singer knows how to belt out these twisted tales with his unforgiving growls from the darkest pits of Hell. The music never sounds bland, and the style is never recycled or duplicated throughout the album. Songs will quickly change gears without warning, but it never ever feels awkward or uncalled for. Again, this is always a tough act for a band to carry out, but when it’s done right the results are kick-ass.
Prey For Eyes is best listened to all the way through and in order, but of course there are some favorite stand-outs like “Dread Prevailed,” “It Runs in the Family,” “Send the Death Storm,” “Pray For Eyes,” “The Responsibles,” “Open Eyed Beast Attack,” and “Seminar.”
The only downside of the album (if you can even really call it a downside) is that it’ll take time for it to grow on you. I think it’s very hard to get a good opinion on it if you’ve only listened to it once. The more I listen to it, the more little things I pick up on that I might not have caught on an earlier listen. This will put some people off, absolutely, but let’s be honest: quick fixes with little substance that may be pleasant to the ears don’t have a long shelf-life. Complex and challenging albums that take time for you to get sucked into have a better chance of sticking around for a long time. If you’re looking for metal that’ll challenge and surprise you, Prey For Eyes by The Red Chord may be the candidate for you.
