Colorado quartet Red Tide Rising have a point to prove and with their latest release, Voices, it comes across loud and clear. Tired of being the bridesmaid, the band has decided that all attention needs to be directed towards themselves and delivering a five song piece de resistance as a whole, rather than only trying to focus on “hits.”
While the quartet’s last release, the Billboard charting ’The Rising,’ broke new ground for the band, it’s the bone crushing ugliness of the real world that comes to light on Voices and takes the band to a whole new level. “Voices consists of the best music we have created as a band,” says frontman Matthew Whiteman, an air of certainty about him. “We did so many different things in the studio that altered the RTR sound this time around. One of them was the vocal effects. We were able to capture a very heavy machine like vocal tone that adds another layer to the sound.”
Voices is fueled by rage, the realities of life and the ugliness of the world we live in. Opening track, “Writing on the Wall” is about making sure you don’t allow yourself to be held down by your past. “You’re Nothing” is dedicated to the asshole who repeatedly tells you how great his life is, all the while living a complete facade. With “Suffocate” lead vocalist, Matthew Whiteman touches on the different types of addiction we all carry with us through life, whether they come from the pursuit of material possessions, giving into to drug culture or whatever one may be attached to. “Sound of the Voices Screaming” gives an audience the power to rise as one, while the Ep’s closer, “New Breed”
instructs the band’s fans to distance themselves from people who claim to have their best interests at heart while leading them down a road that will eventually lead them to a life of peril. A call to arms for people to stand up for themselves.
Red Tide Rising has been a professional working band for eight long years now. Take into account that lead vocalist and resident protagonist Matthew Whiteman is all of 21 years old and his cohorts aren’t much older … we will let you do the math on where they all were in life when this band took shape.
Produced & co-written by Drowning Pool drummer Mike Luce (with the exception of “You’re Nothing” which was co-written with Luce and Ill Nino guitarist Ahrue Luster), the Denver quartet had formed a kinship with Luce in the winter of 2014 when they slugged it out across the United States on a six week tour that took them coast to coast. “Aside from our run with In This Moment a little while back, our first taste at unrelenting touring was with Drowning Pool,” relates guitarist, Andrew Whiteman. “We shared the bus and formed some of the best friendships out on the road. To this day I am actually still a tech for them. It’s because of that run and that friendship, that Luce decided he wanted to produce Voices.”
Working with engineer Jeff Kanan (Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, Jeff Lorber) at The Keep Studio in Denver, Voices is unrelenting in its brutality, and yet, polished and commercially accessible at the same time. “I was so excited to go into studio with Jeff again!” exclaims Andrew. “He is a total pro behind the board, but more importantly he is very easy to work with. The studio can be stressful, but working with him, especially on this project, made recording one of the easiest and most creative processes I have experienced. The songs speak for themselves, they came out perfect.”
Matthew Whiteman – Lead vocals
Andrew Whiteman – Lead guitars
??? – Bass
Glendon Crain – Drums, percussion
Purchase:
