RED GIANT (Devil Child Blues) CD
It's been a long time ago since we heard anything new from Cleveland's RED GIANT. "Ultra Magnetic" has been their latest life sign, and it was an album packed with long jam-like songs. Although this release didn't really convinced me it was a real alternative to all the current Kyuss-clones bands in the late 90's, and I appreciated the fact that RED GIANT had created something remarkable. Now it's 2005 and things are looking different then before. Firstly, the band had signed with Detroit's finest label Small Stone Records, which had released the album last year. Secondly, the group moved away from their lengthy semi-improvisational song structures to a more straightahead rock approach. But RED GIANT have still incorporated some unexpected breaks and surprising chord progressions what set them apart from the usual average heavy fuzz rock crowd. They take not only influences from heavy 70's Rock, but also from old Hardcore/Punk sounds and add a slight progressive edge to it.
But their music can not be described as retrospective, and sounds very updated. RED GIANT are unconventional, sometimes slicing songs into parts, but they never lose the trail. This band knows how to write intense and solid songs with a heavy emphasis on strong hooks. They are loud and boisterous, but not obtrusive. And they have a very massive sound! The next bonus are the impressive vocals from rhythm guitarist Alex and the blistering and shining axework from Damien, backed by an ultra-tight rhythm unit. But it's no secret that New Jersey is one of the hot spots, when you're looking for ambitious heavy music. Have I mentioned the excellent Stooges cover-version here? No, it's not the next boring version of "Search & Destroy" or "1969", but here we have "Funhouse" and RED GIANT have also added a sax player as we know it from the original. The own material is, of course, much stronger but this version is a good proof for their musical taste. "Devil Child Blues" is a very impressive release, and the whole band completely has its shit together, actually. This is amazing, don't miss out on it.
(KK)