Sydney-based alternative rock band RedHook releases a searing new debut album, Postcard From A Living Hell.
Australia has a history of producing a diverse range of successful bands in the rock genre. From Metalcore to alternative rock, there is a distinct quality to the talent that emerges from this magical place. In recent years, Australia has proven to be a fertile ground for great musical talent. This appears to be the case with Sydney's RedHook, a band that takes pleasure in the genre they represent as well as their unabashed honesty and other genres they seamlessly weave into the songs they write.
An exceptional blend of metalcore, pop-punk, nu-metal, alt-rock, classic metal, trap, EDM, and pop, their dynamic and sinister energies unfold in their highly captivating debut full-release, Postcard From A Living Hell.
"Psyche vs Psyche" and "Low Budget Horror" crank up the splenetic energy to 11. Some of the album's biggest highlights, these annihilative treasures exhibit some of the band's most diabolically enormous vocal and melodic effervescence.
From the beginning, the opening track, "Postcard XO," dazzles us with its tenebrous tug-of-war energy. A powerful combination of aggressively-charged guitar riffs and emotionally resonating punk vocals, the first experience is an honest and raw expression of negative emotions such as guilt, shame, worthlessness, and self-hate-a theme resonating with those struggling coming out of feeling they deserve the worst.
An infectious EDM moment, "Jabberwocky," displays one of the many dissonant sides of the genre-bending darlings. Taking on metalcore, pop, and EDM elements, RedHook savagely blends these genres while adding hints of melodic cadence, showing a constant creative evolution while continuing to take on the dark journey that presents itself thematically and musically throughout the album.
"Off With Your Head," a beast of a track, alters up energies even more, becoming more technically challenging vocally and instrumentally than the prior tracks. RedHook, like a chameleon, continually changes their musical and vocal colors to meet the moods of the track's design, with a venomous vocal approach slamming into gigantic guitar riffs and large, powerful percussion energy.
Candy pop/EDM number "The Critic" shows off a more playfully aggressive side to the band while not losing sight of the overall vision of the records and the integrity of their sound before moving into the white-hot electronic highlight, "Imposter," featuring Yours Truly. The contrasting elements of both bands work well, with both vocalists having a combination of combative and dulcet energies that work beautifully against the track's voltaic background.
Unique Saxophone and pop-punk juncture "Soju" feat. Sly Withers is another moment that continues to justify RedHook's imaginative writing and instrumental framework, as each track from this point has contributed something different, nuanced, and subtlely progressive with each listening experience.
"Psyche. vs Psyche." and "Low Budget Horror" crank up the splenetic energy to 11. Some of the album's biggest highlights, these annihilative treasures exhibit some of the band's most diabolically enormous vocal and melodic effervescence.
The album shifts gears further with "Inarticulate," a gorgeous and delicate arena-ready ballad featuring The Faim. From start to finish, RedHook reveals they are more than capable of generating such compositions that are denuded in nature yet maintain in step with what they have constructed thus far on this album.
RedHook's album culminates with a resounding and impactful final track titled "SAY". "SAY" serves as a powerful and unwavering statement against misogyny, leaving a lasting impression on the listener. The band's unapologetic and fiery approach to their music shines through in this concluding piece, solidifying their message and cementing their place as an important voice in the fight for gender equality.
Postcard From A Living Hell is a stunning array of vast musical styles, showing a band that is brave enough to not only cross genre lines to create the music they want to make but also are vulnerable enough to lyrically unveil the realist parts of themselves to the world that most would find too ugly to venture into. Postcard From A Living Hell is exceptional, showcasing a remarkable willingness to experiment lyrically and instrumentally. On top of its zestful experimentation, the album maintains a consistent sense of genuine enjoyment throughout the listening experience. For these reasons, these factors contribute to the album's undeniable success.