Red Line Chemistry - Tug Of War

Red Line Chemistry
Tug Of War
©2013 Bulldog Productions
www.redlinechemistry.com

Produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters, Stone Sour) this Kansas City, MO quintet has the successful gritty, post-grunge sound that lives in the land of hard rock radio. They truly sound like a hybrid blend of Alice In Chains, Seether, Chevelle, and fill in the blank. This is not a weak point, as the radio formula still works. The mix is heavy on the low end, laden with solid hooks, tasteful guitar solos, and melodically chunky.

“Tug Of War” is the band’s fifth release and second full length with Bulldog Productions. Andy Breit gives some insight into the reason for the title, “About half the songs are heavy and aggressive, while the others are more subdued and musical.” Singer Brett Ditgen adds, “We wrote this record as a democracy. We have a foundation to work through our differences when we are writing and recording. It’s about finding a balance and trying to make it come together in a way that makes all five of us happy with the result. If we can do that, we feel other people will be happy with the result as well.”

Strong tracks include “Eyes To The Sky”, “Unspoken”, “Through The Haze” and “What Do You Want From Me”. Though the song “Paralyzed” is one of the first singles to chart with radio, it didn’t stand out to this writer. There is a decent mix between heavy and aggressive acoustic on this release. Lyrically, I am unsure where these boys stand in regards to faith, but their positivity comes through.

8.5 of 10 clicks
thecannyshark
April 2013