RED "Gone" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

As I said in one of my earlier review posts, I've always felt like I have a personal connection with RED more than almost any of my top bands. They're one of the only bands I've followed since the beginning of they're career, and it's been incredible to watch them grow. RED deservedly exploded into the Christian and secular rock circles with their hit singles "Breathe Into Me" and "Already Over". The band has grown and evolved over the years. Two years ago they released what I think is their unmatched magnum opus "Of Beauty and Rage", which also happens to be one of my top 5 albums of all time. So of course, with their sixth studio album "Gone", the band had a lot to live up to, as even they have said in interviews that they think OBAR has their best written material. While "Gone" does not quite live up to some of RED's other albums, it is still an excellent rock release in its own right, and does some brave musical risk taking with an electronic backbone.

This opening track "Step Inside, The Violence" lets you know right away that instead of using strings for the majority of the album, RED is going to use a lot more electronics. Thankfully they know how to use them. Much like with their strings on other releases, on this album the band does not let the electronics become the star of the show. In this song in particular, they effectively incorporate them with distorted guitars to create a menacing atmosphere. Despite some differences in sound, there's still something about this track that is unmistakably RED. This song is very captivating, shifting from brooding verses to a very intense chorus. Michael's voice is still reliably strong, going between his gorgeous cleans and really unleashing whenever he screams. One of the lead singles "Still Alive" comes next, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm absolutely addicted to this song. It is shamelessly pop/rock, and it is has an unbelievably catchy chorus. The electronics serve to make this song have a fun vibe to it, while the guitars still thunder in to make the song feel more intense than your typical pop/rock track. I like the theme of this song, as Barnes wonders if our lives truly have any meaning to them. That's a pretty dark topic to think about, and Barnes presents it in a way that is honest and relatable. The title track is one that I started out being unsure about. It was very jarring to hear its clear EDM styled breakdown in the chorus, but I now see that the musical risk taking RED did makes this song r really stand out. The song is also incredibly deep in subject matter as Barnes asks whether he will be remembered when he passes: "When I'm gone/When I fade away/Is the air I breathe my only legacy?". For that reason alone, the title track is really good and effectively encompasses the thematic arc of the entire album.

My personal favorite track from this album is easily "Losing Control". I just can't get enough of this song, as it embodies everything that is classic RED. It is one of the few tracks on the album that uses strings, making it stand out since symphonic rock is what RED does best. Right from the beginning I got the feeling of barely controlled chaos. The strings give this track a menacing vibe, and the lyrics add to the song's dark atmosphere: "Just another caricature/See how temptation leads/It sells me the lies, like a sheep in disguise/With every word it plants another seed". This song compellingly discusses how without God in our lives, or some sense of morality, our grip on control will easily slip away from us. The ending of this song is what ultimately puts it at the top, as the strings and guitars collide in an awesome way and Barnes screams out "control" over and over. The song goes out in an incredible way, and it still leaves me speechless every time I hear it. This track is easily one of RED's best to date. There are plenty of other great tracks to discuss. "Coming Apart" is an electronic tinged ballad, and while it doesn't hold quite as much weight as some of the band's other ballads, it still works great within the context of this album. This song has Barnes crying out for someone, whether a loved one or God, to keep him from losing himself- a common theme that pervades this whole album. Through this album, RED explores how we can try to understand ourselves more, and they powerfully suggest  that one of those ways is turning to others to help us.  I think "Coming Apart" stands out mainly in its touching lyrical content, and Michael's vocals work well with the electronic sound; he doesn't sound out of place at all.

Another highlight comes in "Fracture", a straight up hard rock track that sounds like it could be right at home on "Innocence and Instinct".  The guitar work from Anthony and Randy Armstrong is incredible in this song, and the chorus really sticks. "Chasing Your Echo" already seems to be a fan favorite, and I can definitely see why. This song is musically captivating, as it combines electronics, strings, and guitars in a cool way. It's also lyrically interesting as Barnes begs a loved one to not leave him only chasing the memory of him/her. The album ends off with a very unique track in "Singularity". I've never heard RED do a song like this, and it works to their benefit to end the standard edition of this album off in a very epic way. I have to give a big recommendation for the bonus track "The Mask Slips Away",  perhaps my second favorite song from the album. This song mainly ditches electronics in favor of a more stripped down acoustic sound, something which the band hasn't done in a really long time. I absolutely love the track for that reason, and the lyrics are emotionally resonating: "I'm tired of running/I'm tired of hiding/Feeling the mask slip away/I tried to hold you". Oftentimes one of the ways we lose ourselves and others is by wearing a mask to hide who we really are. This song hit me hard because of how effectively Barnes reveals that truth.

There are a few songs that don't work quite as much for me.  "Unstoppable" is my least favorite, though the reason this track doesn't work isn't entirely RED's fault. This song is a cover of an already generic pop song by Sia. RED  tries to make it more interesting, but ultimately the excessive usage of electronics falls flat, and Barnes sounds entirely disengaged (which makes me wonder if it was the record label who made them do a cover). The chorus is annoyingly repetitive, and the subject matter of this song just doesn't work for the rest of the album. It's one of RED's weakest songs in general.  While I respect the song "A.I." for doing a bit of musical risk-taking, its off kilter chorus just doesn't work for me, and Barnes's vocals sound oddly off. The song shifts tempo very randomly as well.

This release is definitely the most different RED has sounded since "Release the Panic". I think they really honed in the more electronic sound they were going for on that aforementioned album.  By using electronics more prominently on this album, the band made it work with rock in a natural way. It's not a bad thing at all that this album is a bit more radio friendly, as I do like the softer side of Barnes's vocals. While there are a few weaker moments in this album, I still feel that "Gone" is yet another great entry in RED's discography, continuing to show that they are a very consistent band, and deserving of being one of my favorite bands of all time. I would even go so far as to classify this as RED's fifth masterwork in their discography, which is an incredible accomplishment. I definitely recommend you check it out!

Favorite Tracks: "Losing Control", "The Mask Slips Away",  "Chasing Your Echo", "Gone", "Singularity"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Unstoppable", "A.I."