When a band gathers an audience from their inception, expectations get skewed in an unfair way. A hit song can be a blessing in that so many people come to your camp that a band gets ahead of themselves in the scope of their abilities. It can also be the curse that will follow them forever, the ideal that must be lived up to in order to take them to the next level. A one hit wonder is just that, one song and done, with the rest of their career chasing former glory or trying to live up to the aspirations of their audience and critics.
When Red Fang debuted the video for ‘Prehistoric Dog,’ people were blown away. The creative nature of the video, a bunch of nerdy beardos shotgunning beers in a car, the bloody slaughter by live action role-playing dorks, and the creation of the best Halloween costume ever, beer armor, gave way to a break through for the new band in a way most don’t ever get the chance to experience. Not only had the concept of the video gone viral, but the song was infectious.
A perfect riff, that hung low on the branches of the riff tree, simple, heavy, repeatable and nearly flawless, the song crept in as a hit for critics and fans. It opened their self-titled debut album in 2009, and their elemental stoner jam rocked while the rest of the album picked up hints of what this song brought, but none completely lived up to its sound. The raw nature of their writing brought more people to the party and the legend of Red Fang started to bear fruit.
With the sophomore album picked up by Relapse records, things were promising for the band, many applauded the effort, but nothing on Murder the Mountains could live up to the hype that one video created, except another video that was as entertaining as the last. When ‘Wires’ hit, they poked fun at the$5000 video budget and created a Gallagher-esque video of destruction, totally entertaining, but lacking one major element, the song did not even come close its predecessor. Not a totally disappointing album, but it didn’t live up to what we had been introduced to just a couple of years before.
Where they won their following, at least me anyway, was on stage. Though the second album slump appeared to have clouded some of their writing, leaving much to be desired in the way of the catchy songs and powerful riffage that jumpstarted their success, Red Fang exemplified how to take it to the stage, making somewhat pedestrian songs into headbanging grooves in their live performance. No matter how their album played out, they didn’t backslide into obscurity, but the third album would have to step it up or they were in danger of losing ground.
Once Whales and Leeches hits your speakers, any doubt about Red Fang falls aside as they find their feet on solid ground with the new record. A mixture of the commanding riff and the sparse hook structure on the last album gives a balance they had not yet accomplished. The biggest surprise: which songs they have decided to place out front. Not the weakest on the record, but as far as singles go; different choices could have been made, yet ultimately demonstrates the flexibility of the band to produce a well rounded album.
From the start to end, listenable, memorable, but never too far from their formula, simple but powerful jams like ‘1516’ and ‘DOEN’ play off the more dense and horrifying tracks like ’Failure’ and ‘Dawn Rising’ which without liner notes, has to feature a guest appearance from YOB’s Mike Scheidt, it’s either him or Dave Mustaine after he has gargled some glass. Every song sounds lean and mean, produced for the exact effect extracted in the time given. If you are a newcomer to the band, starting here would be recommended, as Whales and Leeches blends everything they do well into one album. Red Fang forged their sound into the new stoner rock benchmark, and will be regarded as their best full album to date, kick back with a PBR and enjoy.
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