Red Fang - Murder The Mountains

Band: Red Fang
Album: Murder The Mountains
Label: Relapse
Year: 2011

Oregon's Red Fang first got my attention a few years back when their LARPing-themed music video for the excellent "Prehistoric Dog"single made the rounds on the internet. The EP which contained that devastating track, as well as an earlier one, were promising releases by a good heavy rock band on their way up, but did not match the awesomeness of their shining moment. Still, it was enough to get them signed to Relapse, and high expectations have followed. With their new full-length Murder the Mountains now available to the world, its time to see if these guys really have what it takes to deliver the goods.

I'm happy to report that Red Fang has ripped out one of the most enjoyable rock records of 2011, tinkering with their basic formula just enough to demonstrate real musical growth while playing to the group's strengths and laying down a pounding assault that does keg stands on your ear drums. They've even been kind enough to make another, equally hilarious music video for their single, the massively overdriven twin-lead guitar collossus "Wired." Working strictly from a palette of exclusively fuzz-guitar abusing 70's van music by way of late 80's and early 90's grunge and alternative rock, Red Fang do not dress their music up with psychedelic flourishes or progressive instrumental pyrotechnics. Everything here sounds lean, hard and powerful. The performances have a live feel to them that sounds as natural as practice pad jam session. It's just that the musicians are good enough and their material interesting enough so as to give a professional polish to the band's rampaging assault.

Although they play up the image of beer guzzling dirtbags in their videos, these guys clearly care about the craft of music. Their tight, well-arranged brand of stoner rock is beyond the grasp of most garden variety pot heads, even if they are too enamoured by a half with some of their influences. In particular, sludge trudges like "Malverde" betray a Melvins influence so obvious that they wouldn't sound out of place on Stoner Witch. More often however, the band's ability to shift tempos and cadences, not to mention building to powerful eruptions of guitar/bass,/drums brings some much-needed variety to their previously vanilla hard rock. When they put the elements together, as on the fucking killer "Dirt Wizard," Red Fang prove themselves to be capable of great things. Now all that remains is for them to further refine their vision.

The record sounds great, and the association with Relapse is notable in that Murder the Mountains sounds as if it had some money backing it. Chris Funk gives the band a slick sheen that retains much of the rawness inherent in their sound, allowing them to be both clear and heavy. Some prospective rock fans might be turned off by what they feel is a radio-friendly mix, but honestly I think Relapse is smart enough to know radio won't touch a band like Red Fang anyways. If their straightforward approach alienates a few metalheads by being a little too 'middle of the road' for some, most music fans who can appreciate a great riff, powerful vocal hook or crushing groove will find much to like here.