REDLIGHT HALO
"Make
Your Maker" (The Local Cannery; 2004)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
There's something that's just so raw and pure about Redlight Halo's brand of rock'n'roll that you can't help but be sucked in by it. "Make Your Maker" is another six tracks that defy categorization and are defined only by the band's unique style and talent.
"Make Your Maker" starts out with three raunchy and crushing tracks that vaguely bring to mind the hardest stuff Nirvana ever recorded. And by "raunchy" I don't mean the lyrics are dirty but that the band's sound is brilliantly coarse. Then "Non-Practicing Diabetic" comes along, surprising the listener by sounding like a cross between Soundgarden and Cheap Trick, before the band rips back into the heavier stuff with "Rabbit Got a Gun" and "Ronnie."
This CD is what rock'n'roll sounds like before it's filtered through the record companies and the image makers. It's raw and angry and it kicks your ass solidly with its sheer simplicity and unexpected power.
This is one band I'd like to see live. Their music was made to be heard that way.
Redlight Halo: Bryan Elliott - guitar, vocals; Ryan McAnelly - guitar, vocals; Dave South - bass, vocals; Ryan KH - drums.
For more information, check out http://www.redlighthalo.com.
"Redlight
Halo" (Crash Family; 2003)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Listening to Redlight Halo's self-titled EP gives one the opportunity to experience what those early founders of the grunge movement in Seattle must have felt when they first heard Soundgarden or Nirvana. The band's unique sound is an instantly appealing blend of many genres of hard rock / heavy metal, highlighted by crashing guitars and emotional vocals. The band's passion for the music shines in every song, even the slower-paced "Bloodless" (which builds to powerful choruses of its own).
Redlight Halo aren't a grunge band, but they are a fresh, new sound that - like grunge - is radio friendly without alienating those who like their music hard and heavy. As such, the future bodes well for Redlight Halo.
Redlight Halo: Bryan - vocals/guitar; Ryan - vocals/guitar; Dave - bass; Ryan KH - drums.
For more information, check out http://www.redlighthalo.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2004 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
18 Nov 2024 13:00:26 -0500.
