On a mission to enlighten? Or just to rock?
2004 has been the year of Fireapple Red. Having played at Download and the Carling Weekend as well as their own tour, they’re ready to attack anyone who comes across their vicious blend of melodic-punk-hardcore rock music. This has the type of bite to it you get only from creating one of those potent mixes that has everyone reeling after three shots - a comparison Fireapple red would surely appreciate, for they are well known for their ability to pack away copious amounts of alcohol as well as their musical ability to pack quite a punch.
Edgy and raw, but always fully charged with emotion, Fireapple Red are one of those bands that put their all into their live shows. Seen live, they’re a towering inferno of brutal power, but on CD the edge is smoothed down. That violence no longer swarms all around you but instead is focussed more in-between your speakers. Although music should be about the emotions it invokes in you, it is nice to be able to focus on the sound for a change rather than simply seeing red.
‘Born as Innocent’ begins with a mighty juggernaut of a riff before those angsty, rasping vocals plunge into the mix. Most of the words are undetectable beneath the rage, but Fireapple Reds message is clear- be yourself. They claim that they’re not intelligent, that they just want to stand up for what is right, but it’s a whole lot more than other bands of 2004 will do. Who gives a shit about love if the media are going to corrupt and taint your idea of it? ‘Born as Innocent’ is the start of an album that, although at first listen seems nothing more than a teenage temper tantrum, does in fact, challenge the society we live in today in such a way that you can’t help thinking “…you know, they’re right…” as you nod your head like the Churchill dog. ‘Jump Off’ and ‘Intro’ are both powerhouses of noxious words and rattling drumming. Nothing at this album is offered to you- always Fireapple Red cram their anger into your face as though they feel the need to condense their ideas into as small a space as possible to make sure you hear as much as you can. For the most part, this breeds a collection of songs that rock far harder than something you’d expect from a band with such a... unique name.
This Fireapple Red lot are clearly pissed off with not being heard by the government. But can a few political songs really change anything? I doubt it, for they lack the effortless cool of Rage Against The Machine and the like. But then, if Fireapple Red really are speaking the truth about the media, surely that means I am part of this global devil meaning these words are meaningless. Buy the album and judge for yourself.
Fireapple Red’s debut is ready to crash headfirst into anything that gets in it’s way...
On a mission to enlighten? Or just to rock?