Red Lamb – Red Lamb
TuneCore, February 2012
7/10
Red Lamb is the
brainchild of former Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz, and this debut album is an
interesting affair that differs markedly from his previous works. All of the
music was composed by Dan, and Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine was enlisted as
co-producer and co-author of the lyrics. The riffs here are certainly
thrash-inspired, but the songs consist largely of tight, crunchy guitars melded
with the rhythm section into forcefully packaged tunes. Vocalist Don Chaffin
frequently spits out the lyrics with Mustaine’s characteristic sneer (making me
wonder if Dave sang on demos while working on the lyrics), while at other times
he screams like Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell (check out “Runaway Train”). The
thing that strikes me most about the album is that you are never quite knowing
what to expect. Red Lamb is
schizophrenic in many ways, such as the way “Standby Passenger” plods along
until the chorus erupts in fury while Don implores, “I wanna be in control!” The
songs are thrashy without sounding like a thrash album, and also melodic,
chaotic, and interesting at the same time. “Get Up” and “Puzzle Box” are the
clear highlights of the album, while the only weak point is the depressing song
about the state of nation, “Warpaint”. Dave Mustaine’s stamp is all over this,
and the collaboration of Dan and Dave is one that hopefully will continue. With
Dan having played on some of the greatest thrash albums ever, it’s nice to hear
him trying something different since he has nothing to prove. With so many
uninspired second-rate thrash albums flooding the market, it’s refreshing to
hear one of the innovators moving beyond that. While Red Lamb is not stunning, it’s certainly a worthy album that will
be of interest to Anthrax and Megadeth fans alike.
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