Review by ÆRæder
- https://shotgunfacelift1.bandcamp.com/album/red-river-flood
- Release Date: 01/17/2025
- Grand Forks, ND
- Bandcamp self tags: groove metal, hard rock, heavy metal, metal, metalcore, thrash metal, Grand Forks
After purchasing and listening to this album over 21 times, here is my take:
Sound/Mix
Shotgun’s style allows for the feel of the tunes to come through on a range of speaker qualities. The heavy metal aspect of their sound carries it on basic earphones or portables (which I appreciate so I can listen at work). On higher quality speakers, and especially at HIGH volumes, the depth and intensity of the groove metal elements really stand out. The swing in the beats, squeals of the guitars, and slight funk in the bass, specifically. I have to say, I have not cranked an album this loud in a long time. I was impressed by how well everything held together, popping and sparkling at near max.
Performance
A very well-realized example of power groove metal. It doesn’t sound dated, or like they are emulating another band. The self descriptive tags from bandcamp capture very well the sounds on this album. However, it is gritty and aggressive enough to skew more toward extreme than hard rock. Red River Flood is Shotgun Facelift’s best release to date. What stands out the most after multiple listens is the control of the pace and overall maturity that advances it above Dakota Blood Stampede. It is not easy to play heavy and in control. Not slow, but in control. The pace of the beats and riffs are just slightly restrained, adding breathing room for a heavy swing feel to come through across most of the tracks. This also gives space for more complicated yet articulate riffs, subtle triplet+ drum fills, and dynamics in energy and emotions that lend to some truly powerful moments.
Highlights
The highlight(s) that stood out to me in the first few listens were “Crossroad Devil Blues” and “Red River Flood.” The restraint and groove is most evident in these tracks. The bluesy, rootsy riffing, and the lyrics (those I could find online or decipher), come across in an authentic fashion. Ties to a region is an important aspect in my mind; Legit Midwest red dirt groove metal here.
In later listens, I became aware of the album’s build into a final stretch that sort of captures the essence of Red River Flood: Nightmare on 4th Street, into Shatter Down, into Black Rose. It has been a long time since I have cranked up music and felt emotions from listening like I did with this sequence. Start at Nightmare, and around the 2:50 mark on Shatter, turn it up and pay attention!!!
Shade
I started out with some slight irritation concerning the dynamics in the vocals on this album. It is a great scream, but at times the tunes lend themselves to a bit cleaner or melodic singing. I am sure most extreme metal enthusiasts will be fine with vox as is, but I’m just saying, the tunes open some options that could be experimented with. As I listened more, and cranked the volume more, I got over this. If it bothers you, maybe just toughen up and keep listening.
Summary
I spun this album well over 21 times—partly because life and other projects distracted me midway, but mostly because it kept drawing me back. I’m looking forward to Shotgun’s next show in the Twin Cities and seeing how they continue to evolve.