Review: Red Line Chemistry – Tug of War
Artist: Red Line Chemistry
Album: Tug of War
Rating: 10/10
Red Line Chemistry is a hard-rock band from Kansas City who many may already be familiar with. They’ve been together for nearly a decade and they’re still kicking hard. The band consists of 5 members: Andy Breit on Guitar, Tom Brown on Bass, Brett Ditgen on Vocals, Dave Fyten on Guitar and Mike Mazzaresse on Drums who are all from the same town and have been through some incredibly tough times together. They really broke out in 2010 with their debut Bulldog Productions album “Dying For A Living” which featured the hit singles “Dumb Luck”, “Ultragigantor” and “You Don’t Get It” which received a lot of airplay on Sirius XM. Their sophomore album from the label “Tug of War” has stepped the heavy portion of their music up another notch and will open the doors to many fans from some heavier genres. The album title itself “reflects the dichotomy and repertoire and the process of creating it” according to the band’s bio. The album was produced by Nick Raskulinecz who has worked with bands like Alice in Chains and Foo Fighters. The influence of these bands is definitely evident in the album. The band has nothing bad to say about the label and they have stated that with Bulldog Productions, they get plenty of creative freedom and support, which many bands don’t normally get when signed. It is my honor and pleasure to be able to review this album.
Unspoken: The debut single from the album and really has that Alice in Chains influence to it. Brett’s vocals on this one show some pretty incredible range, going from extremely low to really gritty and heavy, and everywhere in between. The guitar work on this track is amazing and the bass and drums bring it altogether perfectly. The track is about losing faith in someone you thought you could trust, exposing them for who they are. We’ve all had that one person that we thought we could put everything we had into, but they prove us wrong by deceiving and lying to us. This track is about that person and how karma will win in the end. “Pull down your halo, shining in everyone’s eyes. While the devil is running around spreading your lies. Go run and hide, you’ll never survive. How do you sleep at night?”
Tug of War: The title track to the album is slightly softer than the debut single, but still has the same amount of stay-power and overall breathtaking quality that we have come to expect from this band. This track is about the struggles we face in life and how, no matter how much we want to give up, we end up winning the “Tug of War” that life throws at us. This track particularly is about a relationship that’s unhealthy, but you still manage to get through it.
Eyes to the Sky: This track is a slower, more powerful ballad. It’s very piano-driven and beautiful and almost has a Tool/APerfectCircle type of feel to it. This track is about feeling lost and looking to the sky for answers. I’m not sure if this is a spiritual track but it really gives me that feeling to it. We’ve all felt lost, felt that pain that comes with feeling like a failure and cried out to the heavens “Why me?!” You look to the sky for answers, but in the end, there’s no real proof whether or not your prayers are answered. In the end, it’s you that pushes through with your courage and determination.
Final Thoughts:
“Tug of War” is the hard rock album that many bands have been struggling to make, but just couldn’t pull it off. Red Line Chemistry, however, really knew what they were doing with this one and they pulled it off perfectly. This track is an astounding masterpiece of melody, subtle aggression, struggle and complexity. The instrumentals are all pulled off incredibly well and bring this album together in a way that, if done any differently, just wouldn’t be the same. I definitely recommend picking up “Tug of War” on Bulldog Productions through SKH Music and finding out for yourself just what this band has become!
