Review Summary: Red is one of the premier bands in the world of Christian Rock and is also growing name in the world of Mainstream Rock. With the release of their junior album "Until We Have Faces", they prove they're not ready to stop growing.
This is the kind of album that old fans of Red will love and that will be able to bring in new listeners. However, it doesn't show particular growth, except for in a few tracks, which I thought was somewhat of a negative.
Feed the Machine - The album starts with Feed the Machine, which I think showed the most growth from Red in the album. IT shows them experimenting with heavier side of Red. It's a great song to choose for an album opener with its intense screams, low growls, and soaring chorus, it just gets the listener pumped up. One of my favorites. 5/5
Faceless - This song was chosen as a lead single, which I really question. It's a good song, but not great. It could easily fit in on either one of Red's previous albums, except for the vocals. Michael Barnes sounds as great as ever singing, but the song doesn't let him show off his range. One of the weakest songs vocally that they've ever done, but the guitars, drums, and string section really save the song. 4/5
Lie To Me (Denial) - This is my personal favorite from the whole album. The intro starts off slow and quiet, then builds into a great rocking sound. When the verse starts , it's back to the quietness of the beginning of the intro, and the chorus takes on the sound of the end of the intro, with its crunchy guitars and great drums. It also has some of the most meaningful lyrics in the chorus."Lie to me if you can feel/That this love was never real/Walk away if you can learn to love again/Lie to me, if you can leave/I’ll still be here when you see/You’re not alone, you don’t have to run again/And leave me in denial." 5/5
Let it Burn - On Red's previous two albums, there were a total of two ballads combined. On this album alone there are 4 ballads. Let it Burn is the first of these four, and I think it's the best ballad on the album. It focuses a lot on synthesizers and strings, but also has it's fair amount of guitar, bass, and drums in the chorus, and just is really what a power ballad should be. At the end of the songs, guest vocalist Kerrie Roberts just brings it in for a home run. 5/5
Buried Beneath - Mid Tempo rockers is where Red really shines. Buried Beneath is no exception. It has an "Already Over" vibe from "End of Silence", and that's a good thing. However, Barnes voice has matured since "end of Silence" making the experience much more emotional 5/5
Not Alone - Not Alone is the second of the ballads, but a much more generic one than Let it Burn. It is the most spiritual song on the album, coming from the point of view of God, but the lyrics are just like any song you would hear on KLove. 3.5/5
Watch You Crawl - A good track overall, a very intense song, and if you didn't know any better, you'd almost think it was a Breaking Benjamin song. And that is where the problem lies. Watch You Crawl is a very good song, but it's just such a generic Mainstream Rock song. Red's drummer, Joe Rickard, really makes the song stand out, with an epic drum beat going on throughout the whole song. It's a great song, just generic. 4/5
The Outside - A filler track. Plain and simple. Compared to other Red albums, so far this CD has been pretty calm, so a heavier song was needed. The Outside, sadly, was the outcome. Once again, Barnes isn't allowed to show off his vocal range, and the song overall is just weak. 3/5
Who We Are - This is another song that Red really experimented on. It has almost a punk-rock kind of sound, and it actually words. The verse it great, and it leads into a good chorus, but the chorus just doesn't match the intensity of the verse, making the song weaker than it should've been. 4.5/5
Best Is Yet To Come - This is the third of the ballads. It's stronger than Not Alone, yet not on the level of Let it Burn. It's a very inspiring song about being saved by God, and it's definitely what a power ballad should be. It mainly focuses on strings and is one of the only Red songs that uses an acoustic guitar, which is a plus. A great track. 4.5/5
Hymn For The Missing - An epic closer that's above par of even "Already Over Pt. 2" form End of Silence and "Take it All Away" from Innocence and Instinct. It's a piano-driven track and Barnes sounds really vulnerable when he sings it. It's Barnes that really lifts this track. He sounds so emotional and so lost that it seems like he 's singing to you and you're listening to it. The chorus, while only consisting of piano, violin, cello, and Barnes vocal, is the most powerful chorus on the whole CD. It also features Kerrie Roberts once again at the very ending of the song, singing along with Barnes and the strings. A hauntingly beautiful closer. 5/5
While not better or worse than Red's previous CD's, Until We Have Faces proves that Red is here to stay.
Recommended Tracks: Lie to Me(Denial), Hymn for the Missing, Buried Beneath, Lie to Me, Feed the Machine
