Review Summary: You won't even wanna go one round.
Seventh Day Slumber, at this point, were just “ok”. Parts of their first release were good, more parts of the second release were good, the third release sucked, the fourth release was a slightly improved version of the first release but a step back from the second. Their two forays into rock/worship albums (non-canon) were pointless and probably forced by BEC Recordings. The band knew they needed to improve. They knew that they needed to reinvent. So they switched record labels and aimed to be harder than ever before, promising the heaviest material yet in their
Redline EP.
Joseph Rojas is on the microphone again sounding largely the same as he has before, though his screams are a little more full and present. Oh, and he attempts to “rap” a little bit as well. And it honestly just sounds like a poor man’s Sonny Sandoval. As someone who does enjoy some nu-metal, this is very out of place for the group. Jeremy Holderfield holds down the detuned axe fairly well albeit generically. This isn’t groundbreaking riff-craft, but it works for the EP and doesn’t sound bad. Drums and bass essentially just do what is expected for a modern rock album.
“Bring It On” opens the EP on a decidedly generic note. Don’t misunderstand, I understand it’s tough to be wholly original in music, but this is literally ripped straight from POD and self-titled era Icon For Hire. If you’re looking for a walkout anthem, I guess you have it here, but it doesn’t function for anything better than that. Then we have an extremely out of place cover in Temple of the Dog’s “Hunger Strike”, featuring Kevin Young of Disciple for some of Eddie Vedder’s part and all of Chris Cornell’s. It’d be one thing if the cover sounded any different or better than the original, but it just doesn’t. Lyrically this also feels out of place, which I’ll get to later. However, “I’ll Bleed” is probably one of the band’s strongest hard rock tracks, featuring some nice clean guitar picking and distorted riffing, actually notable bass work, and a passionate vocal performance. There’s an early Decyfer Down feel to this track but it does manage to stand out. “Lost In The Lights” tries to capitalize on the electronic rock fad but ultimately just comes off as forgettable, as does the lackluster ballad “Gone”.
Honestly, one track really managed to get my attention here, but the rest of this is so boring. Lyrically, there’s nothing noteworthy and “Bring It On” gets very cringey. Oh, and “Hunger Strike” is a sore thumb. This is a band that has professed openly to be Christian, a band that has used (albeit awkwardly) Jesus’ name in their music multiple times. I’m a Christian myself, I’m fine with that. And I have full knowledge that Christians aren’t perfect. My favorite band is RED and I also enjoy Demon Hunter so I don’t mind darker (not saying darkest) but darker lyrics and actually enjoy them a fair bit. But maybe it’s a bad idea to openly place the line “I don’t mind stealing bread from the mouths of decadence” on a Christian EP. POD did something similar with the f-bomb on “I Am” from
Murdered Love, but at least it made sense in context and could be justified. But a line about straight up admitting to stealing and not caring about it just feels off.
I guess “Bring It On” could be a lackluster walkout anthem, but “I’ll Bleed” is the only track here with real substance. Skip this over, as eighty percent of this is extremely boring and barely average.
