Code Orange - The Above (September 29, 2023) Album • Page 8

My super early, kneejerk analysis is this might be missing one more complete barn burner for my taste. The balance is just a touch too melodic than I was hoping for. That said, I love how wild this whole album is.

 

“Theatre of Cruelty” fucking rips goddamn

 

This album is so fun.

 

Taking time before I fully decide on this one. I came in with lowered expectations but found a lot to like. I just need to listen more to really figure out how some of the new elements hit me

 

I fucking love this

 

update: my partner had Snapshot show up on his Release Radar and he loves it. he's traveling for work on Sunday so he's gonna listen to the full album then.

 

Love how much Reba there is on this

 

Only listened once earlier at work, but was loving it. Mirrors still amazes me

 

Closer on this is perfect

 

Love the Splinter The Soul chorus

 

The ending of the song "The Above" has a sound I would never have expected from them - but it works!

 

Two full listens done now, yea I think every song has its place on the album. Even the ones that didn't stick out as much to me on my first listen, second listen I got more into them. I think I'll still prefer Underneath, but I do think this album is great too. The closer might actually be my least favorite now, but that's mostly for the beginning half. The ending part with Reba going "Acceptance is a far away place" goes hard. And I say "least favorite", but I still like it.

 

Understanding and accepting this a bit more with every listen and Im starting to really like it. I do agree that one more all out banger wouldve been nice, though. Drone is currently my fave and one of the coolest songs they've done.

 

My favorite part of the whole thing. Always team Reba

 

The melodies on Snapshot are so good but its also so different for them.

 

I think a producer would have have help slimming this beast down to its best parts, but its still a wild ride.

 

Some more thoughts:

- Song to song, some of these transitions are straight up jarring. For example, Mirror into Drone and Grooming into Snapshot caused some serious whiplash.

- I would’ve preferred The Game and Grooming to have been split apart to better break up some of the rock-heavy second half.

- I love, and will always love, Shade’s low growls.

 

This is most likely my aoty so far, but I think working with a producer could have helped with the choruses a bit. To me that’s the weakest part of the album, especially in the more “straightforward” songs like circle through and the mask of sanity slips. I feel like the more alt songs from underneath had stronger choruses, but on here they are a tad bit weak especially in the aforementioned songs.

 

I love everything about this album. everything.

 

I'm figuring out an alternative sequence for this album because the current sequence significantly impedes my enjoyment of it. I like opposites together but incongruous jumps should heighten the impact of songs, and a few of these songs are choked by the network of tracks either side.

There are cool pairings. I like the energy of I Fly carrying into Splinter The Soul. But the three song run before then of Mirror into A Drone... into I Fly is bizarre. Either of those transitions hits on its own, but the menacing build of A Drone... is wasted with both either side, and it feels jarring, messy, and irritating. The Game and Grooming My Replacement are slapped together in the second half like they couldn't find a place for them, even though the pacing at the start of the album is slow and perfect to be broken up by either of those tracks.

I think that's my main issue. After about seven listens I couldn't work out how I felt about the album. It's been a long time since I've listened to an album that many times and not been able to decide whether I liked it, and I think it was broadly the sequencing. After about twelve listens I think I like most of it.

 

Not a fan so I'll just say goodbye old friend. I'll never forget you for the demo, Cycles, and the Full of Hell split.

 

I don’t like this at all. Grooming my replacement is like the only song I fuck with. And mirror to a degree but I def have cooled on it. Overall yeah disappointing

 

I copped that Mask of Sanity Slips hat last night, even though it may or may not look trash on me. I'm a sucker for way too much stitched text on a hat lol

 

love this album to death