EP REVIEW: Vol 1: As In Life – Red Method

Unflinching grooves meet cutting psyche explorations in metallic force Vol 1: As In Life, the new EP from RED METHOD. In this six-track cyclone of mental suffering and sonic distress, the London sextet paint hell – aka the world – blood-red, while screaming out the musical truth that the more twisted and deranged something is, the better.

RED METHOD have been tormenting eager crowds with their concoction of industrial, groove and dark melodic metal since 2018, with their furious live appearances all over the UK and Europe earning them a devout fanbase known as “the Bloodline”. As In Life is the first volume of a series that vocalist J S.A.N.G.R.E says will “take people through the different stages of hell”. For the Dante enthusiasts out there, this does not mean you can expect nine volumes, one for every ring of hell, but rather a heady, extreme metal exploration into all that it means to be in hell – which is becoming scarily synonymous with life.

The EP opens with Counting Corpses, a track that summons all the battering power of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and early SLIPKNOT to deliver an industrial pummelling that cracks skulls and jars necks. Rather than being a gruesome version of an insomniac’s favourite technique, counting sheep, RED METHOD’s newest single explores a world ruled by dominance, resources and influence, through the imagery of a Chaos God that has broken free to see what his world has become in the hands of the disease that is humanity. Whereas Dispose of Me takes on a much more personal sense of human-loathing: “I love the way you abuse me, I love the way you dispose of me” – the disconcertingly catchy chorus, sung in haunting cleans in stark contrast to J’s chord-ripping screams, amplifies the distressing nature of the song. What RED METHOD have done with monstrous intricacy in As In Life is mix inner turmoil with outward angst at the world, while exposing a host of painful personal pasts – from abusive relationships in Dispose of Me, to medical struggles and being let down by the system in Detonate.

Sandwiched between the jarring licks of Dispose of Me and the imploding heaviness of Detonate is All For One, None For All. First released two years ago with BLOODYWOOD’s Jayant Bhadula, the venomous grooves slice with even more aural provocation than the first listen. Even the cynical twist on the old Musketeer motto seems darker. Or, perhaps, redder. Another recent single, Becoming the Sickness, sounds like the intro to an Alfred Hitchcock film, so unnerving and hauntingly atmospheric are the opening chimes and recorded speech. The thick riffs, savage death metal growls and screaming chaos, not to mention the accompanying cult-sacrific music video, exacerbate this feeling of terror, which you get only 1 minute and 23 seconds to recover from when the disturbingly calm melody of The Revolting Self sneaks in as the sixth and final track of Vol 1. Phew.

RED METHOD are not here to make you feel happy. They’re here to provide a sanctuary as you crawl into your dark place to either hide from or grapple with your demons. And Vol 1: As In Life is a tumultuous, twisted battle of grooves and growls, that elicits as much discomfort as it does delight. This is your first and last reminder that red, is the new black.

Rating: 8/10

As In Life is set for release on July 17th via self-release.