Review: Code Orange Elaborates on Art-House Hardcore and ’90s Grit with The Above

Before enjoying high-profile tours and WWE residencies, Code Orange more than earned their keep by slugging it out in the Pennsylvania underground since they were high schoolers. Beyond their relentless touring, the continual growth Code Orange has experienced from I Am King to Forever, and most recently to Underneath comes from matching their promotional work ethic with smart well-written albums. Their deviations from metallic hardcore to explore flavors of industrial and heavy alternative have always felt organic and, most importantly, personal. The less violent tendencies of their latest outing The Above provide much more than a calculated cash grab. Code Orange continue to express themselves organically, and it generally pays off!

The eccentricities of The Above manifest right away, as “Never Far Apart” comes through with a grimy take on Massive Attack or Lovage. Amid multi-faceted production and sultry beats, Reba Meyer finds new ranges for her singing, as vocalist Jami Morgan explores more of his moody croaks. But what really takes the cake is the repurposing of their metallic elements. They even chop up and sample their “DO IT” mosh cry before hitting their signature tempo-shifting breakdowns. Indeed, these guys can still destroy when they want to. A cut like “Theatre Of Cruelty” effectively infuses Code Orange’s chug-tastic thuggery with hypnotic electronics and Morgan’s newfound clean voice. The mosh parts remain as nasty as ever, enhanced by the band’s refined affinity for spacious trip-hop and synthetic gloom.

Before the gatekeepers cry out in protest, even the accessibility of a cut like “Take Shape” in no way appeals to the butt-rock crowd. The single is hardly an expected vocation for the nasally croons of one Billy Corgan, as its four-on-the-floor rhythm structure and harrowing chorus melody find palpable darkness in less harsh places. It gives credence to the mantra of writing smarter, not harder. A track like “Mirror” could have easily functioned as a generic acoustic ballad, but from its earthy guitar strums emerges a tapestry of crisp drum loops, syrupy synth arpeggios and swaying string arrangements. It’s a far cry from “My World,” but Code Orange’s creativity continues to pay dividends in this context.

Code Orange bridges stylistic extremes and remains tasteful and, most importantly, infectious. The grungy grit of “The Mask Of Sanity Slips” finds harmonious choreography with resonating chugs and panic chords before culminating in a synth-driven two-step, while the syncopated bombast of “A Drone Opting Out Of The Hive” perfectly meshes with industrial hip-hop textures to the point where the genre crossover stops becoming the calling card. It just works.

Even when cuts like “I Fly” and “Splinter The Soul” takes a more straight-forward ‘90s alternative approach, that extra push from Code Orange’s roots remains evident. In both cases, drummer Max Portnoy and bassist Joe Goldman lay down a rhythm section that’s simply too gnarly to deny. And yet, the hookiness doesn’t diminish in either case. The band rides the line between ‘90s grit and red-state rock fest fodder… and that’s when they’re not embracing electro-acoustic ambiance and dark-wave steeze with “Snapshot.” A straight-up Smashing Pumpkins jam like “Circle Through” might not be surprising for a band with “Bleeding in the Fur”—but at this point, neither is dropping mid-section emotive, sultry art-pop.

The beauty of The Above is how by the time the concluding dualogy of “But A Dream…” and “The Above” arrives, Code Orange’s statement has more than been made. The former’s chorus is absolutely killer, while the ominous crescendo of the latter brings the album to an excitable climax of vocal interplay, thick chords and sweeping leads. The band’s incorporation of different genres into loud guitar music has officially transcended anything gimmicky, as every beat switch, every dynamic shift and every production choice is as calculated as it is unorthodox.

The Above finds Code Orange continuing a musical story of their own imagining. Whether they’re taking from the past, present, or future of their stylistic influences, no one could question the unique niche they’ve carved out for themselves. Why? Because they write good songs. They always have delivered on that front, but it’s never been on better display than now.

Code Orange’s The Above is out Sept. 29 via Blue Grape Music.