Code Orange
I Am King

We are constantly slowed down by our perception of ourselves. We live in a world that clouds our way of thinking, seeking its own advantages by relegating us to the state of beasts, of sheep to be gathered and guided. We are constantly tied to the need to satisfy our bodily and psychic needs, and it follows that, in fact, the beasts are not very distant from us. And it is precisely this that is exploited to blend us, standardize us, render us devoid of our mental faculties. We are cowards, and this drives us to seek the protection of the herd. However, when you become dependent on the herd, your self ceases to exist. And you become a Nobody. When you live as a coward, you die as a coward. But if you come to understand all this, you can detach from the herd and assert your personal self. You can start to be a unique, real entity. If you understand it, you can truly be alive and definitively kill the way of thinking you previously possessed.

Because in a world of servants, thieves, and spies, I am the king.

This is, for better or worse, the concept, the philosophy behind the new work of Code Orange (previously known as Code Orange Kids), released in 2014 for Deathwish. The quartet is formed by Reba Meyers (guitars, vocals, and gritty singing), Jami Morgan (drums, screams, and spoken words), Joe Goldman (bass), and Eric Balderose (guitars and growls), and this arrangement already reveals the particularity of the group. It is indeed a very original formula and, given the results, very effective. Their sound includes hardcore outbursts at the edge of brutal ('Unclean Spirit', 'My World', and 'Slowburn', just to mention a few), more thoughtful and detailed songs (the title track, 'Dreams in Inertia', 'Bind You'), where Reba’s splendid clean singing and Jami’s spoken words are used more extensively, and a middle ground between these two types. Another very characteristic aspect of the group is the atmosphere, dark and at the edge of grunge, with that sludgy sensation that permeates the entire album and perfectly marries the concept of the record. One could talk for hours, but my advice is to stay silent and listen to this work, aware that it could be an enlightenment just as much as it might not captivate; it all lies there.

Ultimately, 'I Am King' represents a starting point for Code Orange, one that fully leverages what derives from previous publications but also adds innovative elements that allow for the birth of a unique and invaluable style. A starting point that projects the group as the next big thing in the most extreme and uncompromising hardcore. Destined to leave a mark.

Out with the old.

In with the new.

No mercy.