Living Colour
The Chair In The Doorway

Twenty-one years have passed since the debut that, along with a few other albums, changed the music scene, opening new horizons of fusion between styles, even the most disparate, which no one had ever dared to bring together in the same song. They continued what their putative fathers Bad Brains had accomplished years before. In between, there was a hiatus or breakup, depending on the case, and then a return to recording in 2003 with the good "Collideoscope," which had the only flaw of being too long-winded.

The Living Colour have been and still are a band loved by industry professionals but, surprisingly, have never achieved major commercial success. Musicians capable of treating their instruments as few can, equipped with incredible technique and a live energy that has few equals, the four New York black musicians have produced an album that is varied but especially equipped with good radio appeal, which, mind you, does not mean they've sold out their music. Different from what I still consider their masterpiece, the raw "Stain" from 1993, which saw the band updating their musical offer by incorporating industrial elements that rendered the tracks dark and threatening.

Still guided by the sublime voice of Corey Glover and the flamboyant guitar of Vernon Reid—someone who deserves more recognition in the usual "best guitarist" rankings—Living Colour play it safe. The days when their music amazed with its vivacity and innovation are long gone; now the band focuses on compositions that, though above average, struggle to rival their past except in a few rare cases.

Always characterized by never banal lyrics, the songs were almost all born on the road, and many were recorded in Europe, in Prague and Austria. Social issues, injustices, and racial equality are always topics that will find a place in their compositions. A powerful rhythm section composed of Doug Wimbish on bass and Will Calhoun on drums, and Reid's guitar exploring and inventing. This is the simple recipe that binds Living Colour's songs together, whether it be the danceable and funky "Young man", the soul of "Method", the metal heaviness of "Decadance" with a Sabbathian riff à la Tony Iommi, or the metal crossover of "Burned bridges" and "The Chair".

"Behind the sun" works great, a song that is nothing short of perfect, with Glover's voice always in great shape and Reid present from start to finish with his guitar acrobatics. Hard and modern, however, is "Out of my mind", while unfortunately a bit subdued are the funky and jazzy "Bless those" and the almost mainstream "That's what you taught me".

Awaiting to see them live in a few days, where they will surely manage to make the songs from this transitional album shine in their own light, Living Colour still prove to be good rock professionals, far from the brilliance of the early years but still close to the hearts of those who choose good music... oops, the ghost track is a good hard blues. Stop.