Living Colour are getting back on the scene once again with an upcoming new album entitled ‘Shade’. There’s only a few singles out at the moment but so far things are shaping up really well. Particularly with their latest single ‘Program’. The song is more Living Colour than Living Colour. They haven’t sounded this pure ‘Living Colour’ since 1993’s ‘Stain’. Which is one of the greatest and most overlooked heavy metal albums of all time. Then there was 2003’s ‘Collidoscope’. Which in many ways is a great Living Colour record. But the songs aren’t particularly consistent. There are some great riffs in there: ‘Song Without Sin’, ‘Lost Halo’, ‘Sacred Ground’ and ‘Holly Roller’. It also contains one of the bands best ballads. The very eerily touching ‘Flying’. A song about a victims point of view on the top of the World Trade Center on 9/11. But again, a pinch inconsistent in the first half of the album. And the production is, I don’t want to say awful because I love this band so much, but it’s really bad. Especially coming from a band with such crisp productions on their first three albums.
Then you have 2009’s ‘The Chair in the Doorway’. Which is really a comeback of many sorts. The production is crisp and thick. The songs are catchy, funky and heavy when needed. But perhaps in some ways with the aesthetic of the record it’s not really a Living Colour album. They got some of the signature sounds: ‘The Chair’, ‘Decedance’, ‘Out of my Mind’ covering the heavy sounds. And then ‘Method’ and ‘Behind the Sun’ covering the more spacey vibes the band likes to put off. But songs like ‘Burned Bridges’ and ‘Young Man’ sound like they trying to be some sort of pop-punk hybrid within themselves. And the cover of the album and it’s artwork, while not bad by any means, doesn’t have the classic Living Colour vibe. They don’t use their classic logo and the digital silhouette with the blank television station screen just doesn’t feel ‘Living Colour’.
But now they’re back once again with a few new singles. At first I was a little skeptical of the album because of the first two singles: ‘Who Shot Ya?’ which is actually a really good cover. But the second song ‘Come On’ just feels rushed and tired. But then ‘Program’ was released and now I’m really really excited for this album. It’s one of their catchiest riffs and it never gets tired. You can just jam on it over and over again. It’s got all the Living Colour elements: funk, metal, a little industrial and a pinch of hip-hop. All delivered with current, socially topical lyrics. And the production is top notch. Calhoun’s drums are monstrous. Corey Glover’s voice is still all in tact. And he delivers with such passion that it’s hard not to get into the song yourself. All the things we hope for in Living Colour. If ‘Program’ is an indicator of the general direction of ‘Shade’. Than we are in for one hell of an album. ‘Shade’ drops on September 8th followed by what is hopefully and very lengthy and lucrative tour. They deserve it. Don’t forget to keep up with tour dates because you’re not going to want to miss these guys live.
So powerful. So Living Colour.
