Hailing from a rich music scene known for its ties to grunge and the 1990s alt.-rock explosion, up and coming hard rockers December In Red are looking to prove that they can succeed just like those that went before them. However, they play a form of music distinctly different from their stylistic Seattle counterparts. The debut full-length from the quartet, titled The Way Out, released earlier this year, and is looking to place the Washington natives among the ranks of the big names in rock.
“The Call” serves as the introduction to the album, kicking things off briefly before leading straight into “Hooks and Splatters,” a hard-hitting track laden with metalcore-like breakdowns. “Send Me a Postcard” is the mid-tempo lead single from the album, and keeps the listener head-banging while adding a more straight-forward, rock sensibility. Needless to say, it’s no surprise that “Send Me a Postcard” was chosen as the single.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1OqXpU3kwY[/youtube]“Arrested On Sight,” in contrast, returns to the metalcore vibe from “Hooks and Splatters,” and essentially extends this sound through the first interlude, “The Borders.” Aside from its length, “Corduroy” doesn’t really make waves. That is, until its sweeping instrumental ending, which sounds like it could be a Tool b-side. “De D’Aur” somehow falls flat, even though there’s still a level of continuity from the previous song.
The thick bassline takes center stage on “Pelican,” a track with enough groove and gumption to make it one of the strongest on the entire record. “Hadouken” follows in this same vein while turning up the octane even more so. This can partly be credited to a guest feature from Hed PE frontman Jahred, whose spot vocals make the song phenomenal. The album’s final transition piece is the brief interlude “The Fundamental,” before the album closer wraps things up. “Don’t Look So Surprised” ends with an atmospheric piano outro, which ties things up rather nicely.
Seattle-based rockers December In Red offer up a moderately enjoyable effort in The Way Out with a few standout tracks. Although there are definitely a few aspects in their sound that they could improve upon, The Way Out isn’t bad overall, and it’s certainly a good place to start from and build off of.
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