By the time of that album’s arrival, the four dudes of Red Fang were well traveled and adequately grizzled music-lifers who had gathered in Portland, Ore. John Sherman – Drums The stock bridge and solo are as obvious as the shout-along choruses they connect. Albums include Murder the Mountains, Whales and Leeches, and Red Fang. On their self-titled debut, Red Fang don't waste any time establishing themselves as a band that destroys amps, beers, and eardrums in equal measure.

And the oddball approach of their second effort has evaporated, too, replaced by riffs that seem like they were written on autopilot and drums that do just what you’d surmise. “They will erase the human race,” went the perfect and perfectly stupid gambit. But Whales and Leeches—Red Fang’s third album and second for Relapse Records—is markedly fine and little else. Predictable and plain, it is the no-threats sort of stoner rock a teenager wouldn’t need to hide from suspecting parents, the kind of no-surprises stock you might play when you find yourself in need of something completely innocuous.

RED FANG followed that record up with a slew of dates worldwide, and two years later, released Whales and Leeches, which put the band on the US Billboard charts (at #66) for the first time and garnered praise from outlets ranging from Spin and Metal Injection to Stereogum and Alternative Press. Maurice Bryan Giles – Guitar, Vocals. Additionally, RED FANG have gained renown for their inventive comedic music videos directed by Whitey MConnaughy, several of which have become viral hits. RED FANG have more than made a name for themselves on the live circuit as well. Red Fang's self-titled debut is the coming together of two EPs that were released while the band were on the road. Over the years, they’ve toured with prominent artists such as In Flames, Opeth, Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Helmet, and Crowbar, and have appeared at major festivals including Hellfest, Rockstar Mayhem Fest, Wacken, Roadburn, and many others. Even the subject matter feels pat and compulsory: There are vague threats and nondescript indignation, zombie tales and scatological tragedy, seafaring metaphors and extemporaneous nihilism. But they do not match that surface with substance. Their third album Whales and Leeches, the second for Relapse, was produced by Decemberists multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk and features guest vocals from Yob's Mike Scheidt. Their Relapse debut, 2011’s Murder the Mountains, lacked some of those immediate hooks, but there was a demented sense of trial-and-error written into the follow-up’s 12 tracks, epitomized by the stoned-and-happy bass mess “Throw Up” and the swiveling open-road epic “Number Thirteen”. Aaron Beam – Bass, Vocals The songs you’ll want to take away after repeated listens are scant, and the sense that the players are enjoying or testing themselves is nil. It’s the stuff you’d expect in a textbook about this brand of rock'n'roll, not from four guys who always seemed to have such unapologetic fun crafting their own mythologies. It’s competent, but there’s not an agent trying to squeeze in the door to sign these dudes, either. Red Fang did not set out to be fine. Indeed, Red Fang certainly sounds good on Whales and Leeches, with the production of the Decemberists multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk again giving their instruments ample breadth and weight. The momentum slow-fades into a noisy twilight, as if only to indulge a cliché that Red Fang had hitherto skipped. “Blood Like Cream” wastes a disturbing lyrical conceit on boilerplate stoner rock.

Despite the amount of time the people who made Red Fang had already spent in other acts, that record radiated with the urgency and enthusiasm of a very young, energetic rock band. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Only Ghosts - Red Fang on AllMusic - 2016 - The much anticipated follow-up to 2013's… David Sullivan – Guitar These 11 songs mostly push forward at mid-tempo pounces with dual guitars, bass, and drums hanging together until someone pulls away for a frequent and fairly unremarkable solo. This seemed like their chance to throw the rules and expectations out of the window, get stoned and/or drunk, and play rock'n'roll, just as they did in their lovably goofy music video for an inexplicably great song. Red Fang shows that with the right combination of pacing, volume, and swagger, the rest just kind of falls into place. | Free shipping on many items! If you begin listening with this mentality the mayhem is much more vivid, so vivid, in fact, that I had visions of my younger self playing Need For Speed games with a customized EA Trax playlist – all the hard rock & metal, hardly any of the Hip Hop & Electronica. Worse still, Whales and Leeches doesn’t make the case for any aesthetic approach that Red Fang can call their own. There is the requisite mid-album, ham-fisted, mean-mugging epic (two of them, actually, conveniently arranged in consecutive order for maximum skipping efficiency) and the last-ditch sprint toward the end. Pitchfork is the most trusted voice in music. The success of Whales and Leeches even led to a live appearance on Late Show with David Letterman in January 2014. Part of the answer ostensibly used to be “good times,” but after two or three trips through Whales and Leeches, you might start to ask why this whole affair feels like homework—not only for the listener, but also, it seems, for the band that made it. Genres: Stoner Rock, Stoner Metal, Acoustic Rock. Produced by the legendary Ross Robinson (At The Drive In, The Cure, Slipknot, and many more) and mixed by Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Melvins), Only Ghosts consists of 10 new tracks of the band’s signature, high-impact, hook-filled, hard rock.

Only Ghosts is a rock album of incredible magnitude that demands to be played at maximum volume! RED FANG prove once again they are top-notch songwriters who have mastered the heavy anthem without taking themselves too seriously. The Portland, Ore., heavy rock band Red Fang features well traveled, adequately grizzled music-lifers who had a surprise hit with the excellent 2008 track “Prehistoric Dog”. Now, after three years of vigorously touring the world, the band are ready to return to the stage with their latest and greatest full-length album, Only Ghosts. After the release of their self-titled debut (Sargent House, 2009), RED FANG signed to independent label Relapse Records for the release of their 2011 full-length Murder the Mountains, which hit #25 on the US Top Heatseekers chart and received widespread critical acclaim. On their self-titled debut, Red Fang don't waste any time establishing themselves as a band that destroys amps, beers, and eardrums in equal measure. RED FANG - 'ONLY GHOSTS' [Full Album] out now on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records. The band’s two-pronged vocal attack and knack for finding the sharpest hooks made sure that the music world caught on right away. Shop for Vinyl, CDs and more from Red Fang at the Discogs Marketplace. RED FANG is: RED FANG prove once again they are top-notch songwriters who have mastered the heavy anthem without taking themselves too seriously. Paired with a zealous touring schedule, their modest, familiar, no-collar approach found near-instant favor. The band’s videos have received more than 10,000,000 views in total. Ever since their inception in 2005, Portland’s RED FANG have strived to write heavy, catchy music underlaid with subtle complexities. Yes, you’ll hear traces of Kylesa and Kyuss, Torche and Sabbath, Electric Wizard and Nebula.

“This Animal” summons the heavy, racing approach that High on Fire perfected nearly a decade ago; Red Fang gets the sound right, but the song itself is dull and indistinct, a through-the-motions attempt at something not quite new. Doom belter Mike Scheidt of Yob lends his falsetto to “Dawn Rising”, offering an intriguing counterpoint to Red Fang’s usual workaday approach. | Browse our daily deals for even more savings! Of course, Red Fang was never out to reinvent anything, but they did offer ample moments of sheer enjoyment or intrigue.