RED ELEVEN – Round II
- Posted on 16-09-2014
Bumping up from Secret Entertainment to Lifeforce Records, Finland’s Red Eleven return for "Round II"- a 12 track album that continues in an alternative rock/ metal style. Expanding their horizons in electronic directions for "Tomorrow’s Path" and also lighter, semi-acoustic / melancholic rock fare for the follow up "The Turning Point", I feel like Red Eleven is more comfortable within their own musical skin. Tony Kaikkonen has an enchanting, multi-faceted voice that can be melodic and soothing one minute, then very left field a la Mike Patton at a moment’s notice.
If you dig deep into the band’s previous catalog of artists, the members have been a part of some killer bands like Sons of Aeon, Swallow the Sun, and Machine Men to name a few – so Red Eleven aren’t newcomers to creating emotionally driven rock/metal. Even when the material is very straightforward and modern hard rock oriented like "Behind Illusion" or "Running Blind", there’s still a level of integrity and propulsive power that gives the quintet a leg up on their competition.
"Round II" is an excellent follow up to Red Eleven’s debut "Idiot Factory" – a little more ambitious in terms of extra keyboard elements or acoustic dynamics, yet still very focused on sweeping you away through an alternative hard rock/ metal outlook. Faith No More, Alice In Chains, Alter Bridge and their offspring would be proud to hear what direction this band is going in.