While I only possess a portion of Romell's latest piece of artistry, I must say that it is the most personal and soulful release of his to date. The full release of Damaged will contain 11 wonderfully original tracks, plus remixes by other well known artists like A23 and Soil and Eclipse, as well as a live video from the recent Cleo 10 year anniversary party in L.A. I will of course include a review on the rest of the disc once I get my hands on it, but in the meantime, I'm here to cover the meat of RIB's latest incarnation. Overall, Romell is doing a wonderful job of enmeshing and evolving his sound. It's no surprise after you hear this album just how much a fan he is of techno, drum n bass and trance. This album, more than any previous, is successfully weaving together elements of genres that some people consider not to play well together. Damaged has a distinct leaning towards trance and electronic dance music, but still makes prominent use of harsh sounds that are more industrial in nature, plus the use of guitars that is integral to Razed In Black's sound. The melodic elements have increased five fold, as Romell's gorgeous vocals tie together the sounds into an energetic and uplifting listening experience. The lyrics are introspective and prodding, often exploring emotions and behaviors that are dark in nature, whether it be blame, sexuality, pain, love, or self searching. From what little I've read of the lyrics, I have been bowled over by this raw sense of emotion, and this strange seductive...innocence that seems to come from a couple songs in particular, being Blush and Come Back To Me.
There is no lack of danceable tracks on this disc, the most bounce worthy being Blush (my absolute fav to dance to), Share This Poison, I'll Damage You, Visions (very very clubworthy!!) Come Back to Me, and Nevermeant V2.
Blush is an absolute classic as far as Razed in Black is concerned. This song is like an ID card for the fingerprint of RIB if ther ever was one. It starts out with electronic wibbles that sneak up on you, then after they build you get punched in the jaw with guitars. Romell's vocals circle and whisper, and the rhythms entangle your feet. And this is just the beginning of the song! While I believe that Romell's voice sounds better up in his higher register, he does a good job of purring out the lusty, fleshy vocals in his lower range before breaking into his powerful melodic cries in the chorus. The sheer power behind his voice, the harsh beats and chainsaw guitars give this song such kick that I cannot possibly see how a club would not catch onto playing it regularly. The lyrics take a journey through temptation, and passion - all internal, but on the outside there still exists this strange innocence and fragility. The ending notes to the song reveal the lovely and weird innocence I keep describing - like he's staring at this girl who's been watching him, thinking all these things and finally they smile at each other and speak. Anyone who's ever met someone at a club and fallen for them can relate to this song. ;)
Share This Poison is without a doubt another classic. This wonderfully uplifting dance favorite is jam packed with melody and energy. I love the way Romell builds up energy in the song and then releases it into an explosion of souind and...well...joy. The circling synth sounds that are such an earmark in his music give such a sense of space and help to build interest and power. As always, the song creeps in and lets you know its there by giving you a kick in the ass. The guitars are sweetly whining, and Romell's vocals are so light you'd think you were staring at the face of God. Ladies, get an extra pair of underwear before listening to this one. As it seems to be a theme of sorts, there is always a contrast between the softer flows of sound and the sudden kick in the ass by the powerful rhythms, then a seamless weaving of both elements. A damn good song.
There Goes My Head is a more moody track, not impossible to dance to, but not as easy as the others. There is far more darkness being bottled up in here. as the harsh crashes of the drums and growl of guitars would tell you. The lyrics are one of soul searching and self examination, as are most of Romell's songs. There is a nice switch from the more quiet portions to the whispering darkness and then to the louder exclamations.
I'll Damage You is a song where Romell flexes his whipping arm and lets you know that if provoked, he will bite. This heavy dance track is full of lust and unadulterated sensuality, along with a hungry aggression. Easily an anthem for S&M events, this track embodies punishment for pleasure. The rhythms are so catchy it's sickening and the guitars are volatile. Romell's hisses are complimented by the sweetness of the female vocals featured in this song.
Leave it All Behind is very drum n bass influenced if you listen at the beginning. It starts out with cold melodic tones and then launches into a raging tyrade of guitars and beats. A slower track, it contains some familiar noises I know Romell likes to use. :) The roughness of the onset of this song is smoothed some by the chorus where the melody takes over in vocals and the guitar line, but add a few well placed screams...especially the particularly high one and... yipe!!!!! Also take note of the lovely guest vocals from Soil and Eclipse!
Am I to Blame starts out with prominently grindy guitars, (yum) and caustic vocals. Perhaps the second most harsh song on the album next to Why, it tends towards a more guitar industrial influence with a hint of metal. Once again, beautiful guest vocals are a nice accent to the roughness that Romell presents us. The "chorus" section does diverge from the roughness and loses the guitars to bring us electro bleeps and bright vocals. A nice slower song with lots of thoughful lyrics.
Visions was described best by my fiancee, who said he could easily see a room full of gay men bouncing to it. Visions has a classic dance feel to it, a very recognizable beat structure, and sentimental lyrics. After listening to this, it made me think of all the good times I had in clubs in the past, dancing with friends to songs like this. The song has a very cute and inventive start, giving us a hint at Romell's music composition process. We hear him playing with his synth to get the right sounds, and then it fades into the pounding beat and melody. This song, unlike may of Romell's songs, features a very cool vocal filter effect that make the voice part monotone - until he breaks into the chorus. Guest vocals on this track are Reza and Alexis from Inertia and are a wonderful touch. A very heavy rhythm and uplifting music and lyrics make this a strong dance anthem worthy of club play.
Come Back to Me is probably the most most beautiful of all the songs I've heard Romell produce. The chorus soars...the airy vocals in combination with the floaty electronics and dreamy guitars give me such a lift...this is a song that I could easily get lost in for hours and never want to come back...hmmmm. Maybe there was a purpose to that title. The reason why this song is so beautiful is the light and dark in it. It's a slower dancey song, that comes at you with a dark aggression, rather like a lion on the prowl. The guitars are heavy and menacing, the beats are determined, the electronics have sharp edges. Romell's vocals kick in displaying a smooth contrast to the darkness. So, you reach out to pet this large, prowling lion, and like any other cat, it purrs for you. This cat not only purrs however, it curls up in your lap with its tail around you once you hit the chorus. The dark gives way to a lightness that is beautiful because of the contrast. This may seem like an esoteric way to describe a song, but once you listen to this song, you'll understand. Come Back to Me is worth the price of the whole CD on its own. I am strongly considering having it played at my wedding, if that says anything.
Misunderstood this song has a different touch to it than some others on the album. Romell uses some very fresh electronic souds on here along with some old favs, and pounds his intro into us with the guitar and drum line. The atmospheric sounds echo darkly in the background, and then Romell comes in with monotone vocals. Heavy guitar punches and sandpapery sounds give this song an angry energy. The vocals are very easy to identify with for anyone who has felt that no matter what they said, others just weren't getting it. This song is edgey, dark and danceable, with beautiful overlapping vocals and harmonies.
Why has a very distinct metal flavor from the onset. Razed In Black busts out the shredding guitars and the angriest drum lines available. This song is inner turmoil boiling over. Handle only with industrial strength gloves! Oh my god, the anger and frustration in this piece, If only nu-metal bands would take a hint from Why, as Romell does so effortlessly the angst ridden blazing guitar music that everyone else aspires to, but cannot touch. Perhaps, because it's ....well, real for him as opposed to commercially induced? Heh. In any case, there is some serious power in this song. So thick with guitars you need a fork to pick through it, and antacid to digest it.
Nevermeant v2 is just what you think it is, a reworked version of a fan favorite. This version had a more discernable beat, with some added sprinklings of electronic triffles to dress up an already good song. What Romell has added is a stronger air of aggression and energy while not straying from the original flavor of the song. I can guarantee you however, that there are at least 6 other versions of this song somewhere that are probably just as good, but we'll never hear as someone is very much a perfectionist. ;) But then again, that's not a bad thing, look what kind of music he turns out.
Damaged is most definitely an album worth waiting for. It's been wonderful to see the growth of RIB from their initial releases. We are in an age of fusion, and RIB is a band that has a firm foothold on that concept by making music that has the ability to bring together fans from a variety of genres. I can see everyone from goths, to ravers to rivetheads to EBM freaks loving this album. Romell's music also works because its is original, honest, and raw, and sadly that is still a rare quality in the musical world. There are many good bands, but what distinguishes a great band in their own honesty with themselves, knowing what their strengths are and how to use them, and making music that is really a piece of them. Razed In Black is a great example of that, and I hope that they continue to wow us with albums like Damaged.
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