Genre : Industrial, Electronic
Released : February 17th, 2023
Label : Self-release / Blue Grape
FFO : Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Combichrist, Carpenter Brut, Perturbator
The last time Code Orange put out a full length piece of material we were only starting to familiarize ourselves with the reality of the coronavirus pandemic and life in lockdown.
Now, three years later (already?), Code Orange have released this surprise project which acts as a companion album to their acclaimed 2020 release "Underneath" by re-imagining some of its tracks and further expanding upon the cold, mechanical dystopian world and atmosphere they had created on that record.
Except, this isn't exactly a "remix" album, it manages to stand on its own two feet and complete, rather than rehash, what has already previously been done by surgically ripping apart various sonic elements of "Underneath" to patch together an entirely new monster rather than reconstruct its predecessor.
Of course, this is pretty much a fully industrial electronic record so if you're expecting to hear what Code Orange's next step sounds like, this won't be it, and hopefully it won't be WWE-core either or over-indulgent NIN worshipping like their latest single tracks have been but that's another matter for another day.
Now, if the prospect of leaving behind any expectations of hearing what the band is usually known for does not deter you; you will find that "What Is Really Underneath?" is actually a very enjoyable, creative, hypnotic and even unnerving piece of industrial electronic music that could've easily figured in some of the late 90's/early 2000's most iconic edgy and alternative movies whom we now regard as cultural phenomenons of their time (the most obvious of course being the Matrix trilogy).
Similarly to when Loathe released their ambient album "The Things They Believe" exactly one year after the release of the triumphant "I Let It In And It Took Everything" ; "What Is Really Underneath?" genuinely expands the depths of the universe created by the previous album by focusing on and deepening one of its background elements essential in creating the overall tone for each respective album.
In Loathe's case it was the lush, melancholic analog synth work, and here, in the case of Code Orange, it's all about breathing even more life into the cold, isolating robotic world "Underneath" had subjected its listeners too during an ironically very fitting point in time given the world events that were unfolding back then.
If you, like me, were part of those who very much enjoyed 2020's "Underneath" and its flirting of chaotic hardcore with futuristic soundscapes , then this complimentary addition is almost a must-listen.