This thread is in the Other Music section. Isn't that the proper place for... other music? And no, as far as I know, there is no Red forum. But I've been following Red threads here for several years and that's why I decided to put this one on the LP forums website.
It has leaked, so I want to tell you somethin about those tracks. Tracks are same as on RTP except added strings (For example Release The Panic). Some have more differences from original, they are softer than originals but I expected way more changes. IMO Recalibrated versions are better than originals, but original versions should already sound as new versions, so there would be no need for making somehting like "Recalibrated". Anyway I feel disappointed.
Impressions from my first listen: -Run and Escape: Nothing special, it definitely sounds like a demo. I like the more experimental side of it, but opening the album with an experimental track it not the best idea. -Release The Panic: Strings are way too high in the mix. Feels like they're almost rubbing them in your face, and they add so little. -Damage: I really liked this one because they only changed the mix, and it sounds much better. No extra stuff. -Hold Me Now: Ew. Ruined. I don't want to go into detail but they utterly butchered it. -So Far Away: Why remove the intro? The new one doesn't sound nearly as good. The rest of the song seems to be missing the punch of the original, it sounds much softer now. Again, I feel the strings are mixed too high. -Glass House: Wow, they butchered this one too, and since it's my favorite track in the original album it stings especially bad. Why remove the heavy intro? Feels like a bad move and the song loses the edge of the original. The guitars don't sound nearly as powerful either. Overall if feels softer and weaker. The arrangement in the last chorus sounds awful too. -As You Go: Along with Damage, the only one where I feel there's an actual improvement, but only because I always thought the original sounded like an unfinished demo and this one at least has a bit more going on in it. Overall, I thought it was pretty bad.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! It's been awesome checking this thread, because I rarely start threads on forums. I'm cheating on myself and giving it a listen before my preorder arrives despite telling myself I wouldn't. I've only heard each song once, so I can't really form an opinion about them yet. I'll report back soon however.
Yeah, i'm about to take a listen. I heard the FB previews and some sounded good, but I was really hoping for more than just added strings. I for one liked the last album. Didn't need a recalibration haha.
Actually, the Damage track on the leak is NOT the recalibrated version. You can easily tell because they have strings in FB preview, and not on the supposed leak.
Welp, there goes the only track I genuinely liked. What is it though? Because it does sound much better than the album version.
I lined up the supposed leak with the original in an audio editor and the waveforms were identical. Whoever leaked this thing just copied and pasted the original track into the leak.
Well, here it is. My copy arrived on release day, and now that I've had a chance to really digest it, I'm doing a track-by-track review. Run And Escape: A somewhat heavy track. The bridge feels a bit unfinished and repetitive, like it needs more intricate string parts. Overall, the track is an interesting blend of "classic Red" with their newer sound. Lyrics: 6/10 Arrangement: 7/10 Release The Panic (Recalibrated): Sounds very similar to the original track, but the strings are a very nice touch. They did a good job of recapturing that cinematic, sweeping sound with the string arrangements. Still, the track is very similar to the original, which isn't necessarily a great thing. One of my gripes about this track is how repetitive the lyrics are. It feels like they lack imagination, depth, and originality. Lyrics: 4.5/10 Arrangement: 6.5/10 Damage (Recalibrated): Wow! This one was dramatically improved over the original. The strings add to the overall insane and driving sound of the song, especially at the end of the bridge before to the second to last chorus. Lyrics: 8/10 Arrangement: 7.5/10 Hold Me Now (Recalibrated): This is a good ballad. Doesn't exactly feel like a Red song, but it definitely feels like part of a movie soundtrack with the new strings. Guitars could be a lot more driving and present in the choruses. The guitar levels are so low and in the background that the track it feels a bit too light. Lyrics: 7/10 Arrangement: 7/10 So Far Away (Recalibrated): The strings add quite a bit to this track. The hard intro is missing from this track, replaced by a few acoustic chords and very prominent drums. The track is, again, very similar to the original, but the string arrangement brings back some of the epic sound it was missing. Lyrics: 7.5/10 Arrangement: 7.5/10 Glass House (Recalibrated): The "whoa-oh, whoa oh oh" opening is a bit cliche, but the way the guitars and strings play off of each other in the chorus makes up for it. Could be a bit heavier, but I think this track is the closest to classic Red out of all the tracks on this EP. Lyrics: 8/10 Arrangement: 7.5/10 As You Go (Recalibrated): The chord progression in this intro is really great, and reminds me of "Lost" (from End of Silence) for a few seconds. The acoustic strumming and the strings, combined with the anchoring piano make this track a winner in my book. It's definitely different from the original track, and it doesn't really sound like classic Red towards the end, but this is my favorite track on this EP. Lyrics: 8/10 Arrangement: 8.5/10 What do you guys think?
Run and Escape isn't GREAT but it isn't too bad either. RTP and Damage don't really sound that much better than the originals to me. I have very mixed feelings about the added strings on those 2 tracks. Some of it sounds good, and some sounds badly tacked on. Though the songs do seem to sound a little less...what's the word...processed? So that is a plus. For me, the softer songs were actually done way better. The strings were worked in beautifully. They reworked those in a way that sounded completely natural.
Picked up a copy, gotta say that Damage intro is on point haha. My favorite part about the album right there.
I listened to this whole EP a few times and I must say, I was quite impressed with the newly integrated string arrangements. I liked the way all the songs sounded but felt some tracks didn't really need to be recalibrated, like So Far Away and As You Go. The other tracks sounded great to me, even if they weren't radically different from their original counterparts. I can appreciate what the band was trying to do but I feel that high expectations ended up disappointing me a little bit. I still will remain optimistic about their new studio album, as the band is apparently returning to a "metal" sound.