Industrial hardcore act Code Orange have been pretty busy for a band between albums and tours. Not only was there the theme for WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt but a full remix album of 2020's critically acclaimed Underneath was released back in February.
Earlier this week the band started teasing something new with an updated logo and the strange video Code Orange SLAMS Music Critics.
The Pittsburgh natives have now unleashed a new double single featuring the tracks 'Grooming My Replacement' and 'The Game'.
First up is the blindingly heavy 'Grooming My Replacement', a layered tune with pinch harmonics straight out of 90s groove metal but a hardcore attitude more reminiscent of their earlier stuff circa Forever. It's a neck snapper for sure, with breakdowns a plenty but the industrial effects give it a distinctly Code Orange edge. There's a middle section that throws up deathcore vibes before returning to breakdowns and frontman Jami Morgan's blood curdling growl.
It literally stops mid-sentence and segues straight into the faster song 'The Game'. It's a bit thrashier but there's still plenty of ear candy that isn't far removed from the kind of thing Ministry did on 'Thieves'. It's very noisy in the style of Underneath but is still a recognisable punk tune, a bit one in the Code Orange mold.
The next steps for Code Orange haven't been announced yet, so it's hard to say if this is a one-off or the first step to a new LP. Perhaps most interestingly, is that neither song is as catchy or accessible as their last stand alone single, 'Out for Blood', perhaps hinting that a new album will be an amalgamation of their previous sounds. Don't forget those studio pics with Billy Corgan either (though it has disappeared from the band's socials). Keep an eye on Wall of Sound for all the news as it develops.
Words: KJ Draven (Twitter and Instagram).
'Grooming My Replacement/The Game' is out now. Stream 'here'
