Code Orange’s returning reign of hardcore and sludge has finally been unveiled. On their new album, Forever Code Orange takes their themes one step further while keeping the music just as brutal as before. After establishing a new kind of representation on I Am King, the band take it one step further to create darker songs than ever before. Many fans will rejoice at the fact that Code Orange is continuing into a great direction of blending heavier genres but some may be let down with the overall content of the songs and new twists that Code Orange have up their sleeves.

The album begins harder than ever, kicking in with the brutality of the title track. Musically it’s all there and with one fit of rage you can hear that the band is not playing around. The album continues to follow suit until we get to “Bleeding in the Blur” a song that sounds like a scrapped Adventures’ song the band chose to take off the shelf and add some edginess to. It’s a great track but it's misplaced and doesn’t fit where it is. Another strange quirk on the album is now the creepy whispering voices that often come out of nowhere in songs, often interrupting and chopping into breakdowns to provide a thematic effect. The voices sound like Frank the creepy bunny from Donnie Darko and while sometimes they make for a more indulging experience, the voices are overused to a certain extent. The album’s lyrics also don’t seem to take anything to a higher level. The band acts tough with a heavy theme but still uses lines like “the next time you use your big boy voice.” The band also utilizes a lot of sounds and noises that kinda sound like they’re from Yeezus but they fit well into the album, especially on “Hurt Goes On.”

Despite my block of complaining, Forever does live up to what it should be. It’s a nice progression from the last album that still feels like it follows suit with the band’s overall message. “Ugly” is a song that might end up on my favorite songs of the year. It has that Nirvana type feel but with the band’s heavier twist that makes it all the more interesting. Some of these songs are the most brutal Code Orange has written to date. “The New Reality” will certainly become a staple in the band’s live set. It’s hard not to feel the beating of the snare drum in this song.

Code Orange’s Forever will definitely please fans and continue their takeover as the Thinners of the Herd. The band really sets forth their most brutal songs to date and runs with them as they continue to grow.