Innocence & Instinct by Red

On their second studio album, Christian rock band, Red, have returned to rock out in full force. Really full force. In fact, if you’re hungover, I don’t recommend listening to Innocence & Instinct at all because it might just kill you.

Having said that, if you’re into hard rock, this album is the best of the year so far.

It starts off at full throttle on “Fight Inside,” which switches from quiet, almost whispering vocals to a wall of guitars in the chorus. This then segues almost imperceptibly into “Death Of Me,” a track reminiscent of The Used’s early work.

On “Mystery Of You,” the band does an especially good job of integrating alternative rock and orchestral sounds, with soaring violins audible on the background.

The pace of the CD then slows down with the mellower ditty, “Never Be The Same,” a heartfelt tune about not being able to leave a loving relationship. But the energy picks back up on the next track – “Confessions (What’s Inside My Head)” that has more of a fuzzy, electronica-fused sound than any of the other numbers. Following this, “Shadows” has a really catchy chorus that’ll stick in your head long after the song has ended.

The most instantly likable track on the CD is a cover of Duran Duran’s previous hit, “Ordinary World.” It’s more melodic and enjoyable than the original ever was and is already making its way to the top of charts around the world.

And finally, “Take It All Away” closes off the album fantastically, as it starts out with an almost lullaby-esque softness and then builds up into a powerful and rhapsodic ending, like only Red can do.

After listening to the whole album, you’ll realize that, except for a few ultra-screamo seconds in songs, it’s very far from a scary hardcore record and actually showcases one of the best melodic rock bands in the industry today.