'Black / Red' - Feeder Album Review

LATEST ALBUM SET FOR 5th APRIL RELEASE

Feeder’s latest effort Black / Red completes a trilogy of albums joined to 2022’s UK Top 5 album Torpedo. Feeder’s first double album is united by muscular riffs, sky-scraping melodies and heartfelt sentiment. Pulling together almost two decades of genre-bending music, their latest effort is a defiant homage to the fans from the very beginning and a guiding light for the next generation.

Ushering in a new era for the Newport duo, the record touches on a number of themes like self-discovery, addiction, mental health and fake news. Releasing music through extended formats in the age of social media undoubtedly adds a level of confidence behind the band, looking past the industry and owning a craft. They’re the infamous Feeder, if anyone can, it’s Grant and Taka.

Feeder first received critical acclaim and mainstream success with Echo Park in the early 2000s, which featured the now-iconic ‘Buck Rogers‘. Since then they’ve released 8 albums, including a string of top 10’s and an inauguration into Kerrang’s Hall of Fame in 2019.

Hailing from Newport, they’re probably one of the most American-British bands of the early Naughties, the opposite of how The Killers have often been described. While many of their peers disappeared or fell off the radar, Feeder has been a near-constant since their breakthrough. A testament to an intense work ethic, adoration for creativity and love for music. On Black / Red, they’re at their very best, across 18 tracks you wouldn’t dare divide.

“I really wanted the album to be split in two parts for the listener, CD1 and CD2, black and red rather than be one long player, almost like a musical production with an interval. Making it was a very creative time for me as a writer and a real labour of love. Making the Black / Red album for me personally was a musical pilgrimage and I feel the end result is undeniable Feeder.” explains vocalist, guitarist and writer Grant Nicholas.

Grant (Feeder) (Bella Proudfoot/Northern Exposure)

After a spacey introduction to the new universe (‘Droids‘), we’re thrown into a concoction of sticky melodies and live-wire riffs from lead singles ‘ELF’ and ‘Playing With Fire‘. Being two of the biggest tracks on the record, ‘ELF‘ is an expansive stadium rock anthem ready to send crowds into chaos and ‘Playing With Fire‘ journeys a rollercoaster of self-discovery.

Across the varied track list, there’s experimentation spanning potential influences from all corners of rock n’ roll. Royal Blood (‘Vultures‘) MUSE (‘Sahara‘), and Foo Fighters (‘The Knock’, ‘Scream‘) among many others.

‘Vultures‘ particularly, one of our album highlights, has a dark and twisted riff that carries a daring resemblance to much of Royal Blood’s accomplished catalogue.

This element of de-ja-vu is a common reoccurrence across the album, and it opened up a somewhat unique compliment to the band. Watching a band like Feeder, absorbing inspiration from the very people they likely inspired is a testament to their willingness to progress, adapt to the world of music and do whatever they choose to. And what’s more rock n’ roll than that?

The moments Black / Red shines are at its most inventive, blending multiple genres, themes and instruments to create interesting set-pieces. The synth-led ‘Hey You’, glorious nature of ‘Perfume‘, soaring ‘Submarine‘ and festival anthem ‘Here Comes The Hurricane‘ are perfect examples. And that’s undeniable Feeder.

Perhaps the most expansive track on the album is the finale, ‘Ghosts On Parade‘, which combines every part of the two-part journey into an enormous send-off. While the riff sits eerily close to ‘Kashmir‘ by Led Zeppelin, it steers its way into a grand guitar solo.

If at times predictable, this is an impressive double-effort from one of the UK’s biggest bands over the last two decades and a reassuring reminder the Feeder we know and love is here to stay.

Black / Red feels timeless. To some that’s monotonous and to others its part of the charm. To us, it’s a homage to where Feeder have been, and where they plan to go.

Feeder will release their new double album Black / Red on 5th April 2024 on Big Teeth Music via Townsend Music / Absolute Label Services. Pre-order NOW

Catch the band on a string of intimate instore events – details HERE

Missed the band on their tour? Check out our review of their Manchester takeover recently.