RED- Innocence & Instinct

RED's debut album, End of Silence, took the Christian rock industry by surprise in 2006. Since then they've been touring constantly with such bands as Seether, Breaking Benjamin, Flyleaf, and a slew of other big names. Over the last year they have been recording on the road, a new record called Innocence & Instinct. Now, RED fans, that long awaited album is here.

The Deluxe Edition CD starts off with a track called "Canto III," and like their debut, it is a slightly eerie instrumental track (very much like the opening of End of Silence). Following the opening comes RED's very impressive number one single, "Fight Inside," which deals with our evil nature battling with the part of us that knows what is right. Most of the songs on this album deal with the same concept. The explosive "Death of Me" is destined to be and instant favorite to all fans of RED, and it is most likely that almost anyone who likes Christian rock is going to like this song. Other songs, such as "Start Again," "Confession (What's Inside My Head)," and "Shadows" have great choruses that very well display Mike Barnes's fantastic vocals ("Out From Under" having the best ending to a rock song I have heard in a long time). The Standard Edition's album closer, "Take it All Away" is a slightly darker version of "Pieces," but it is still very much like the song. The three bonus songs on the Deluxe Edition (the intro being the fourth featured on this version), are my favorites on the album, and a must have for any RED fan. "Overtake You" is very much like "Wasting Time" lyrically, and "Forever" very well might be my favorite RED song as of yet. "Nothing and Everything" is the same idea as "Already Over Pt. 2" at the finish of Silence, because it is a piano/violin version of Fight Inside.

Now, enough comparing Innocence and Silence--here's where it's different. On Silence, there were five songs that were over five minutes long. On Innocence... Deluxe Edition, there are only two, with one a little under the five minute mark. I thought that was something special about RED--they alway rocked long and hard and then wound down at the end of the track with an orchestra or something (the orchestra still being present), but these are just average length rock songs you'll find on the radio. Not really a big deal, just you might find the album a little short if you don't get the Deluxe Edition.

Overall it is a GREAT album, HIGHLY recommended to anyone who is a RED fan, or has heard and liked "Breathe into Me." Innocence & Instinct has obliterated any chance of a slump for this band, and I can't wait to see what this band is going to do in the future.