Jordan Red – Beautiful Monsters (2020)
It isn’t often you come across a brand new band that seems to have their sound well enough together that you’re immediately able to say, ‘That’s it. That’s a hit.’ They require trial and error, practice, review, and feedback from a general audience, amongst a thousand other factors. For a group of people to get together and create something as intimate as music is supposed to be, time is absolutely necessary. Many artists have trouble looking back at their early days for this exact reason. Finding a sound that is collectively and entirely them right off-the-bat is a rarity. Rare as it may be, it does happen, and Jordan Red seems to have proven that with their debut single, ‘Beautiful Monsters’.
‘Beautiful Monsters’ came out on 21 February and was produced, mixed, and mastered by Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Motorhead, Bullet For My Valentine) via Longwave Studios. The band as a whole is just making its way into the music scene, founded by Dan Leigh (frontman) and Dan Baker (guitarist) in London, England. This isn’t the first we’ve glimpsed of all of the members, though. Accompanying Leigh and Baker are Dave Fee (drummer) and Conor O’Keefe (bassist) who have been working together since 2015, releasing one album and a number of singles under the band As Lions (Eleven Seven Music). With the experience to go around, it’s no wonder the single is as masterfully made as it is.
Strong instrumentals accompanied by memorable, distinctive vocals are always a necessity when it comes to any sub-genre of alternative rock, otherwise, the sound gets somewhat lost in the crowd and overdone. Thanks to the fusion of modern punk and metal, the band is absolutely able to achieve these requirements. The meshing of genres ensures a very aggressive, high energy vibe that entrances the listener from the first note to the last. Their strong lyrics put them well above the bar. As for what they mean? Leigh does a phenomenal job of outline it himself.
‘Beautiful Monsters addresses the conflict created by those that fill our lives with chaos as they seek to divide us. In an era defined by distrust and division I can’t help but hold onto the hope that we will rise above the adversities of a world that seems ever closer to throwing itself over the edge.’ – Dan Leigh, Jordan Red
These words are well evident in the lyrics, the tone of the instrumentals matching the theme perfectly. The song has the immediate effect of filling you with a sense of power – a sense of hope. It informs us that we have the opportunity to reject the negativity and, perhaps, if we can learn to do this as a society, we can overcome together to create a better world.
Accompanying the single, a music video will be dropped as well thanks to the production team over at Sitcom Soldiers. All of this is leading up to the release of Jordan Red’s debut album, Hands That Built The World, coming this year. For more, visit the band’s official website. You can also catch them on Facebook for updates. Be sure to keep an eye out for more cuts from the album, and remember:
“When we have control again, we will take the fight to them!” – Jordan Red, ‘Beautiful Monsters’
Check out the video of ‘Beautiful Monsters’ below: