siLLy puPPy
Six long years after their previous albums and 20 years after their debut, LIVING COLOUR finally got around to releasing their fifth studio album THE CHAIR IN THE DOORWAY in 2009 on their new label Megaforce Records. On board are three original members found on their debut “Vivid” including Corey Clover on vocals, Vernon Reid on guitar and Will Calhoun on drums. Only bassist Doug Wimbish is a newer part of the band but has a rock n funk bass style that really adds to the overall sound the band is going for. Known for their unique brand of alternative metal riffing with nice funk and jazz elements, CHAIR IN THE DOORWAY sees the band not steering too far away from what started all the way back on “Vivid.” LIVING COLOUR is one of those bands that seems to be getting better as time goes on and these tracks have never sounded tighter or more sprinkled with interesting “COLOURS.”
LIVING COLOUR has always been a hit and miss band for me. I find every album worth owning for each contains some excellent and exciting tracks but each contains a bunch of duds as well. On THE CHAIR IN THE DOORWAY i feel the band has finally conjured up a strong batch of songs that are for the most part well constructed, respectably performed while not deviating from their standard brand of alternative metal riffs with nice funky grooves accented with Reid’s slightly dissonant soloing technique and Corey Clover’s instantly recognizable singing style.
Despite the improved consistency in their songwriting skills, what really keeps this album from being rated much higher is the awful production. While i have been reading that it is pretty bad, i find these claims to often be exaggerated at least for my tolerance level. In this case all the criticism is true indeed. This album is paper thin in the production department. It sounds like one of those cheap substandard stereo system where one of the speakers is not working resulting in a very tinny mono type of sound. It ends up feeling hollow and seriously lacking in bite.
While i have to admit that i do have a weak spot for lo-fi black metal, this is not something that i can honestly say i had in mind! The music in this case truly deserves a much better rendering as to make the brilliancy shine. Also worth mentioning is that although their are 11 tracks listed on the packaging there are two hidden tracks. Track 12 is an annoying 4:33 of silence (i HATE these!!!!) and track 13 is a catchy bluesy number called “Asshole.” A would be 4 star album robbed a half a star for the unacceptable production. Masterpieces in production can be created in a bathroom with meager amounts of affordable machinery these days for fuck’s sake. What happened here? I still enjoy the music despite it all but a major disappointment to say the least.