Photo by Andrew Benge/Redferns
It’s extraordinary times for Code Orange. They’ve toured with Gojira, Hatebreed, and Killswitch Engage since the release of Forever. It’s a dream come true for a young band to not only play with legends, but get their respect too. Last night I got to see the new superstars devastate The Wiltern in Los Angeles with the heaviest band ever, Meshuggah.
Code Orange’s arrival on stage brought out all the anticipation in the audience to fruition. When they opened with “Forever” the show really began. After two minutes I was indoctrinated into their cult. They played with absolute disregard for anything and anyone. I couldn’t describe their performance at first. It’s not anger, hate, sadness but the transmission of freedom to express our primordial nature. For me, it’s liberation to exhume every emotion, positive and negative.
The first three songs of the set were unrelenting. I felt the ground literally vibrate during the “Kill The Creator” breakdown. You felt no mercy during “Real” when the band and audience in unison erupted “this is real now motherfucker!” Things settled down a bit with “Bleeding in the Blur” but they gave no quarter to anyone.
This was just another night for them, but for me this was a ceremony to join their tribe. It’s a new way to perceive how heavy music should sound and how we expect to experience it. They’re on my list of favorite current bands. Their performance only solidified that position.
Bands who seem like the soundtrack of my life and times stay with me, forever. They’re the kind of band that gives strangers a little insight about who you are.
Disaesthetic 