Rainbows Are Free have been bending ears backwards with their unique blend of heavy psych, stoner rock and spaced out proto-metal since forming in 2007. The band first burst onto the scene with their self-tiled EP "Rainbows Are Free" and have since gone on to release three well received full length albums, 2010's "Believers In Medicine", "Waves Ahead Of The Ocean" (2014), and "Head Pains" (2019), they have even managed to fit in the release of a live album with "Heavy Petal Music" (2023) which was recorded at the Summer Breeze Music Festival in their home town Norman, Oklahoma. The bands line up has chopped and changed over the years but not by much and not to the detriment of the music they make together under the Rainbows Are Free banner. The bands current line up of Brandon Kistler (vocals), Richie Tarver (lead guitar), Jason Smith (bass), Joey Powell (rhythm guitar), Bobby Onspaugh (drums) and Josh Elam (synths) have just put the finishing touches to their fourth full length studio release " Silver and Gold" (Ripple Music) and in our humble opinion it is their best yet.
Tribalistic drumming and low grizzled bass introduce opening number "Your Girl" followed by shimmering guitar textures fleshed out with synthesised effects that add an almost orchestral underbelly to the proceedings, Kistler then enters front and centre telling a tale of temptation and guilt with a vocal that possesses a grungy creakiness in its lower register and a manic angst in its upper reaches, the groove surrounding those vocals switching to a heavy onslaught of prog like metal underscored with strong eastern flavours, this is only track one and already we at The Psychlist are grinning like Cheshire cats. Next track "Running With A Friend of the Devil" kicks off with guitars chugging, bass galloping and drums rolling leaving Elam free to fill in the gaps with 80's flavoured synthesised swirls and whirls and Kistler to decorate with a clipped, almost goth like vocal. "Solar Flare" begins in a trippy style reminiscent of Black Sabbath's "Laguna Sunrise" then explodes into a heavy prog meets proto-doom type groove expertly anchored down by Powell's rhythm guitar, Smith's bass and Onspaugh's drums, Tarver's lead work and Elam's synth/keyboard adding extra colour and texture beneath a soaring Kistler vocal. "Sleep", a masterclass in quiet/loud/quiet dynamics sporting a superb vocal is next and is followed by "Hide" a song that could well be in line for the title of heaviest torch song/lament ever recorded, Kistler manfully crooning heartfelt lyrics while all around him the band are making enough noise to wake the dead. There is post-punk, goth rock feel to next track "The Light", thanks in most part to Elam once again mining the eighties for his synthesised keyboard flourishes while "Dirty" comes over like British prog punk rockers Magazine jamming with Joy Division after a heavy night on amphetamines. RAF tone down the heaviness for the swooning but still intense "Fade Away" before finally saying farewell with "The Gift", the band managing to make what is a just over three minute song sound sprawling thanks to how much they pack in to it... and believe us when we say.. its a lot!
Trying to describe the different shades, colours and textures that go into each and every one of the songs contained within Rainbows Are Free's "Silver and Gold" is no easy feat and that is because the bands music draws from so many different musical wells. Elements of post-punk, British goth, stoner/hard rock and metals of both alternative and traditional flavours can be found making their presence felt on this delightfully diverse album. "Silver and Gold" will be an absolute nightmare for those who like to group their music collections based on genre, simply because it refuses adhere to one, but for those of us who only see music as either GOOD or BAD the choice is a simple one, file under G!
Check it out ....
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