Review: “As In Life” by Red Method

It may sound like a cliche but “As In Life” feels like the start of a new era for London Metal force Red Method who have been through more highs and lows than a theme park roller coaster ride in their career to date. From line up changes to hospitalisations to playing Bloodstock, Tech-Fest and Download Festivals, they’ve done it all off the back of their 2021 album “For The Sick“. Produced by Scott Atkins (Cradle Of Filth, Amon Amarth, Sylosis) of Grindstone Studios that united former members of Meta-Stasis and The Defiled with a blend of Industrial tinged Groove and Nu-Metal that won over the masses with ease. “As In Life” now promises almost half an hour of power, as an exploration of unfiltered mental suffering, journeying through a barren landscape of dark themes including misanthropy, solipsism, angst, grief, disaffection, psychosis, and rejection… 

Curiously in the promo shots the masks Red Method were known for wearing have been replaced by corpse paint in a change of aesthetic, the record also tagged with “Vol. 1” as if to indicate that a second chapter could be imminent. Despite the line up changes the bands sound hasn’t changed with opening cut “Counting Corpses” continuing the narrative of early Slipknot worship with seven or eight string guitars offering bouncy riffs to get the pit moving with some turntable action throwing back to 1999. A tasteful solo and spoken word that evolves into an blood curdling scream elevate the sound, the fury of vocalist Jeremy Gomez never in question.

Embracing Extreme Metal with an orchestral tinged introduction “Dispose of Me” brings the weighty crush but its the nuances that elevate this one, the unhinged harsh vocal performance counterbalanced by fleeting ethereal cleans as if an angel and a devil are on Gomez shoulders. Blast beats, a spellbinding technical solo and more turntable action infect the wound, the introspective lyrical narrative having that grit and integrity that not only ensures it resonates but that you feel it in the pit of your stomach. Sure, you might have heard something similar before but this is done so well, with such vim and vigor, that its impossible to ignore.

A sample embellished arena filling anthem “All For One, None For All” has arguably the most varied vocal performance gracing it, Gomez producing some hitherto unheard Death growling depravity along with some almost Layne Staley like clean moments. Another face melting solo makes it three from three as the river runs red, the neck snapping groove and pummelling percussion a classic combination that will make this one stand the test of time like an obsidian obelisk.

Capturing the “Iowa” era of Slipknot perfectly “Detonate” increases the intensity by pouring gasoline on the already roaring fire and watching the flames lick the sky. On the record as whole they have managed to capture the live energy they’ve built their reputation upon, so you can feel the blood, sweat and tears that went into it. Raising the hairs on the back of the neck with the razor sharp, groove laden riff attack, the band refuse to slow down for the clean vocal passages for even a second.

While everything has a real sense of urgency “Becoming The Sickness” also has a sense of drama while being violently turbulent, the catchy vocal lines and hummable melodies getting inside your head never to leave. Like the rest of the record, this one is authentic and captures the imagination, taking the best of the Nu-Metal genre and injecting it with steroids. At almost thirty minutes it feels like an album, having the same immersive quality that the shorter formats don’t possess.

This one has more twists and turns than a dime store thriller novel, the final moment “The Revolting Self” at odds with everything that came before it. Piano and orchestration underpins a single verse as it plays out over eighty three seconds and it actually sounds like a Mushroomhead inspired interlude. Whether that’s because a second EP will be conjoined to this one with the pair released on a single vinyl remains to be seen but for now, when it comes to these songs, resistance is futile [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Counting Corpses
2. Dispose of Me
3. All For One, None For All
4. Detonate
5. Becoming The Sickness
6. The Revolting Self

“As In Life” by Red Method is out 17th July 2026 via Depraved Records