Wincanton’s most renowned dark indie trio, Blood Red Rose has returned from the studio with their sixth full-length album. Titled ‘Sixth Dimension’, the album is another personal and expressive collection from the band, diving into a spiralling blend of familiar alt-rock elements and stormy, but authentic songwriting.
Delivering a string of previous singles along with several new releases, the album is built on an impressive foundation, showcasing an unfiltered and fiercely honest side to Blood Red Rose that they have hinted at in previous releases like ‘Take My Hand’ and ‘Slither’. Led by the heartfelt vocals and lyrics of frontman Paul Stiling, and backed by the always impressive work of Kim Kendall and Luke Hiscock, ‘Sixth Dimension’ is an album of hidden layers and complexities, slowly revealing more of itself with each listen, reflecting many of the pains, struggles, and triumphs that we all struggled with.
Opening with the familiar single ‘Heroina’, the album bursts to life with a raw, unfiltered energy and a chaotic blend of fierce guitar and vocals. It’s a massive opening number that hits hard with vintage rock sounds, setting the stage for the rest of the album. On ‘Everything And Nothing’, the band continue to build a heavy wall of guitar sounds, firing a volley of chords into the air before settling on a tempered blend of percussion and shared vocal harmonies. It’s a welcome addition to Blood Red Rose’s sound, carving out a new path, while retaining their signature, raucous sound. As ‘Too Scared’ arrives, the band deliver another familiar track, ruminating on shoegaze guitars and calling vocals to deliver a snapshot of the band in their comfort zone.
In the latter half of the album, ‘Lost As Alice’ stands as a firm highlight on the album, while ‘Haunting Me’ returns to a stormy, sonic sound cast adrift in vintage instrumentals. On ‘Goodbye Again’, the band shift to a more restrained sound, creating a simmering reflection of early indie bands like Pavement, before closing cut ‘Fix the Wheels’ ends the album on a triumphant note, delivering one of the best performances of the band’s career.
While the album still suffers intermittently from the changes in production and sound quality, musically, it remains one of the band’s strongest albums to date. A testament to the band’s enduring style and passion, ‘Sixth Dimension’ serves as a welcome return for fans of old, and a powerful introduction for newcomers.
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