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| Review |
 9 / 20 |
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The 2008 LP release "Plotting Your Death" by Red Right Hand heralds back to the glory days of both the east coast and Bay area styles of heavy metal. At it's core; however, Red Right Hand is a spinning top of a balancing act shifting uncomfortably between paying tribute and finding their own voice. The best song on the record could be "Funk", a fast, chugging, complex work complete with ultra cool segments including a spoken word verse, a highlighted bass line, and one of the better (although short) guitar solos of all. The track "Plotting Your Death" is more of a mid tempo cut with a catchy thrash riff, some very cool high hat tapping, and perhaps the overall best guitar solo. Both songs are complex and therefore quite entertaining, but unfortunately they are the more exceptional tracks and not the standard. Many of Red Right Hand's tracks are like "You're Right" - basic, simplistic riffing approach with maybe one time change in its composition. Other minor variances may be found from song to song, like double bass drumming ("Do You In") and gang vocal choruses ("God Said (Your Useless)"). "Plotting Your Death" won't bore you, though, for speeds vary from mid tempo (no slow songs, although "Machine" and "The End" might resemble a grinding pace) to fast and aggressive ("All About Me"). From a production standpoint, this is where "Plotting Your Death" is weakest. The result of the mixing has yielded a very thin sound, and the feel of the album depending on your perception is either raw or demo-like. "White Knuckle Fear" has a solo that springs from a well grounded rhythm line but almost everywhere else they appear distant and seperate from the song and are almost always too short as if they were added later. The overall writing seems cookie cutter, too, with no less than seven tracks that kick off with an introductory riff ("The End" gives gives the bass guitar the intro nod). One choice of direction that does work is the absence of silence between songs. For example, "Easy One" greatly benefits from following "The End" as though it is a kind of part two. For the most part; though, all that is "Plotting Your Death" is quite standard metal fare. The gravelly, mid range, shouting by lead vocalist Chris Kozdra is organic and dead right. The rhythm lines are strong and provide the backbone to every track. Drummer Jim Boraczek is also impressive especially when he tips his high hat ("Stacker", "Machine", and "Plotting Your Death" are good showcases). The real gist of it all after hearing Red Right Hand's "Plotting Your Death" is wondering which side that spinning top decides to fall on their next release.
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