RED FANG – Deep Cuts (Album Review)

Founded in 2005 with the desire to “write heavy, catchy music underlaid with subtle complexities,” Portland-based quartet Red Fang has left a huge mark on the modern sludge metal/stoner rock scene. In fact, we declared that their last studio album – 2021’s Arrows – was “a thrilling collection that pushes the band’s ambitions and artistic vision to the next level.”

Now, in honor of their 20th anniversary, the group returns with the logically titled Deep Cuts (which they describe as a vast collection of “non-album tracks, covers, and previously unreleased singles”).

Frontman Aaron Beam reflects: “Perhaps unremarkable to anyone else, it’s fucking amazing to me that we have made it TWENTY YEARS. Before we started jamming in [drummer] John Sherman‘s basement, I’d already been in 40 (maybe more!) bands, none of which lasted more than a year or two. Yet somehow in 2005, for the first time since probably 1987, I found myself without any band to play in. It turned out this was also true of John, David [Sullivan, guitars], and Bryan [Giles, guitars, vocals, and synths]! So it was only natural that we’d start playing together.

He also concludes that the album “feels very much at home,” adding: “It’s got a sampling of the weird variety of covers that reflect the different shit that inspires us.” To his point, Deep Cuts offers a wide-ranging and very satisfying showcase of Red Fang’s multifaceted anarchy across its 26-cuts and 85 minutes. It’s probably not the best starting point for newcomers since it’s essentially the exact opposite of a “Best of” collection, but longtime fans will find a lot of gold by scouring its depths.

Naturally, the group’s dynamic fury is at the heart of Deep Cuts, with opener “Antidote” (originally from the Red Fang: Headbang! mobile game) setting the stage via piercing guitar riffs, thunderous percussion, and Giles’gruff vocals. In a sense, and with only the most positive implications, it’s what might happen if Baroness or Mastodon leaned into their most primitive and straightforward inclinations. Later, tracks such as “Stereo Nucleosis,” “Murder the Mountains,” “Black Water” and “Bad Places” build upon that foundation in equally compelling ways.

There’s much more to Red Fang than that, though, as demonstrated by the inherently novel change of pace brought by Beam’s relatively gentler, Josh Homme-esque singing on “Shadows,” “Wires,” “Hollow Light,” and “Endless Sea.”

Similarly, the more abstract and/or instrumental natures of “Champ Chugger,” “OMG OMD,” “Ice Ice Baby,” “Weird Poly,” and “In 5 With Keys” spice things up further amidst highlighting how unconventional and bizarre the troupe can get. Plus, their renditions of Wipers’ “Over the Edge,” No Talent’s “Through,” and Dust’s “Suicide” (among other covers) do a fine job of staying faithful to the originals while infusing plenty of characteristic grittiness.

Deep Cuts is certainly a lot to take at once, with its central formula inherently getting a bit repetitious by the end. Still, it totally lives up to the promise of its title and marketing by giving devotees a robust assortment of hidden gems to discover and digest. Therefore, it’s pretty much a must-have set for Red Fang fans, as well as a strong recommendation for lovers of the style in general.   

Release Date: March 14th, 2025
Record Label: Relapse Records
Genre: Stoner Rock / Sludge Metal

Musicians:

• Aaron Beam / Bass, vocals, guitar, keyboards
• John Sherman / Drums
• David Sullivan / Guitars
• Bryan Giles / Guitars, vocals, synthesizers

Deep Cuts Track-list:

1. Antidote
2. Shadows
3. Murder the Mountains
4. Weird Poly
5. Hollow Light
6. Over the Edge
7. Listen to the Sirens
8. Stereo Nucleosis
9. Black Hole
10. Through
11.  Champ Chugger
12. Ice Ice Baby
13. It’s Always There
14. Black Water
15. Pawn Everything
16. Wires (Demo)
17. In 5 With Keys
18. Bad Places
19. Forgot to Write
20. Endless sea
21. Suicide
22. OMG OMD
23. LSP
24. 50’s Tremors
25. AGB Fruit
26. Feeder

Order Deep Cuts here