Razor & Tie Records might not be currently active, but it will always cut our life into pieces. The violent-only-in-its-name label (they’re a bunch of sweeties) put out huge releases for Starset, The Pretty Reckless, All That Remains, and various other bands, so it deserves a long slow clap. Still, this piece is NOT about those acts though as we attempt to rank the top ten most underrated R&T LPs in alphabetical order below. Some of these bands are favorites from the peanut gallery known as life, but the specific studio albums referenced just didn’t take off for one reason or 666 others. Go outside and yell at the black hole, not red rising sun; won’t ya come?
Chiodos “Devil” (2014)
From East to Andrew West, it’s a Gitter of a good time listening to Chiodos’ comeback record with formerly ousted vocalist/“Autobiography” superfan! “Devil” is a pretty no frills effort that successfully spits out the fat from previous releases but seemingly fell on deaf ears upon release. Perhaps it was because it was yet another shift in the band’s sound from Brandon Bolmer’s lone and also underrated LP “Illuminaudio” or perhaps Warped Tour fans moved onto more traditional metalcore acts like We Came As Romans and I Left With Greeks. Whatever, and ever, a man, man? Ole fishlips is dead now? But Craigery is back! Maybe they’re alive under your pillow? All’s well that ends well! Regardless, you’re looking for a tornado, and it’s an extremely expensive conversation involving Behvis the Butt-Head, and a Bullock not named Sandra. We’re talking about practice?
Failure Anthem “First World Problems” (2016)
You’re more than a failure anthem for our dying day because you, and only you, are responsible for this non-first world problem not taking flight into the aggressive music world and bombing bushes. Greensboro, North Carolina is mostly known for being difficult to pronounce but Failure Anthem isn’t, and they even shout out a Georgia city that allows public alcohol consumption; Savannah is a freaking weird spot. We wish that the fools at active rock radio took a leap of faith and promoted FA, but sadly their songs were relegated to random dweebs’ “college” radio shows that aired at 3 a.m. for NO ONE, not even the DJ’s best lack of friends. Maybe the album didn’t take off because the band’s lead singer spelled his first name as “Kile.”
Finch “Back To Oblivion” (2014)
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Finch’s LP “What It Is To Burn” is one of the better singing and yelling records from this century, and you’re stupid if you disagree. Anyway, its follow up full-length studio effort “Say Hello To Sunshine” was truly rad in its own special and helpful way, but it was a tad too weird and meandering for the mainstream. However, had “Back To Oblivion,” the band’s back to basics third record, been their sophomore LP instead of Sunshine we can affirm that the band would’ve been on a different path to, uh, stray from.
Red Sun Rising “THREAD” (2018)
Red Sun Rising doesn’t exist anymore, and we think that you, yes you, should frown for the rest of this uncapitalized thread. The Violent, the band’s follow up, uh, band is still around, but do yourself a favor, and blast “THREAD” till you’re no longer red (sun rising), sick in da head, playing dead, and petting Benny Two Dogs. Also, props to the band for forming in 2007, and for lasting approximately thirteen years for the Bar Mitzvah boy character on SNL’s “Weekend Update”; l’chaim, friends. The band released an EP after “THREAD” and then disbanded. Hopefully they return after Trump wins again. Evil like you? Left for dead!
Saves The Day “Daybreak” (2011)
Even though this extremely underrated STD album, even amongst their hard and softcore fanbase, should have been called “Saves The Daybreak,” we won’t fault the sexually transmitted diseases of the day, hey hey, come out and play, or the day. Command: Listen to the band’s “Paranoid Android”-esque title/opening track right now! Do it. See? Let it all go, live WITH love, stay together for the kids, hold on (can you hold on?), and put your shoulder to the wheel! We hope that the band puts out another record in this vein stat! Yeah! In the meantime, check out the band on tour later this year for their best album “Through Being Cool”! 25 years since this album graced our scene? Whoa. By the way/in closing, “Daybreak”’s “Chameleon” is the band’s most underrated song.
Sons Of Texas “Baptized In The Rio Grande” (2015)
If you like Pantera without the confederate flag but still repping TX in some way, shape or form, Sons of, wait for it, wait for it, is for you! The band mixed southern rock with dung dung dung dung heaviness, Sevendust-esque structures, a literal and/or figurative baptism, and certainly deserves your attention, namely with their debut full-length studio release, “Baptized In The Rio Grande.” Sadly the band only released one more LP and two EPs after this effort, and split up a few years ago. We hope that they bury the hatchet; aggressive rock needs a band like the offspring of Oklahoma. Fun fact: WWE announcer to end all announcers, Michael Cole, was reared, rather born and raised, from the same locale as Sons Of Texas, McAllen, Texas, a city so radical it has two capital letters in its title… Pull it and fire! Blameshift.
The Sword “Apocryphon” (2012)
Fans of Mastodon, Protest The Hero, comic books that have more than 2012 pages, and general and non-general nerds who shower way too much or way too little, may protest our heroic publication for including this successful band here, but no one can argue The Sword’s LP “Apocryphon” has both a weird title and should be heard by so many more plebs and creeps. Also, The Sword shares a lot of commonalities with some classic rock and old school metal whilst making a sound of their own that just cuts, bro. “Apocrython” was the now defunct band’s first release for Razor & Tie and was co-produced by the band and scene icon to end all scene icons, J. Robbins of both Jawbox and Burning Airlines, but not Jawbreaker and Jets To Brazil, American idiots. Seven sisters, hawks, serpents, and freaking execrators excreting must rejoice!
Wilson “Right To Rise” (2015)
Easily consisting of the best album art on this list and of all time, Wilson’s sophomore studio record “Right To Rise” should make East Lansing, Michigan proud in between Michigan State University riots that happen both when their sportsing sportsers win OR lose, at least all of your enemies think so; SAD. Also, if you’re feeling really frisky, extremely risky, soaking wet and like Jeff Goldblum, Google Wilson and marvel at their debut album’s title. Then go on I-496 and party hard with your windows down whilst satisfying both you AND me. Honestly and basically Wilson truly rocked harder than most hard rock bands in a hard way, but only lasted for one, wait for it, wait for it, more hard full-length; shut up, Beavis, huh huh. Are you guilty or already dead? Please let us know, RISE, and hang with the devil! What the hell is a Lascu anyway?
WOUNDS “Die Young” (2014)
We won’t last till we’re old as this full-length studio album is the only release on WOUNDS’ DSPs, and said Spotify page indicates that they have only 179 monthly listeners as of press time. To put things in perspective, even your cousin Debbie’s pink but not that pink Greygoose cover band has 213 monthly listeners and no label would EVER sign them; Scottsdale’s music scene sucks. WOUNDS is thankfully not from Scottsdale but may as well been from a non-1% region as far more than 1% of Warped Tour bands reached greater heights. Is this what we get? You can bet your bippy and walk a lonely/dead road! Ireland put out “The Banshees of Inisherin,” released both Becky Lynch and Finn Balor, is a dry liquor country, and birthed WOUNDS. So binge, and get in trouble for the sake of it!
Yellowcard “Lift A Sail” (2014)
Way away away from here I’ll be.