The Red Chord “Fused Together in Revolving Doors” Black Market Activities

Founded in Boston, Massachusetts, The Red Chord grabbed the underground scene by the throat in 2002 with its debut album, Fused Together in Revolving Doors. A strange cocktail of brutality and groove, Fused freely combined influences from across the board of extreme metal and hardcore and would contribute greatly toward inspiring an entire scene of younger bands on the rise, soon to be labelled “deathcore.”

Despite its status as a godfather to hordes of bands pasting together breakdowns and blastbeats, The Red Chord maintained an eccentric personality that kept it distinct from its imitators. The band wielded a fluid, experimental approach to music, never seeking to conform. As such, The Red Chord was the odd band out on almost every bill – and a relentless touring schedule in the mid-2000’s saw them play on many bills, indeed.

Separating The Red Chord even further from the pack, Kozowyk’s lyrics were rife with dark humor and surreal scenarios. Crowd favorite “Dreaming in Dog Years,” the penultimate track on Fused, is told from the point of view of his dog, in the final moments before being put to sleep. His stage presence might have evoked Jamey Jasta; his voice, Frank Mullen; but Kozowyk’s lyrics seemed to stem from a mind in line with Mike Patton’s.

The Red Chord released four full-length albums in total, between 2002 and 2009. Peaks of that decade included the sale of over 50,000 copies of sophomore album, Clients, and tours with the most important metal and hardcore bands in existence, including Between the Buried and Me, Cannibal Corpse, Converge, Every Time I Die, and Gwar.

The Red Chord faded from view in the 2010’s, returning in 2022 for a slot on Decibel Metal and Beer Fest in Philadelphia. The band – now consisting of Kozowyk, guitarist Mike McKenzie, bassist Greg Weeks, and drummer Jon Rice – has remained active since then, making appearances at Furnace Fest, Tattoo the Earth, and the Denver installment of Decibel Metal and Beer. Along with the upcoming Fused reissue and the Fused release shows, the band will play Milwaukee Metal Fest in May, followed by Big Texas Metal Fest and New England Metal and Hardcore Fest.

A Metal Injection article, reflecting upon The Red Chord’s entire catalog, had these words for Fused Together in Revolver Doors: “Time flies and this is one of those legendary releases that still holds up and feels fresh in the present. A strange and chaotic amalgamation of technical-minded death metal, mathcore, grindcore, and hardcore served up in a way unlike anything else out at the time it was released in 2002. Much has been said and will continue to be said when it comes to the bands’ influence within multiple styles of metal, but the more important point is that a band this jarring ended up becoming as influential and well known as they have.”

Track Listing:
01. Nihilist
02. That Certain Special Ugly
03. Catalepsy
04. Like a Train Through a Pigeon
05. He Was Stretching and Then He Climbed Up There
06. Breed the Cancer
07. L Formation
08. Dreaming in Dog Years
09. Sixteen Bit Fingerprint