I was not prepared to be hit by the power of Max Chaos, Ride The Wave. It lands like a tidal wave, and pulls you into its turbulent depths with the opening blistering riff. It is raw, merciless and at the same time so refined that it almost appears like a punch that you did not even see coming but you cannot stop admiring.
It is full-on adrenaline, pounding drums (Justin Kills) stamp a groove that is both brutal and smooth, and the bass (Karlos Doom) rumbles like a storm underneath. Max Chaos himself is an eye opener. His vocals alternate seamlessly between guttural growls and soaring, melodic screams both of which were drenched in that kind of raw emotion that makes you feel his pain and defiance. The guitars? They sound like a knife cutting through the mix with precision, but there is this garage-born grit that makes you want to turn up the volume and headbang in your living room.
The best part is that despite the unhinged intensity, there is a tightness in execution in the song that I love the most. It is co-produced by Dan McConomy and the sound is very clean, allowing each riff and drum slap to shine through without shedding the in-your-face quality. The rhythm grows and swells like a wave coming up to crash against you, bringing you to a climax that makes you want to gasp but begs you to want more. The song is accompanied by a music video that, with its surrealistic mixture of Max, who is a real person, and Max the animated character, intensifies the themes of rebellion and escape presented in the song and becomes a multisensational experience.
It is more of a battle song to every person struggling to find their way in the mayhem of life. Directing their frustrations and catharsis into something magnetic, Max Chaos demonstrates that they are a force of nu-metal and metalcore. Ride The Wave is one of those songs that you cannot shake off, it makes you want to ride through the storm and take it head-on. I am already pumped up about the upcoming Order of Mayhem album.
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