awesome! this album is helping the fill the music void the industry has created in the past 10 years. there are moments where i can feel the intensity and the angst of the writers. that song "methods of modern madness" really get you going.
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The core of this band’s platform centers around our lives, and the writer’s perception here of what the purpose of life is, if not question why there’s conflict amongst us. The lyrics are politically charged in protest of our government nature, and poetically written by the guitarist (mixer) Akihishi Ishibashi, and drummer Howard Alper. The vocals are throaty and remind me a bit of Lenny Kravitz. The first track “Rising Sun” did not grab me, but listening further I came to appreciate their views and their music. It’s incredibly involved in sound, voice, verse, and creativity. The better tracks here that really explain who they are were ” Our New Reality”, “Maybe”, and “Living A Lie”.
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Judging the name of the band, The Radical Thought Resistance sounds like a straight up, mohawked punk rock band complete with safety pins for jewelry and contempt for everyone. However, this (for the most part) NYC duo's music lies somewhere between the expansive rock of Incubus with the socially conscience tip of Living Colour. Mixing in elements of rap rock, funk metal, and alternative, RTR's top-notch production and abundant positive messages through both sung lyrics and spoken word junctions create an element of self-awareness and an urging to look deep inside that you just can't get from an Offspring record. Add in some flawless fretwork and a true sense that this band believes in what they're singing about, and The Radical Thought Resistance's seven-track release will lift your spirits and sing to the soul that you sold to rock 'n' roll.
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It's a truism that political strife makes for exciting and groundbreaking music, and these are truly times of turmoil in this country. The current administration has polarized this country on a scale not seen since the Viet Nam War era. And sure enough, there's some damn exciting music popping up amid the the rubble. 

Brooklyn's RTR deals in a passionate and aware brand of metal that speaks truth to power, while sporting innovative guitar work and melody to burn. From the searing kick of 'Rising Sun' to the more introspective mood of 'Living A Lie', RTR grab your attention and they don't let go. 

Guitarist Aki Ishibashi draws from the best of NYC rock guitar history, keening between crushing chords and shards of noise. He splits the difference between Biohazard and Living Colour, and the result is akin to the sound of a police riot. Drummer Howard Alper put in time with former Living Colour vocalist Corey Glover's band, and his influences are too numerous to list - but you'll recognize them as soon as you hear them. 

Freedom Bremner is the voice of RTR, and like the rest of the band, he's got a style that is well-suited to the message RTR brings. He's one of the featured vocalists on Moby's 18, and it's easy to say why. He brings the right amount of passion to these songs and is the melodic anchor to Aki's more dissonant flights of guitar screed. The core of the band employs a couple of bassists - Booker King and John Ormond - and both add the necessary amount of low-end wallop to make the tracks rumble and shake. 

And as good as the music is, you can't avoid the message - to resist the machinations of power, to question what others are telling you is for your own good or good for you. RTR aren't the first to wed aware lyrics to walloping rock and roll, but they're one of the first of a new generation of rockers who realize that a great beat can move your mind as well as your body. Visit RTR at radthought.com.
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