Review - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – Am I The Enemy

Having blown me away with their epic debut record Don’t You Fake It a few years back, and disappointed me in equal measure with its follow up Lonely Road, I had somewhat feared the worst for the third record from The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, especially after hearing poor reviews about it online.

However, thankfully, everything I have read thus far couldn’t be any further from the truth, as the Jumpsuit burst back into contention with a blistering and amazing new record.

Although the screams are left to a minimum (making brief appearances on Reap and Fall From Grace) TRJA have moved towards an anthemic pop rock sound that works so well over the course of Am I The Enemy, over fantastically crafted songs. That is the big difference between this and the last record, in that it feels like that band are back on top form, and writing great songs once again; it just didn’t feel as though Lonely Road had that same attention to it, but here, the band have a record they can truly be proud of.

Its all killer from the outset, and whether it’s the opening one-two of Salvation and Reap, or the closing combination of Don’t Lose Hope (with a killer note at the end from Ronnie Winter on the vocals), Fall From Grace (with some massive riffs) or Choke (returning from their EP last year), the band seem revitalised, and sound like they are having a blast.

Everything in the middle is just as essential too, with We Are The Heros (typo aside) battling to be crowned the best track on the record with its breathtaking guitar work and hook laden refrain. It’s a tough battle though, as from start to finish, there are so many highlights to choose from. Anthemic choruses, some razor sharp riffs (which I did NOT expect), soaring vocals and more hooks than a fishing tackle box, make this one of the stand out records of the year so far.

This record could have been a massive flop, especially if it had gone further down the Lonely Road route. Thankfully the band have pulled it out of the bag, and will hopefully now press on to the bigger leagues.

I had toyed with giving this a 9/10, but the added surprise factor makes it a straight full marks for Am I The Enemy.

Stunning stuff.

10/10