Human Code: Break The Silence | People Who Know Quite a Bit About the Subject
(2024 – Girder Records/Pakaderm Music Group)
What would happen if we mixed Deliverance with Barren Cross and Holy Soldier? The answer is Human Code, a lethal combo formed by the great George Ochoa, guitarist for the former, Michael Drive, vocalist for the latter, and Terry “The Animal” Russell, former drummer for the third. Todd Lybby from Worldview, on bass and keyboards, accompanies this truly interesting project. The result is agile, aggressive, and poignant hard rock. One of the best things I’ve heard in this genre in recent times. Perhaps the production by Dino Elefante (who turns everything he touches into gold) in conjunction with Ochoa adds a lot to this “Break The Silence,” which in just 10 tracks gives a lesson in how it’s done.
The first word that comes to mind when listening to this second album by Human Code is variety; here the band goes through every possible mood, within the self-imposed limits of what could be defined as hard rock, with a very 90s sound. It hits you with everything it’s got right from the start with “Break The Silence,” one of the album’s promotional tracks, with a style reminiscent of Deliverance but with a chorus that takes us back to Holy Soldier’s early days. This is something that at times becomes a trademark of the band, having something from each of the bands mentioned in the proposal presented here. Thus, “Say What You Mean” also has its own thing going on, but in “Rain” things calm down with a simple and pompous keyboard ballad, in which Michael Drive shows off his vocal range and a great guitar solo by Mr. George Ochoa.
“Genetical Dysfunction” is something else entirely. A mid-tempo track with an almost hypnotic riff that encapsulates Human Code’s versatility, while “Don’t Kill The Messenger” could well be a radio hit with a slight pop filter that suits it very well indeed. In fact, a good video clip was released for this track. “Evermore,” another single from this album, reveals a certain Eastern influence in Human Code’s music, at least slightly, and is one of the best tracks on the album.
The pomp returns with the slow “40 Seconds,” a song with an almost operatic tenor that Human Code performs masterfully. The intensity returns with “Socially Incorrect.” Strong, mid-tempo guitars accompany another great song. For “Blame Me,” Human Code changes the mood again and delivers a kind of ballad with great orchestration from Ochoa’s guitar, reminiscent of those old 80s ballads by Holy Soldier. And as if it were nothing, “Lying Whispers,” with an alternative 90s vibe, closes an album that is self-sustaining in its own sufficiency and in this kind of “Dream Team” that makes it up, all great musicians and led by a great producer who knows how to make a band sound good.
Perhaps the last part of the album lowers the decibels too much, but even so, “Break The Silence” is a recommendable album, which, as its hallmark, takes things to different places and climates, without going off on a tangent, of course. There is a coherence in the sound that unifies things and makes this work attractive in its own right, beyond the past of each member. In that sense, it is clear that the combination is convincing, and the album, in addition to its versatility, has its qualities in each song included, despite the occasional ups and downs.
We didn’t find the cover particularly compelling, but even so, it is related to the concept of the album and the general idea behind the message, which varies between various snippets of social and personal issues with a Christian perspective. The inner sleeve includes not only the lyrics to the songs but also photographs of each member of the band, as well as highlighting phrases from each of the songs in large letters.
We will not add anything more to what has already been said about the production and mixing. The sound achieved is strong, heavy, and overloaded with guitars, with lots of bass and appropriate percussion.
Please note: this album has different editions. We have the “single” version of the CD in our hands, but there is also a Deluxe edition (with a different version of “Rain” as a bonus track) and, for lovers of analog, the corresponding vinyl. So there are various options for enjoying this fine work by Human Code, a great group of people…who know a lot about this…and prove it in every moment of this album…
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