AGGRESSIVE METAL ANDteeth-grinding tension go together like energy drinks and vodka — in more ways than one. They’re likely to ramp up the intensity and energy levels of a band, but they also can lead to emotional turmoil, instability and crippling volatility. The six touring members of Code Orange — guitarists Reba Meyers and Dom Landolina, vocalist Jami Morgan, bassist Joe Goldman, multi-instrumentalist Eric “Shade” Balderose and drummer Max Portnoy — don’t need caffeine and booze to feel jumpy. Theirs is an anxiety born from ambition, insecurity and a little chemical imbalance, and working together simultaneously feeds their neurosis and gives them an outlet to purge their poisons.
“We’re not five stereotypical rockers trying to put our best ass-kicking shit out there and show you our killer chops,” Meyers says. “It’s not really about that. It’s more about figuring our shit out and coping with stuff. For me, that’s the whole point. I love playing guitar, making music and doing shows. I love being in the band, but all that’s the icing on the cake.”
On albums like 2017’s Forever and 2020’s Underneath, the challenges that motivated Code Orange yielded a turbulent, off-kilter mix of hardcore, metalcore, nu-metal and industrial. The cathartic torrents of sound were as effective as primal scream therapy and twice as noisy. And there was no shortage of contorted guitars or jarring pedal-driven effects — or rage.
“I used to be really angry and have blowouts and see red all the time,” Meyers says. “I still get upset a lot. But I’m not as bad as I used to be, and I think being in this band has really helped me get through that.”
At the same time, being in Code Orange has caused a sometimes palpable friction between the band members. Since Morgan, Meyers and Balderose formed the group in high school in 2008 as Code Orange Kids, the three founding members have evolved from a bunch of impulsive teenagers to one of the most creative bands on the modern metal circuit. Focusing obsessively on their band for 15 years and being together nearly non-stop has made them as close
