Review / 200 Words Or Less
Red Eyed Legends
Wake Up, Legend

File 13 (2008) Sean K.

Red Eyed Legends – Wake Up, Legend cover artwork
Red Eyed Legends – Wake Up, Legend — File 13, 2008

First full-length from this Chicago band fronted by Chris Thomson (ex-Circus Lupus). Dense, multi-layered rock that will require repeated listening. That's really because it will require some thinking on the listener's part. "Je M'Appelle Macho" is currently the song on here that's getting repeated playbacks. Maybe since these are some of the few French words I retained from five years of French class. "Felt Like Being a Dick" also wins best song title of 2009 hands down. Tough, gut-wrenching music that will stay with you longer than that chalk outline on your driveway.

7.0 / 10Sean K. • March 26, 2009

Red Eyed Legends – Wake Up, Legend cover artwork
Red Eyed Legends – Wake Up, Legend — File 13, 2008

Recently-posted album reviews

Citric Dummies

Split With Turnstile
Feel It Records (2025)

Citric Dummies might be the band I saw live the most often in 2025, yet I put off a thorough review of their latest LP until the calendar turned to 2026. Anyway, Split With Turnstile, besides having a great title, continues the band's garage-punk sound that draws from a deep array of influences from eggpunk to '80s hardcore while mostly … Read more

Pageant Mum

Finis Amoris Est
Red Tape Music (2026)

Breakup records usually announce themselves with a band. There is betrayal, shouting, and doors slamming shut. Finis Amoris Est, the new EP from UK post-hardcore outfit Pageant Mum, takes a different route. It’s a record about what happens after the blowup, when the noise dies down and you’re left alone with the quieter, harder questions. Across these four tracks, the … Read more

Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders

After The Dolls
Heavy Medication Records (2026)

Pat Todd is a roots rock and roll incarnate — a relentless road dog, grinding it out night after night with his hot-as-buckshot band, The Rankoutsiders. His shows are raw, electric, and lived-in, a testament to decades on the road. With a career spanning over forty years, Todd has earned a reputation as one of the hardest-working men in the … Read more