For the last decade, Code Orange has excelled in their role as hardcore's outliers. Fueled by an consuming creative drive and equipped with an artistic bandwidth beyond the tropes of heavy music, Code O's body of work has long positioned the band as a generational one of one - with their most recent offering serving as further evidence. 

Destined to be one of the standout albums of the year, the 2023 arrival of The Above marked Code Orange's highly-anticipated follow up to 2020's triumph, Underneath and served as a pivotal moment for Pittsburgh natives. Saddled with the expectations that came packaged with such definitive previous entries, anything less than spectacular would have likely been a percieved step back for the band.

Relying on their DIY DNA, The Above not only proved to be a landmark release for the band, but also a presentation that spoke to the sophistication that is rarely emphasized in aggressive music. Asserting a skilled showcase of range, the 14-track collection corralled elements of 90's alt, trip-hop, industrial and metallic hardcore in way that translated as cinematic. The album achieved the ultimate goal of creating a transcendent listening experience that played out like chapters in a book, or sequences in a film. 

What remains the most impressive aspect of The Above however, is the architects at the core of the project themselves. From the artwork to the music videos, from the production to the composition - every meticulous detail of The Above emanates solely from the five members of the band with very little middling from anyone outside of their collective circle. For this particular release, Code Orange entrusted the final mix to the venerated Steve Albini, but even that was big step for a band has made a career of keeping EVERYTHING in house. 

On the eve of the album's release, Code Orange granted access to Knotfest.com as they prepared for their first-ever Code's World Festival. Doubling as an album release event and a hometown showcase, the congregation underscored major implications for a band seemingly on the verge of their next era.

While the show functioned as a hometown victory parade, it also offered tribute to the city that instilled such a relentless work ethic in the band. Code's World also served as testament to the support system that has long known Code O was destined for greatness - an ensemble cast of characters that have long been in the band's orbit either as participants, convinced spectators and most all cases - both. 

As the band worked to finalize the details of the show, from executing the production to organizing the logistics of having a full day of bands on their bill, cameras captured candid testimonials from each member - assessing the magnitude of the album, the growing pains of forging their own festival and the kind of full circle moment they seemed on the brink of. 

Filmed and edited by Ras_Visual, Revisit the one of the highlights of 2023 in the latest episode of the Knotfest.com original series, One Day... with Code Orange ahead of the inaugural Code's World in Pittsburgh, PA below. 

 The Above is currently available via Blue Grape Music. Get the album - HERE

Be sure to catch Code Orange on The Above Tour which kicks of February 13th in Austin, TX. The run of shows will include support from GEL, Teenage Wrist, Spy, Gridiron, and Soul Blind. See the complete list of dates and cities below. Get tickets - HERE

The Above Tour Dates

Feb 13 - Austin, TX - Emo’s

Feb 14 - Houston, TX - White Oake Music Hall - Downstairs

Feb 16 - New Orleans, LA - Toulouse Theatre

Feb 17 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East

Feb 18 - Birmingham, AL - Zydeco

Feb 20 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade Hell Stage

Feb 22 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre

Feb 24 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts

Feb 25 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club

Feb 27 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere - The Hall

Feb 29 - Toronto, ONT - Opera House

Mar 01 - Detroit., MI - Shelter

Mar 02 - Chicago, IL - The Metro

Mar 03 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater

Mar 05 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater

Mar 06 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex - Grand

Mar 08 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon

Mar 09 - Vancouver, BC - The Commodore Ballroom

Mar 10 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom

Mar 12 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent 

Mar 13 - Sacramento, CA - Goldfield Trading Post

Mar 16 -  Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater

Mar 17 - Los Angeles, CA - Belasco