It is with a heavy heart that we must announce that Ronnie Radke is at it again. The chaotic, controversial singer and his band, Falling In Reverse, just released their new single, "Joseph," featuring guest appearances from legendary nu metal frontmen Corey Taylor and Serj Tankian. Following the band's 2024 track "Ronald," this new track is the second in an apparent series based on Radke's full legal name, Ronald Joseph Radke. And like that song, this one was co-written by virtuoso metalcore guitarist Jason Richardson (All That Remains, Chelsea Grin).
Unlike "Ronald," which dealt with disillusionment at the world being "a fucked up place sometimes"—with rapper Tech N9ne calling out more specific societal ills like mass shootings and the plight of the trans community—"Joseph" is nakedly political. At least by Radke's standards. The singer, who describes himself as "not a political person," kicks things off with allusions to dropping bombs and war machines. Radke doesn't get much more specific from there, instead opting to focus on fighting back against the growing sense of despair at the world around us. How else does one make sense of a song that laments school bombings—an obvious acknowledgement of the U.S.'s current war with Iran—that also includes the line "Fuck the world with a loaded gun"?
While it's Taylor that invokes the ongoing war with Iran, it's possible Radke, who co-wrote the track with Richardson, bassist Daniel Laskiewicz, and drummer Luke Holland, had a hand in inspiring/guiding the guest features. Unsurprisingly, both Taylor and Tankian lend considerable weight and force to the proceedings despite the somewhat disjointed nature of their features. It's obvious a bit of sonic disunity was intentional, but the chaotic pastiche nature of the track underlines incoherent messaging. Then again, Radke's politics are probably closer to the median American voter than many in the media would like to admit. Whether that's a good thing is a separate matter.
Now, full disclosure: there is no love lost between Radke and us here at The Nu Metal Agenda. And given everything from racist and transphobic comments to credible assault allegations, a failed defamation suit, and his generally caustic nature—seen most recently in his bizarre, thin-skinned commandeering of the Falling In Reverse subreddit—this more politically dialed-in Radke is bound to draw more than a few sideways glances. Per a recent interview with Rock Feed, Radke claims to be more "at peace" now that he's entered his 40s, so maybe this is genuine personal and artistic growth. Or maybe it's all a calculated, cynical ploy in an attempt to make the track seem more important than it is.
While it's unclear how much, if any, of this baggage weighed on Taylor and Tankian's minds, what will likely matter to most listeners is the song itself. And on that front? It's alright. It's always nice to hear more from Tankian given the unlikelihood of new System of a Down material anytime soon, and it's equally cool to see Taylor don the mask outside of Slipknot.
But what do you think? Is this song trash or a triumph? Check out the full music video for "Joseph" and sound off in the comments below!
Falling In Reverse's latest album, Popular Monster, it out now on Epitaph Records.
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