ALBUM REVIEW: Braindead – Lost Society
WORDS: Jessica Howkins
It’s been three years since Finnish thrashers LOST SOCIETY’s first album, Fast Loud Death, and now the quintet have raced into 2016 with their third album, Braindead.
The previous two albums were in every case, heavy and they were fun. The albums were practically anthems to party to, they were filled with speedy riffs and lyrics about beer and partying, but with Braindead – all of that is about to get a bit more extreme.
From the second LOST SOCIETY’s first single from the album kicks in, I Am the Antidote, you are aware that this is going to be possibly the strongest album of the bands career. It’s immediately noticeable that Braindead is set to take a darker and heavier turn than its predecessors, it shows that this is the album where LOST SOCIETY have started mastering their skills and they have certainly improved everything about their sound.
Riot is the exact same, only it possesses little quirks that tie in nicely with the music of Fast Loud Death and Terror Hungry, it shows off that LOST SOCIETY might have become heavier and ready to take a title of becoming one of the best new thrash bands around but that they still have that element of fun in their music that everyone loved from day one. Riot almost has a sense of old-school METALLICA about it, mixed with a lot of punk in the style of vocals that Samy Elbanna has taken on.
From Riot onwards, LOST SOCIETY continue to show that they have really been dedicated to just practicing and getting their sound the way that they want it. Mad Torture is one of those songs that has really kept the old style LOST SOCIETY but it still has the essence of how darker and heavier the band have become.
Hollow Eyes however is just something out of this world and probably one of the best songs on the album. It begins with this sincere chugging that almost takes you back to once again, old-school METALLICA and it sounds absolutely incredible. Hollow Eyes has a mixture of everything that really gets your head banging and for a band who have stated recently that they have started doing things they never thought possible a few years ago, this is the track that really expresses how much passion and practice they have been putting in to make this band the best they can be.
Rage Me Up and Hangover Activation are the exact same as Hollow Eyes, the two songs have a mixture of absolutely everything and have the ability to keep that LOST SOCIETY sound we all have loved since day one but also ensure that they have gone up the ladder. If there is any song on this album that is really something that shows just how incredible LOST SOCIETY are as a band and just how dedicated they are as musicians to achieve what they want, it is Only (My) Death is Certain.
Sure the song has a few old LOST SOCIETY style riffs in there but the way that the song opens up, it’s sheer perfection, it’s dark and mysterious but it’s also the calm before the storm. There is something about opening up heavy songs slowly and in this case, it has really done the trick. This song in itself is probably the heaviest and most hard hitting track the Finnish quartet have ever done and it works so well for them. At just over 8 minutes long, Only (My) Death is Certain really pushes the boat out and it almost feels as though this is a song where the band have really just put themselves out there for the world to see and judge. This is not only the best song that LOST SOCIETY have ever written, it’s their strongest and it is hopefully what their future will be like.
Everyone who enjoys metal in every genre it comes in will agree that they love to bang their heads, it’s also more enjoyable to look around and see an entire crowd of people doing the exact same, taken over by the sounds of what are leaking out of the speakers – Only (My) Death is Certain is that song. It’s dangerous, it’s powerful and it’s just downright the darkest and heaviest song that they have ever done, not forgetting the one that shows LOST SOCIETY’s talent in all of their glory.
LOST SOCIETY end Braindead the way they have done with both of their previous albums, with an absolutely incredible cover and this time around it is PANTERA’s P.S.T.88. It’s always a bit fun listening to how well the band pull off covers that have been around the glam rock style of genre and make it their own and each time, they have done it to the best of their abilities and have made it absolutely incredible.
Braindead might be LOST SOCIETY’s third album but they are still in the early years of their career as a band, if this album is anything to go by, it’s that LOST SOCIETY are going to carry on pushing themselves to be the best band they can possibly be and if that is the case, the world better watch out for one of the best new thrash metal bands. These Finnish men were already fantastic but after Braindead, they have started climbing up that mountain even faster than before to be the best that they can be, they have the skill and the dedication to be legendary and without a doubt, if they keep growing the way they have done between each of their albums, they will get there.
Rating: 10/10
Braindead is set for release on February 12th via Nuclear Blast Records.
