ALBUM REVIEW: Judgement Day – Lovebites
It’s been a turbulent couple of years for the LOVEBITES gang. Shortly after their latest EP dropped, the excellent Glory, Glory, To The World, bassist and founding band member Miho announced her departure from the fold. As a core contributor to the band’s song-writing, it could have spelt trouble for LOVEBITES – such a blow it was that the band decided to embark on a temporary hiatus. With time to take stock out the way and a new bassist in tow, LOVEBITES return with their new album, Judgement Day. And, for better and for worse, it doesn’t sound like LOVEBITES have missed a beat during their brief break.
Judgement Day opens with all guns blazing courtesy of We Are Resurrection, where the opening grandeur of regal guitar leads sees all the joyous exuberance of ANDREW W.K. married with the happy-go-lucky tendencies of early HELLOWEEN. However, the major melodies are short lived as the sweeping riffs give way to an onslaught of lightning-fast thrashing. As the guitars pick up speed and squealing leads, drummer Haruna provides a full throttle rhythmic assault for the track’s vicious verses. It all culminates in a catchy yet unsettling chorus that has the neoclassical swagger of RHAPSODY with the haunting, chromatic descents of MALICE MIZER.
While stylistically not a far cry from what you’d expect from LOVEBITES at this point in their career, it’s notable that the band are tapping in to a more ferocious tone here – especially as we hit the title track, Judgement Day. Between battering ram guitar riffs, the histrionic stabs of strings and looming background choirs, the song feels like a classical nightmare. However, it’s the powerful, and relatively low, delivery of singer Asami that really sells the song’s sense of unreserved panic as the grandiose chorus kicks in.
That fire-in-the-belly aggression continues to pop up elsewhere through the album too. For instance, Stand And Deliver sees Asami trade off with punchy, thrash-infused gang vocals before reaching the discordant harmonies of its chorus. As Asami belts her way out of the chorus, the rest of the band batter through to a key change and a flurry of suitably madcap guitar solos. It’s one of those moments that make you chuckle at how ridiculous, yet brilliantly executed it is. However, the band’s more caustic approach doesn’t always land quite as effectively. Dissonance is certainly the most metallic number on the record – it’s all piledriving speed metal riffs, chaotic Chris Poland-esque shredding and the occasional TESTAMENT-tinged lead harmony. But the song itself feels somewhat underwhelming despite its relentlessness, lacking the typical LOVEBITES melodic hook to really bring it home.
Beyond the more amped up numbers, LOVEBITES don’t stray far from their established formula. While The Spirit Lives On sees the band dial back some of the venom, the unwavering speed remains ever present. Baroque-infused synths provide a counterpoint to remorselessly fast rhythms, paving the way for some impressive vocal gymnastics in the chorus. Wicked Witch’s intro somehow amalgamates the tremolo picked harmonies of Keepers-era HELLOWEEN and the swinging guitar leads of early MEGA MAN X games, before the song kicks into a full gallop. With floating verses and jaunty vocal hooks, there are shades of long-gone bands like SINERGY in the song’s most memorable phrases. My Orion sees the band lean slightly more towards late 80s heavy metal in general and is the album’s most direct track – it’s a brief moment of pop-metal respite from the more domineering and orchestrally rich material throughout the rest of the album, but still feels perfectly in key with the LOVEBITES formula.
The overall result is that Judgement Day is a reassuring album. Despite a potentially large shake-up in the loss of a founding member, LOVEBITES haven’t lost their footing one iota. Judgement Day is everything you would expect from the band, with just a little more bite. But that’s also the biggest criticism that could be levied at Judgement Day, as LOVEBITES don’t move the needle much here. Still, there’s always room for them to grow and with Judgement Day, the refreshed band are on solid enough ground to do just that.
Rating: 8/10
Judgement Day is out now via JPU Records.
Like LOVEBITES on Facebook.