EP REVIEW: Burn Forever – Lowlives

Starting up a new project from scratch can often be a daunting task, especially if the names attached to said endeavour are well-known for stints in other relatively successful bands. That’s the mountain that LOWLIVES find themselves facing, as former members of THE DEFILED, NO DEVOTION and THE ATARIS join forces to form a brand new outfit of a very different kind.

Roaring right out of the gates and opening with a resounding bang, squealing feedback and pounding drums announce the arrival of Burn Forever – the release’s title-track and centrepiece. Frontman Lee Villain, now shorn of his Stitch D persona from the THE DEFILED, immediately establishes himself here as a formidable vocal presence, packing a gritty roar of an approach that adds instant impact to a track that pretty much sets out a perfect statement of intent from the fledgling band. It takes mere minutes to realise that huge choruses are going to be the order of the day here, as the band manage to pull out what can only be described as one of the single catchiest hooks of perhaps the whole year on their first attempt here; crafting one hell of an earworm that’s so intense in its almost-pop nature that it sticks in the memory long after the track ends.

Black Hole, meanwhile, feels slightly different in tone, as the four-piece shift into a darker, grungier and more downbeat, but no-less-heavy tone. In fact, you’d be forgiven at times for almost mistaking LOWLIVES for NIRVANA at points during this particular track, such is the extent to which Villain appears to be channelling Kurt Cobain in his delivery. There’s also the minor case of an excellent mid-track breakdown to bring up, which serves as strong notice of just how hard the members of LOWLIVES can go, should they wish. Devolving things down to a delightfully sludgy chug, the band then close out with a sudden shift into an eerie soundscape of haunting feedback, giving a rare moment for the listener to catch their breath before the storm continues.

Up next comes Thieves, and the sound of the entire band simply letting loose with everything they’ve got. Distortion goes all the way up to 11 and then some, as the melodies are initially all but tossed out of the window in favour of a caustic punk-rock rager of a tune, as throat-shredding roars become very much the order of the day. Packed to the brim with yet more fiery energy, it’s a hard-hitting affair that very much seals LOWLIVES‘ track record as three-for-three thanks to yet more incredibly solid guitar-work and about as much musical subtlety as several nailbombs.

Closing out the EP on a somewhat different note is an acoustic reimagining of where it began with Burn Forever, taking the anarchic energy of its plugged in counterpart and transforming the cut into something that’s emotionally-charged in an entirely different way. Huge riffs and thunderous drums are totally stripped away here, replaced with sparse acoustic guitar and a melancholic melodic vocal that serves to highlight just how talented a vocalist Villain really is. Yes, it’s totally different to everything preceding it, perhaps jarringly so, but when it’s this impassioned it really is difficult to find fault.

In truth, perhaps the only weakness present on Burn Forever as a whole is that it simply ends too soon. Clocking in barely over 15 minutes and comprising just four tracks, it’s impossible not to be left with the feeling that this is merely an appetiser for what’s eventually to come from an incredibly promising new band.

Rating: 8/10

Burn Forever is out now via self-release.

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