Friday 4 April 2014

LostAlone // Album Review, Shape of Screams


Derby rockers, Lostalone are back with their third album, ‘Shape Of Screams’. Recorded deep in the English countryside, with forays into central London, the new album is a collection of fears and doubts and hopes and dreams. We got our hands on a copy of the new record before its release on April 7th

Click below to find out what we thought…




‘Crusaders’, in typical Lostalone fashion, begins melodically and tame before hurtling a hundred miles an hour into a euphoric and eclectic call to arms. It hits full force and then as soon as the track has begun the opener to ‘Shape Of Screams’ is over. Fear not, for the thrashing opening of ‘The Bells! The Bells!!’ is in stark contrast to the harmonious opening of the first track. If there was ever a sign that Lostalone were musically diverse it’s captured in the first three songs on the record; each as different as its predecessor. ‘Hostages’ is over the top; huge guitar solos are pitted alongside building verses and an anthemic chorus for this unconventional ballad. 

It is clear that ‘Shape Of Screams’ is about pushing boundaries, and being genre ambiguous is at the heart of that; the band goes beyond that. The new album, produced by Dan Weller who produced Enter Shikari, Young Guns and Sharks is clearly aiming to be epic in its genre defying tracks and definitely goes some way to making that happen.



Front man Steven Battelle states - “The threshold for greatness in rock music has been diminished, diluted into a formulaic and soulless metallic buzz where the completely generic is hailed as incredible. It was our responsibility to melody to make this album as a first wave of the fight back.”

And fight back they do. ‘Shape Of Screams’ is a theatrical whirlwind of gratuitous harmonies and melodies and huge hooks, yet seamlessly pieces together to create a mammoth third album. ‘Guilty’ is over the top, whilst ‘Apathy’ is pop-punk at its finest. New single, ‘Scarlet Letter Rhymes’ is another fast paced, thrashy rock anthem with a chorus that soars. ‘I Was Born To End This Way’ and ‘Doooooooooomageddon’ nail down the titled pop-rock genre that Lostalone capture so well. The not so sugary sweet bit hitters are the perfect close to the record, before ‘Breathing In The Future Exhaling The Past’ finishes the album off. The final song, or more instrumental anthem, brings ‘Shapes Of Screams’ to an end in an almost musical epic finale. The record is certainly a journey and one which takes its toll at times on the listener - purely for the fact that it jumps so quickly between styles. However, Lostalone’s musical talent is undeniable and surprisingly and outrageously infectious. 8/10