Saturday 21 June 2014

Lost Union - Lamentations - Album Review

Lamentations cover art

Album Type: Album
Date Released: June 2014
Label: Self Released

Lamentations - track listing:

Retribution
Police Atrocity
Victims
Disposable Earth
Man Made Disasters
The Daily Bullshit Broadcast
Deathline
Acrostic of Reason

Bio:

Anarchist/atheïst/anti-fascist progressive hardcore sludge punk

Band Members

Flaps: vocals, PJ: drums, Deedee: Guitars, Simon: Bass

Review:

Now I will admit I didn't actually like Lost Union's debut album – Lamentations – when I first listened to it. I found myself struggling to find anything encouraging about the album. Sure it's a loud, angry and a vicious beast of an album. But I originally felt we have seen and heard this style of music done much better before.

Then I was having a bad day at work the other day and decided to give this album another try. I don't know what happened as I started to remember my younger years when I would have been a huge admirer of Lost Union back in the day. As I was a huge punk fan in my late teens. But when a band like Lost Union come along with a stirring mix of riffs and politically charged tunes then you have to take notice no matter how old you are.

These guys are really hard to pigeon-hole as they embrace Hardcore Punk, Sludge, Crust and hints of Post-metal to their music. Lamentations is a 33 minute turbo charged kick to the fucking head. As the band demolish their way through a great set of punk based tracks with a violent sludgy undertone.

The 6 minute opening track Retribution may give you the idea that Lost Union are all about epic politically based tracks but that is just a slight rouse as the other tracks run for about 2 to 3 mins in length. The album has a stripped back lo-fi approach which fits in with their punk roots. Tracks such as Victims, Disposable Earth, Man Made Disasters and The Daily Bullshit Broadcast will either have you running out onto the streets shouting at all of the injustices in the world or have you nodding in agreement as Lost Union actually make some excellent valid points in how fucked up the world currently is.

Now the part of the album that I fucking loved was the 13 minute epic – Acrostic of Reason – where they change into a credible politically charged Post-Metal band such as Neurosis. I would love to see these guys embrace this side of their music for future releases as this is jaw-dropping stuff. Ambient based progressive sludge/post-metal riffs combine for one beautifully charged experience. There is still elements of Punk ideology in the track but it's where the band throw caution to the wind and say – FUCK IT!!! - the album truly comes to live.

Lamentations is actually a fantastic album. The earlier punk based vibes will get you into Lost Union's way of thinking. I felt more passion with their last track as it shows what a powerfully charged band Lost Union can actually turn into in the near future.

Thanks to the band for sending me a promo to review. The album is directly available from the band.

Check The Band From Links Below


Written by Steve Howe