Review by Richard Henry for MPM
Now I haven’t listened to these guys before, so this is a voyage into the unknown for me, they are playing in Belfast later in the year, so I quickly looked up one of the videos on YouTube so that’s the extent of my knowledge, so let’s have a listen and see what we find in here!
Bazarre Bizarre
Dense is the very first word that comes to mind when this one kicks in, huge soundscape of synth, then it breaks down to like a dance feel in the verse with just a bouncing synth line and a low spoken vocal, when the band comes in for the chorus it is huge with the keys and piano swirling around the mix and the vocal climbing, some nice additions of the harsh vocal on the way out of the chorus, interesting middle section with blast beats and then a really slow half time feel, it’s hard to pin point anything that sounds like this, yeah sure you can think all the other symphonic metal bands, I am actually thinking Therion mixed with a band called Memento Mori, that vocal quality reminds me of Messiah for sure, great opener!
My Sanctuary
Keys opening with a low spoken vocal and then a driving drumbeat comes in, it’s very synth pop in a way, it just sort of drives away and the vocal carries it, the guitars are at times hard to hear as it sort of melds into the synths, its only when you hit the chorus that it sort of opens up and you can hear them, great chorus by the way, you will absolutely be singing this one in the car, it’s very pop, verse chorus middle melody guitar and chorus and you’re out, not a bad thing it will 100% stick in your head!
Light Can Only Shine in the Darkness
Sharon from Within Temptation starts this one with a tender vocal and a swirling piano part to back her up, before the band comes in, this one does sound more like a Delain sort of track, his vocal reminds me of someone else so much but I cannot put my finger on it, lovely harmony from the two of them, and then when it kicks into the chorus the whole track just lifts up, the synths in the background adding so much to the sound, it’s a gorgeous sounding track, transcends into the more aggressive middle section and then a lovely break for Sharons vocal to shine before the double kicks come in for the last chorus, great track!
I Will Die in It
Guitars in first on this one, that’s a heavy driving riff with the synth behind it, short lived those as the verse yet again strips the guitars and is the bass and synth, on this one it sort of detracts from the song especially when you hear the next part with the heavier guitars that lead into the chorus with the synths coming in, the only thing i would say is four songs in that sort of is the formula for the most of these tracks is to vocal/bass/synth the verse and then guitars in for the chorus, this one I feel needed the guitars in the verse, that middle section with the rolling double bass and the wall of vocal/synth again just reminds me of Therion, the chorus is fantastic, again it’s a great track but it’s getting very formulaic
Moonstruck
Love the intro to this with the piano guitar part and then adding in the vocal stabs, that is drama at its highest, then a nice break into the verse, which is guitar and bass with little guitar stabs, then it picks up into a more driving double bass section, there are the harsh vocals and to be fair it adds so much to the overall sound on this one, it’s a really nice break up from the other vocals, soaring chorus, that’s totally gothic after the middle section when it’s an organ and the low vocal, I love it, now that I think on it, that chorus wouldn’t be out of place on a Cradle of Filth album!
Damage
Very Rammstein, very industrial and driving then when it kicks in that is a serious riff and driving beat, now it does go into the vocal, drum thing but the guitar peppers around it on this one, then that chorus is fantastic with the synth dancing all around it, it’s so catchy, and that’s something every song has had, that little break in the middle is very cool, again very industrial feeling, then that slow half time with the screamed vocal, to the point but what a track!
Ghosts
Love the keys intro to that and then that syncopated riff with the drums, it’s a slow verse part with a lovely piano part and then you have the wonderful Tina Guo, playing cello on this one as well, she has played with Hans Zimmer and is on quite a few soundtracks, now there it is, straight out of the verse and into some properly aggressive vocals, its adds so much having them in there to compliment the clean vocals, almost Dream Theater in vibe on the verse part, the violin part over that middle section is fantastic, as is that break with the little piano part before you slam in with the last chorus, great track!
Lords of Fyre
Thats a nasty riff to start this one off and an almost black metal vocal in there as well, love this one, it’s so different in feel, massive vocal part, that will be a huge singalong live, then into the piano vocal verse part, it just feels epic this one, in more of a power metal sort of way than anything, that pre chorus with the little violin part is lovely before you hit that huge chorus again, before they bring the start in again for the middle of the song, then it gets aggressive, loads of double bass and harsh vocals, I loved that transition and then out of it into the piano and violin part with the vocal and back into that huge chorus, this may be my favorite track on the album!
The Things we do for Love
Melancolic right from the off, with a depressing synth pad and a vocal to match, you certainly get the atmosphere of this one right from the off, the vocal is just great so mournful and the synths just building behind, then a really bizarre change to a synth part and a heavy guitar then the band slams in, it’s a bit schizoid, it changes back to the slow vocal synth drum verse, now that change makes way more sense into the second verse to that soaring section after it, that middle section is heavy as a heavy thing, yeah, al the sections are great, but, I don’t feel like this one is arranged as well as any of the other songs on the album, it’s almost pieced together and i am not sure all the parts fit together so cohesively on this one?
The Sadness in Everything
Thats a head down headbanger of a riff, and then into that almost industrial driving part, and I almost don’t have to say it, vocal, bass, drums for the verse, I do love the heavy parts that pepper the verse because it really lifts the section, then a lovely interlude with the female vocal from Anna Marie from Tales of Time, on its own before the two of them combine for the verse which is absolutely massive and soaring, nice middle section with the synths following the guitar line and then some lovely growled vocals in there with a more operatic female vocal in the background before we break to a piano and twin vocal section then into that massive chorus, epic track!
Dreams Are Never Alone
Orchestra warming up intro ala Symphony of Destruction, now tell me does that vocal remind you of Billy Idol, it just popped into my head, just in the start verse of this one, it’s a slow synth led part to this one really deliberate and even when the drums kick in, it just flows morosely, like a funeral procession, the main focus is the vocal, your over half way into the song before you even get any distorted guitar, I really like the vibe of this one, it’s a relaxed track that calls the end of the album!
Get your copy of OPVS NOIR Vol. 1 HERE – First Limited Editions Are Already Selling Out!
8 out of 10
It’s a great album and there are some standout tracks on here for sure, I think the only thing letting it down a bit is it follows the same formula a few too many times. I had massive Therion vibes throughout this so if you like them and a touch of your symphonic metal even a touch of late 90s Paradise Lost then this will be up your street, totally worth a listen!
LORD OF THE LOST are:
Chris Harms – Vocals, Guitar
Pi Stoffers – Guitar
Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler – Guitar, Synths
Klaas Helmecke – Bass
Gerrit Heinemann – Piano, Synths, Percussion
Niklas Kahl – Drums
LORD OF THE LOST online:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
LORDSHOP
NAPALM RECORDS
