Lost Dreams

Wage Of Disgrace

Written by: TL on 11/05/2010 00:20:45

"lostdreams" is the suffix to the myspace link of a British chick whom I have never met, yet I suspect that she might have a case of the angles. "lostdreams" is not the suffix to a myspace link for the Austrian melodeath quintet Lost Dreams, who have recently released their fourth LP "Wage Of Disgrace". That would be "bandlostdreams". Why am I telling you this? Because I couldn't really think of a real introduction to the album, so without further ado, let me quickly note that this is my first glance with the band, and then move on to tell you what is good and bad about it.

First the good. In "Wage Of Disgrace", Lost Dreams have created a very proficient sounding album that is graced with some very God damn good production, which sees all instruments appear razor sharp and which really gives you a good feeling of oomph when you listen to it in a good set of headphones. For its ten tracks, the guys hammer you with pretty much relentless modern melodeath, full of blazing melodies, solid vocal exchanges and the occasional sample and synth melody. Especially that vocal exchange is something that helps the band rise above the average, with the deep growls in particular sounding quite good.

That being said however, here comes the bad. Those blazing melodies? They sound exactly like every other would-be blazing melodies of every other European melodeath upstart around, and while they are competent, they are still mostly too simple to either stand out as landmarks of technical ability or lighthouses of identity-inducing elements. That relentless label I slapped on there, that's something critical readers could exchange with words such as "samey" or "uneventful". I know I would, because "Wage Of Disgrace" is hardly a cd where individual tracks will stand apart from each other with ease. I for one barely know which songs to recommend you, despite having many listens behind me by now.

Overall, I think it will be clear to most who will listen to "Wage Of Disgrace" that it proves that Lost Dreams can write a decent slab of melodeath without falling into any deep pitfalls, yet also displays that they are far from the most face-melting purveyors of the style around and that they don't seem to have too much of a desire to make up for that by imbuing the genre with much originality. As such, if you eat MD for breakfast, lunch and dinner, treat yourself to some of this, otherwise, maybe wait around for more ambitious outings.

Download: Fear Me, Blood Money, Lies
For The Fans Of: Scar Symmetry, Hypocrisy, Solution .45 (AP provided these supposedly accurate suggestions. I would've gone for Soilwork and maybe Emergency Gate myself, but in melodeath, he does normally know better)
Listen: myspace.com/bandlostdreams

Release Date 12.11.2009
Twilight Records

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