Lost Society hail from Finland but you wouldn’t know it judging by their punky thrash metal sound. I first discovered the band through their first album “Fast Loud Death” but not of the music funnily enough but through their album artwork which is done by an artist named Ed Repka who has worked with such artists as Megadeth, Municipal Waste and Death. The music was pure bonus though and after their second album “Terror Hungry”, I became a genuine fan of the band and their music. Now they return with their third album “Braindead” which takes the band into new territory while still retaining their thrash sound.
“Braindead” is the band’s most interesting album yet, full of riffs and hooks more than ever before but with a lot more tempo changes and melody thrown in. Add a tough of progressive elements and what you have is a serious album by a bunch of thrashers who are serious about their evolution as a band. The lead single “I Am The Antidote” is their heaviest song yet, but by far their slowest as well. But the song itself is brilliantly catchy and headbanging worthy. More hooky kind of stuff follows but in more mid-tempo range with tracks like “Riot” and “Mad Torture” where the name of the game here is the party and upbeat vibe. “Riot” is a very promising live track but “Mad Torture” kicks it up a notch when it jumps into overdrive with the album’s first real thrashy part. It doesn’t last long mind you but it doesn’t need to, the solo later on is a real highlight and worth the wait.
More thrashier parts do come along but they are used sparingly, “Rage Me Up” hits you like a brick in the face with Lost Society’s signature sound coming through while “Hangover Activator” feels more punkier despite a killer intro. But where the album really shines through are on tracks like “Hollow Eyes” where the hook and melody completely drives the song or the epic “Only (My) Death Is Certain”. This song is right up there as one of the best songs the band have come up with so far in their career, it’s challenging demeanor and progressive elements take the band into a whole new area as it meanders it’s way through more than 8 minutes of weaving and ducking through riffs and melodies and the like.
Interestingly enough however is the inclusion of an old Pantera song “P.S.T. 88. No not off “Vulgar Display Of Power” or even “Cowboys From Hell” but actually from the more glammy side of Pantera from the 80’s that tends to be forgotten. While Lost Society do the song justice, even making it better than the original, I’m still not sure why they chose this song. Especially when “Pussy Tight” is the mantra of the entire thing. It’s glammy at it’s best and worst but somehow the band make it work. But “Braindead” overall is a solid effort and a sign that the band refuse to be stuck in one style forever, this may not be the flashy, speedy stuff that fans have loved them for so far but I think it will make fans appreciate the band more for their evolving sound.
TRACKLIST
I Am The Antidote
Riot
Mad Torture
Hollow Eyes
Rage Me Up
Hangover Activator
Only (My) Death Is Certain
P.S.T.88
