Lost Society – Braindead

The first two records from Finnish thrashers Lost Society were some of the more fun and reinvigorating records the subgenre has scene in recent years. Though a bit silly at times, they definitely brought back fond memories of many thrash legends from the 1980s. Like many of those bands, however, Lost Society also decided it was time for a change. “Braindead” shows the band making 2 distinct modifications to their music.

The first difference is noticeable right from the get go. Vocalist Samy Elbanna has largely abandoned his awesome singing voice to take a more visceral approach; bordering on metalcore at times, while more death metal at others, this is not a positive change. The opening two tracks emphasize this style more than the remainder. “Riot” is a pump-up, tough guy song that sounds like Pantera influenced Lost Society just a little bit too much. The groove is simply too strong on this particular song. On the other hand, “I Am The Antidote” is a monolithically heavy tune that evolves into one of the most impressive displays of guitar work seen in thrash recently. In fact, this is a common theme on this record: the guitar solo sections are longer, faster, and more technical than they’ve ever been. Unlike many shredders, both of Lost Society’s guitarists don’t rely on the same scales or melodies, making each solo a unique experience.

The other area where “Braindead” differs from its predecessors is in the nature of the thrash songs. Many of the remaining tracks on this release are still thrash to their core, but they’re longer, more mature, and a little bit more interesting to listen to than the band’s previous work. “Mad Torture”, for example, shows the band releasing their aggression through gang vocal shouts of the chorus. This song is just one great thrash riff after another, with more emphasis on melody than any of the band’s previous work. It’s at this point on the record when Elbanna goes back to his more old-school vocal style, though he still mixes the two throughout the record.

“Braindead” is at its best when it is blasting full speed. The best evidence of this comes from “Rage Me Up”, which is by far the fastest song on the album. In fact, this is the fastest thing the band has done in their career, and if you even attempt to keep up by headbanging, your neck will fall off. To be fair though, the band can still keep things interesting at a more mid-pace. One example is “Hollow Eyes”, a song featuring an incredible galloping riff that doesn’t exactly break any speed barriers, but it does get some heads moving.

As the album goes on, it gets even more interesting. The cover of Glamtera’s “P.S.T. 88” is a unique (though not unsurprising) choice, and adds more diversity to an already varied record. After that is “Terror Hungry (Californian Easy Listening Version)”. Fear not, thrashers, as this song absolutely rules. It’s a re-recording of the title track from the previous album, and while the band claims it is easy listening, that is only relative to the rest of the album. In fact, it’s more of a tame traditional heavy metal version of the song, and it shows Elbanna doing full-on clean vocals throughout, revealing the fact that he is actually an excellent singer. This song is so well executed and so much fun that it leaves a very positive impact of the record as a whole. 

“Braindead” is a somewhat difficult record to evaluate. The thrash songs themselves are better than ever, and the more groove/core-based style that has infected other moments of the album only ruins “Riot”, as “I Am The Antidote” still rules despite this problem. This album is likely a warning of the future of Lost Society, but as long as they keep making songs that truly thrash, their releases will be worth buying. The enhanced guitar work makes this record even further compelling, as does the humourous re-recording.   

Be sure to check out and like Lost Society on Facebook!

Highlights

"I Am The Antidote"

"Mad Torture"

"Rage Me Up"

"Terror Hungry (Californian Easy Listening Version)"

Final Rating

4.5/5 or 90%. 

Written by Scott

Lost Society – Terror Hungry

The last couple of years have definitely been a bit slower for new thrash bands in terms of gaining popularity, but Lost Society is one band that seems to be the major exception. Their debut record, “Fast Loud Death” got a lot of hype, and rightfully so as it thrashed like few others. Barely a year later, the band is back with “Terror Hungry”, and this album is almost an exact copy of the last record. The songs are a bit longer this time around, but the energetic thrashing never stops throughout the 50+ minute journey. The one major difference between these two records is that “Terror Hungry” doesn’t have as many instantly catchy songs on it, but that might just be the effect of putting out 27 songs a year apart that all sound relatively similar.

As usual, one of the best tracks is the single, “Lethal Pleasure”. This song sets the tone for the entire album: 200+ BPM thrash riffs without relenting. There are so many riffs on this record that only those riffs that don’t conform to the band’s normal sound stand out. Lost Society continues to inject a substantial blues influence in both their riffs and guitar solos, and even have a full-on blues spot at the end of “Brewtal Awakening”. Another highlight is “Tyrant Takeover”. There is one riff a little while into the song that is incredibly tight, and it does manage to stand out from the other hundreds of riffs despite sounding no different from the other riffs.. Amazingly, the band goes on to inject a groove riff into this song that would put Pantera to shame. Generally, putting any form of groove into thrash will usually ruin a song or album, but this riff is so flawlessly placed that it will cause more destruction to your neck than your ears. 

From a vocal perspective, nothing on this album has changed. Singer/guitarist Samy Elbanna spits out words at rapid fire pace almost exclusively, only slowing down to unleash a crazy scream or two. Gang vocals are still rampant and are always used to further amp up the energy of every song. Guitar solos seem more frequent than on the last album, often appearing multiple times per song. The solos tend to be pretty flashy and over-the-top, but they suit the music perfectly. Even the Twisted Sister cover comes out in a thrashy fashion as Lost Society abuses their guitar necks without shame. It’s hard to criticize the band for anything on “Terror Hungry”. At worst, the sound does run a little thin so soon after the last record, but when a band manages to feel this fresh and original with little actual innovation, it’s always a good sign.

Be sure to check out and like Lost Society on Facebook!

Highlights

"Game Over"

"Lethal Pleasure"

"Tyrant Takeover"

Final Rating

4.3/5 or 86%. 

Written by Scott 

Lost Society - Fast Loud Death

Thrashing all the way from Finland, Lost Society must have done something right in recent years, as they managed to get a deal with Nuclear Blast. Their debut record, “Fast Loud Death” is another album that shows that thrash is not dead yet. On first glance, this definitely seems like a run-of-the-mill thrash album. Between the colourful album cover and the hilarious song titles, you might expect more of the same from Lost Society, but there are a few things that separate this band from all the others.

For one thing, this is somewhat of a crossover record. While the band doesn’t take this aspect to the extreme, “Fast Loud Death” definitely features short, to the point tracks, with no room for unnecessary riffs. With the exception of the opening, chunky riff, nearly every memorable part of this record is played at lightning speed. Aside from the crossover feel, the absolute best part of “Fast Loud Death” is the guitar work. This record is the true meaning of “Thrashin’ Blues”. Some songs feature bluesy riffs (the title track being one of them), but it is the guitar solos on “Bitch, Out’ My Way” that are truly magnificent. It’s as if the guitarists improvised a blues solo at a reasonable tempo for that genre, and then sped it up to 200 beats per minute to keep up with the thrashing. Even when the solos aren’t rooted in the blues, they have interesting phrasing that adds value. Surprisingly, the rest of the songwriting is at its best when it is most ridiculous. Tracks like “Trash All Over You”, “KILL (Those Who Oppose Me)”, and “Braindead Metalhead” are as silly as they are great. With that said, many of the tracks on the second half of the record fall a bit short. The songwriting tends to become a little bit stale. It is still enjoyable thrashing, but lacks the interesting bluesy riffs of some songs, and the irrefutable catchiness of others.

“Fast Loud Death” is a hard record not to like. The production is great, the performances are spot on, and the songwriting isn’t too adventurous to be a turnoff. This is my first experience with thrash from Finland, and it was a good one. While it isn’t my favourite album of the year, “Fast Loud Death” is a worthwhile 35 minutes of thrash. 

Be sure to check out and like Lost Society on Facebook!

Highlights

"Trash All Over You"

"KILL (Those Who Oppose Me)"

"Bitch, Out' My Way"

Final Rating

3.8/5 or 76%. 

Written by Scott