French four-piece Lodz have recently released their debut studio album, Something In Us Died. With a sound similar to Ghost Brigade, this album has been described as having “a stunning balance between delicate, emotional passages and an intense, crushing heaviness,” and this statement can only be agreed with.
The album opens with the track Detachment, a beautifully heavy song, with a good mixture of both clean, and unclean vocals. It uses fast-paced guitar riffs, and heavy drums to create a really strong start to the album. It’s a very long song, lasting six and a half minutes, but it isn’t one of those songs that you feel is dragging, as it stays interesting throughout.
A far less heavy song from the album, is the song Walking Like Shades. It differs from the rest of the album, as it is a lot softer than the other songs, and is also the shortest track. It strays from the rest of the album instrumentally – there is still their rock sound, but without the hammering guitar riffs and heavy drums. It instead focuses on vocalist Eric’s skills. He has a similar vocal style to Tim Mcllrath of Rise Against, which works really well with this band’s music.
The track Closed Hospitals is another heavy one, with both clean and unclean vocals. There appears to be a focus on the drums in this song, and drummer Vince makes full use of his cymbals. This song uses thundering guitar riffs to accompany rough, unclean vocals that will get you moshing. It’s a great, balanced track, which allows for each member of the band to show off his skills.
Overall, Something In Us Died is a well-balanced album, with both soft and heavy songs. The band use impressive drum work, and strong guitar riffs, alongside powerful vocals and lyrics. It has a good mixture of rock and metal, to cater to every mood and it’s definitely an album worth picking up.
7/10
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