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In the second song of this album, the lyricist poses an interesting question. His quandry is, "Tell me, do I disgust
you?". And I find myself hesitant in answer, for there are multiple answers. The answer that seems to be sought is "Yes, you
do disgust me", and I share this sentiment, but not for the reason that is expected. First, let me answer no. The fact that
this band plays a type of heavy music, and looks, and probably acts the part, does not disgust me. In fact, it makes me glad,
that they were willing at one point to challenge themselves to reach this point.
But, at the same time I am disgusted by this fact. I am disgusted by the vocals, which are stereotypical of a metalcore
band. I am disgusted by the raspy non-control of the vocals. I am disgusted by the fact that they are copying a band such
as Unearth in adding solos over there breakdowns. I am disgusted by the reliance on the breakdown, instead of a solid rhythmic
riffing.
Now, I do not like the genre this album falls into, that is no fault of theirs. Their fault lies in the fact that they
are not pushing the boundries of this genre. The musicianship is solid, and you can tell that the guitarists know their way
around their instruments. That is apparent in the solos, which do add a little flare to what would be a boring soundscape.
I thought I found a glimmer of hope in the instrumental song, Salai, which features the bass work. But, then, I imagined a
vocalist over top, and it became apparent that this was a nu-metal song, which made it lose all appeal to me.
Therefore my judgment is that A Life Once Lost remove themselves from the Ferret label, and enroll in a class on how
to write a song. They need to figure out how to structure their songs in a way that conveys movement. The solo work helps
this, but then the song delves back into this vicious circle of a repeated breakdown. Thus, they need to shed this, and find
a new home for their "creative" output.
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