Spanish aces of melodic metal Lords Of Black are back with their sixth album, coming to us after a two-year pause in their recording activity as a band. In the meantime, their founder, composer and guitar player Tony Hernando has been busy with his own projects (special mention due to Restless Spirits, a fantastic project whose second album was released in 2022), while vocalist Ronnie Romero has been touring and recording with a number of acts, amongst which Michael Schenker, Elegant Weapons, Gotus, and Sunstorm, to name just a few.
LOB’s previous work, ‘Alchemy Of Souls’ (part one released in November 2020, and part two – in October 2021) was an iconic and unmissable project that felt like the apogee of their career to date, making us wonder if there was anywhere higher for the band to go. Turns out, there is.
‘Mechanics Of Predacity’ is just as iconic and unmissable, and shows the band in a slightly different light. While generally their stylistics remains the same, they have also taken a turn towards harder, darker and more intense metal. While previously they could fall under the category of progressive metal, there aren’t many references to that genre this time around; instead, it’s all about heavy metal infused with great melodies. They’ve sort of stepped away from catchy tunes, which were their signature sound, emphasising, instead, on melody as a canvas underlying heavier compositions than usual.
The structure of the tracks follows loosely the same scheme Hernando has always employed: extensive, particularly powerful, intros, gradually, or explosively, building towards sound metal boasting of fantastic guitar solos. There aren’t that many piano interludes in this album, which were quite typical for their previous works. “A World That’s Departed” sees a beautiful piano solo at some point, reminding us that this is still something LOB enjoy doing, together with the epic instrumentals.
There are some surprises to be heard here, too, like “Can We Be Heroes Again”: a track that sounds nearly like pop music, with a lyrical curve to the melody and Romero’s vocal performance, somehow taking us back to Freddie Mercury’s style of singing.
In terms of lyrics, the band remains bang on-trend, focusing on social issues and phenomena. This time around, they dissect and explore one of humanity’s primal instincts, predacity, with all its repercussions like greed, power, and malevolence. Like in ‘Anatomy Of Souls’, however, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, pointing towards the light for humanity: kindness and love. It, therefore, pays to listen to what they sing about, while also enjoying the great music.
- Reviewed by Angelina Pelova.
- Mechanics Of Predacity is released via Frontiers Music on 15th March 2024.
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Track List:
1. For What is Owed to Us (4:16)
2. Let the Nightmare Come (5:11)
3. I Want the Darkness to Stop (5:58)
4. Let It Burn (4:34)
5. Can We Be Heroes Again (5:44)
6. Crown Of Thorns (6:51)
7. Obsessions of the Mind (5:06)
8. Build the Silence (5:16)
9. A World That’s Departed (11:08)
I. About to Reset
II. Absentia
III. A Final Sense Of Truth
10. Born Out Of Time (5:40)
