Saturday 6 February 2016

Cult Of The Lost Cause - Contritions (Album Review)


Release date: February 26th 2016. Label: Sailor Records. Format: DD/Vinyl

Contritions – Tracklisting

1.All Those In Favor
2.All Those Opposed
3.Hessian Crucible
4.The Drop
5.The Cloud Collector
6.The Drowned God
7.Wall of Bones
8.The Gemini

Band Members:

Thom - Bass.
Mike - Drums.
Mhyk - Guitar.

Review:

Cult Of The Lost Cause (COTLC) 2nd album – Contritions – sees the band opt for a more progressive and darker sound than their debut album. If you’re a fan of Pelican, Russian Circles with a hint of bleak Neurosis style bleakness then these guys are definitely worth checking out.

Opening track – All Those In Favour – lasts for less than eighty seconds but gives you a brief glimpse of the musical journey ahead. As COTLC flit between psychedelic and ambient post-rock sounds to the more aggressive and harsher Post-Metal style riffs.

Second track – All These Opposed – offers familiar instrumental work within the Post-Rock/Post-Metal world but COTLC play with such enthusiasm that it’s hard not to be moved by it all. The instrumental work is superb through out as COTLC create heavy sounding dynamics with intelligence to match. This is perhaps one of the standout songs on the album as COTLC draw you into their world. The band adds ambient noises and sounds which is becoming the normal thing to do for nearly all Post Rock/Post-Metal bands currently out there.

Third track – Hessian Crucible – carries on the bleak atmosphere of the album as COTLC become more confident with their music surroundings and it allows the band to experiment with their sound more. An intriguing style of low-key almost creepy style post-metal riffs merged with heavier progressive tones. It sees COTLC create an unsettling atmosphere that stays through out the whole album.

Fourth track – The Drop – sees COLTC create one of the albums heaviest songs with its style of progressive metal with the bass guitar being the main standout on this song as bassist Thom adds quite a funk based groove to proceedings. The song does get bogged down at times especially when the band tries their hand at too many different sounds and ideas. Still I admire their creativity for doing something different.

The rest of the album follows the same path as the first half with songs such as The Cloud Collector, Wall Of Bones and The Gemini allowing COTLC to slowly get under your skin with their moody and thought provoking ideas running through out the album. COTLC are quite unflinching with their musical ideas as where some Post-Rock/Post-Metal bands offer moments of uplifting and hopeful vibes, COTLC remain bleak and desolate to the very end.

Contritions sounds superb from start to finish. The production is intense through out and it only adds more weight to COLTC’s sound. The album is never going to change the world of Post-Rock/Post-Metal but these guys have created an album for all serious fans of the genre to check out.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Dave at US/THEM PR for the promo. Contritions will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Feb 26th 2016 via Sailor Records

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