Lostprophets bring ‘em all down.
The boys are back in town.
Not going to lie, I haven’t had very much to post about since I last wrote. Luckily, Lostprophets come to my rescue today and make their mark on my blog – and the rest of the British rock music scene – with the emotional bombshell of an album, ‘Weapons‘. And when I say emotional I mean, err, angry. But whilst it does ooze with angst against every single thing imaginable that is wrong with the world, ‘Weapons‘ is not just an album; it is a statement. This is Lostprophets saying ” We’re back. Move bitch, get out the way”, Ludacris style. You’d be a fool not to, because they’d probably beat you up or something. At least that’s the overall impression I get from ‘Weapons‘ on the whole!
I remember the first time I heard “Better Off Dead”, the first track that was to be released as a free download, back in January this year. I wrote a mini-review (read it here!), and concluded that “If this is something to go by for the new release, it means we can expect something big”. I couldn’t have been more accurate with those words. “Better Off Dead” sees the band venture back into their earlier sounds, with elements similar to those found in Fake Sound of Progress – for example, the “rapping”. This track has truly grown so much on me since I first heard it!
The first official single of the album is “Bring ‘Em Down“, and it is brutal. Both music and video-wise; absolutely brutal and I absolutely love it. It makes me feel obliged to be angry at everything and everyone – especially the guys beating up Ian in the video. Who knew splurting out blood could actually be hot?!
released 2/04/12 label: Epic
Listening through the album a few times, it seems very probable that any of the next singles will follow in a similar, albeit violent fashion. “We Bring Arsenal”, “The Dead” and possibly one of the best headbanging songs of our time, “If You Don’t Stand For Something, You’ll Fall For Anything” are all based on that constant: ANGERRRRRR LOTS OF ANGER RAAAAAGHH– …and are pleasantly juxtaposed with the calmer reverberations of “Someday” for example, which is quite the odd number on the album with its humble, acoustic beginning. Yes, you read that correctly. It starts acoustically - something that seldom features on any Lostprophets track. It actually turns out to be a lovely number, with lyrics such as “When you’re here with me, that’s all I need”. N’dawh. We all know that beneath his blood-splurting-sexy-and-I-know-it image, Ian is a softie at heart.
One of my personal favourites so far is “Can’t Get Enough”. I just can’t get enough of it… (Good lord, I may as well be employed by CGP). It must be heaviness of the drums and the slow but steady pace. And the fact that the lyrics are brimful of hate. But it’s a real heart-wrencher, kind of gives me goosebumps. An instant win in my books!
Having said all this though; I won’t try to overglorify this album, purely because I feel as if I’ve heard it all before. Of course, Lostprophets are mainly known for their passionate yet catchy music – so catchy to the point where sometimes you need to do a double take and think: “Wait, doesn’t this sound exactly like ____ ?”. Yes. Chances are that it probably does. But every artist has their own signature sound, right? This is Lostprophets’. What I fail to grasp though, is why do they attempt to break the boundaries of what they’ve done before without really pushing themselves outside their little yet epic box? It would have been amazing to have another couple of “Someday“s feature on this album – something calmer to steal us away from all the bouncy, upbeat rock that somehow manages to swarm with pessimism.
“We’re in great shape, physically and mentally”, states Jamie in an interview with Stereoboard [link here]. This statement is written all over ‘Weapons’. Because at the end of the day, it’s that strength and good inter-band bonds that will see Lostprophets continue to rise and take over the world. It’s their… weapon.
Anomnom rating: 8/11.
P.S: Don’t listen to the ignorant fools over at NME, whose general opinion is: “A predictably uninspiring album” – therefore whose general opinion is, quite frankly, invalid.
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I love your comment on NME. They really piss me off with their opinions. Who the hell cares what they think. Lostprophets once again bring something head-banging and are your best friends for pissed off days. We need albums like this. They are passionate and mainly, they are real.
I don’t know what is going on with the NME, they used to be my favourite people for music news!
They are SO real. Passionate and honest music is always a win (:
This is one of the best albums I”ve heard in years! Still can’t actually collect my brains to write a decent review but it will follow shortly.
This is the beats of an album. I also can’t get enough of “Can’t Get Enough” and the whole album to be honest. “Somedays” was a surprise – a very pleasant one. Also among favourites, alongside the bunch of bonus tracks, “Jesus Walk”, “Another Shot”, “We Bring An Arsenal”.
Haha, this album is one big arsenal which can destroy everything!
I agree; this is definitely one of the best releases in ages. It is a… wait for it…. a DSTRYER! DSTRYER!
I still stand by my point though, that is sounds all too similar to everything they have done in the past. It is a fantastic standalone album, and nothing less than we’d expect from LP! I just wish they could incorporate something fresh into their music now and again.
Thanks for commenting, looking forward to reading about your take on the album!
Hahaha, true! That’s it!
Well, it’s their emblematic sound. For me there were a few surprises – not radical ones, but something here and there. I believe that it might be a bridge for the next record with more surprising elements.
Really, I’ve heard so diverse opinions on the album. Some say it’s awesome and the best, others – the worst. Looks like a love-hate record.