Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Album Review - Lord Of The Lost - Thornstar

* Thornstar is available from Napalm Records USA. To order your copy go here



Lord Of The Lost formally known simply as Lord was originally a solo project created by Singer/Songwriter Chris Harms in 2007 in Hamburg Germany. There have been a few band member changes over the years. The current member line up consists of Chris Harms (Vocalist, Guitar), Class Grenayde (Bass) Pi Stoffers (Guitarist), Gared Dirge (Piano, Synths, Percussion), and Niklas Kahl (Drums). 

In 2010 the band released their debut album entitled Fears. Dry The Rain, one of the most beloved Lord Of The Lost Songs has become indispensable for fans worldwide. 

2011 saw the arrival of the bands Sophomore album release, Antagony. This album features fan favorites such as Sex On Legs, Prison, and Undead Or Alive. Infiltrating the metal scene once again in 2012 the band released their third album, Die Tomorrow. This album offers hits such as Blood For Blood, See You Soon (One of my personal favorites), and Credo which has become an anthem for the band. 

Four years after their debut album, Lord Of The Lost released From The Fire To The Flame. This album includes Fists Up In The Air, a fast paced song with killer guitar work and some catchy lyrics such as, “We are proud! We are Strong! Shout it out loud! WE ARE ONE!” 

In 2016, Two years after the release of their Fourth album, Empyrean was born. Empyrean is an album that is considerably different than their previous work. The band chose to add more synth, industrial type vibes to their songs. I love the songs Raining Stars, In Silence, and Doomsday Disco. They’re unreservedly brilliant and exceptionally well written. 

Some of my favorite albums Lord Of The Lost have released are their two Swan Songs albums. The term “Swan Song” is a metaphor for a last performance before death or retirement. A description which fits these albums flawlessly. Swan Songs was released in 2015 while Swan Songs II was released in 2017. Both albums feature reimagined versions of their works. Some are even exclusive to these albums and are previously unreleased. The band also offers Swan Song Symphonies which are instrumental versions of some of their songs. The band worked with an extraordinarily talented classical Orchestra to create these absolutely remarkable renditions of their work. Some of my favorites are Six Feet Underground, See You Soon, Go To Hell From Swan Songs I, and Lighthouse, The Broken Ones, and My Better Me From Swan Songs II. These songs are awe inspiring and showcase the bands talent perfectly. 

Thornstar, the bands most recent album was released on August 3, 2018 on Napalm Records. This is in my opinion the quintessential album. From the very first moments of On This Rock I Will Build My Church to the last note of Ruins (or Live, Pray, Die, repeat if you have the Deluxe Edition) it is simply exquisite. Thornstar is a concept album which tells the story of the ancient civilization of the Pangaeians. When doing research on this topic the band chose to use archives rather than historians and integrated this information into their album in such a beautiful way. Thornstar is in my eyes their superlative album yet. Whenever I listen to it, the music gives me every feeling a great album should. You feel what these people felt by listening to the music and the lyrics the band has written. Love, loss, life, death. It’s absolutely exquisite. 

Thornstar wasn’t an album that was originally planned for the band. It was a direct reflection of the band not being able to join KMFDM on their scheduled tour of America in 2017 due to Visa issues. I personally would rather have this album and wait for a US tour. It’s that good! My favorite songs from this album are Black Halo, Haythor, The Mortarian, Forevermore, and Free Radicals, which is available on the Deluxe Edition. I highly recommend the Deluxe Edition. Lord Of The Lost have also created the album 10 Thorns. 10 Thorns consists of 10 acoustic versions of some of the songs on Thornstar. They chose the exemplary songs for an acoustic album. I highly recommend watching the music videos for On This Rock I Will Build My Church, Loreley, Black Halo, Morgana, and Voodoo Doll on Youtube. They’re available for your viewing pleasure on the official Napalm Records Youtube channel. 


I cannot wait to see what this band has in store for us. I certainly hope there is a Swan Songs III in the future! If you haven’t, check these guys out! They are so remarkable and their talent is far beyond anything I could ask for in a band. If you’re into Goth Rock, Industrial Metal, Gothic Metal, or Dark Rock then Lord Of The Lost is the band for you! 



Music video for the opening track, On This Rock I Will Build My Church 




Track Listing: 

1. On This Rock I Will Build My Church
2. Loreley 
3. Black Halo 
4. In Our Hands 
5. Morgana 
6. Haythor 
7. Naxxar 
8. Cut Me Out 
9. The Mortarian 
10. Under The Sun 
11. In Darkness, In Light 
12. Forevermore 
13. Ruins 

Deluxe Only Tracks:

14. Abracadabra (Feat. Dero Goi)
15. Voodoo Doll
16. The Art Of Love 
17. Lily Of The Vale
18. Penta 
19. Free Radicals
20. Live, Pray, Die, Repeat 






No comments:

Post a Comment

Relic Film Review

Relic is a daring horror drama about the dangers of Dementia. It encompasses the heart of both horror and compassion in one of the best IF...