Lostprophets – Weapons
Lostprophets’ new album Weapons isn’t a huge department for the band, seeing the Welsh rock outfit sticking to what they do best: gnarly drop-tuned guitar riffs and sizzling synths sanded down with a slick, arena-ready sheen.
Critics were disappointed with the band’s previous LP The Betrayed — even more so considering the preceding albums were the fairly-OK Start Something and Liberation Transmission.
With Weapons, older fans (was Thefakesoundofprogress really released 12 years ago?) will be excited to learn that the lyrics are reminiscent of those found on the band’s first album, furthering the notion that Ian Watkins & co. felt it was time to revisit their roots.
The two singles released so far are decent indications of what to expect from the album. ‘Bring ‘em Down’ features plucked verse guitar lines and a huge harmonized choruses that would’ve fit alongside any track on Start Something, whereas ‘We Bring An Arsenal’ is more reminiscent of the band’s direction in recent years, placing the emphasis on delivering a rousing vocal melody.
Lostprophets have enjoyed something of a chart resurrection with this latest release, clawing their way back into the bottom end of the top 10 albums chart after two years out of the limelight. For better or worse, ‘Weapons’ manages to strike a decent balance between their old and new sound while showing some desire to prevent their tried and tested formula from growing stale.
The acoustic-laden track ‘Somedays’ is evidence of the this — an almost ballad-like effort that showcases the band’s softer side and sees them lay down at their most track commercial to date.
All that’s left now is to see whether Weapons will take the band further than they’ve already gone, as they still have a few of the UK’s largest stadiums yet to fill.
