Lostprophets
Start Something

THE REVIEW

Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace.

No, don’t get me wrong, I'm not reviewing the latest album by the Californian punk rockers known as Offspring, but this is the perfect title to summarize the career and discography of many modern bands. Among these are the Welsh Lostprophets.

"Start Something" follows the debut "The Fake Sound Of The Progress", to be precise the one with the big hit "Shinobi Vs. Dragon Ninja". And it precedes the more catchy "Liberal Transmission" which has received a flood of criticism.

What do these provincial guys play? A melting pot poured into notes. An attitude of a nu-metal band on paper, which finds little confirmation in reality, with a sound that delivers surprises on par with a mid-level thriller.

The band with whom the biggest comparisons can be attempted are The Used from the self-titled album. Similarities from the purely musical side, and not only.

The band presents the classic mix of melody & aggression, where the former prevails. Thus, pop melodies easily suitable for the general public are followed by more violent episodes (although the aggressive component is controlled like a pit bull on a chain) where they engage with heavy guitars sometimes leaning towards metal, brief inserts of screaming vocals, and occasionally some hardcore aspirations, with increasingly pressing rhythms. And a final happy note is the hip-hop influences almost reduced to zero, which can only be a good thing, especially for me. Despite this, the DJ earns his keep by being the screamer (!)

The first category includes tracks like the ballad full of arpeggios and xylophone notes "Last Train Home", a successful single with a video that I remember even airing on MTV at the time, the pleasant "Goodbye Tonight" and the more laid-back "Hello Again" and "Last Summer".

The second type includes the descent, indeed the triumphant ride at full throttle and speed, towards the infernos "To Hell We Ride" (the best episode of the lineup) and the extreme "You Are Godzilla, We Are Japan" (where screaming plays a predominant role) both with evident hardcore influences, the opener "We Still Kill The Old Way" (the more commercial alter ego of "Shinobi vs. dragon ninja") and the title track which, after a whirlwind and massive first part, ends up with strong piano notes, becoming almost epic.

Skilled at proposing and reworking various influences and incorporating them into their own engine, less so in some instances due to the excessive commercial appeal of the songs ("Burn Burn").

"Start Something" tries to satisfy everyone, both mainstream audiences and lovers of harder sounds, and the result, although with some mishaps to bear in mind, reasonably reaches its target.

Lostprophets - The Used 2-2 (11' Maybe memories (U), 20' On my own (U), 44' Last train home (L), 86' To hell we ride (L)

Home: Mike Chiplin, Lee Gaze, Mike Lewis, Jamie Oliver, Stuart Richardson, and Ian Watkins

Guests: Dan Whiteside, Brendan Steineckert, Quinn Allman, Jeph Howard, and Bert McCracken

Referee: Sony BMG