Lost Souls - 'Lore' album review
- Zara Fraser
- May 19
- 4 min read
You’re scrolling TikTok one day and a cartoon about corporate jargon pops up. As the cartoon man screams “as discussed; as per my previous correspondence” you think ‘hey, this is pretty cool, I wish they were an actual metalcore band’ - and then you realise your wish has come true. Lost Souls are an Aussie animated metalcore band formed in 2023. The bands popularity rose with the release of their track ‘childhood died’ which included the lyrics “my childhood became a lie the day that Luke Skywalker died from being tired”. I had mentally prepared myself for an album that may be a bit tongue-in-cheek, or one that didn't take itself too seriously, but this album was so much more than that. This album is meaningful, impactful and relatable. Let's take a deep dive into the new release and you'll soon see what I mean...
Track 1 - Existence I conflict – this track felt somewhat mythical from the get go. It draws you in with such an enchanting softness and, in a way, prepares you for how you’ll be feeling as you delve into this emotion-packed, trauma-exploring album. What this track brings in next is unlikely to be what you’d expect. A child’s voice is heard over soft violin, but the message isn’t child-like at all. “Is the only real solution to conflict to end existence itself?”; “does joy even exist without despair?”. Prepare yourself, because this is about to launch you into an album that will make you feel all the emotions.
Track 2 - Like and subscribe – Shifting gears, this song will pull a 180 on both your feelings and your ear drums. The lyrics are brutally real, such as “fuck getting good at something when you can trauma dump or have a kid” and “parent pimps exploiting their own kids, trying to make mummy and daddy trend”. This song explores the world of content creation, our chronically-online society and social media influencers, and it begs us to stop making idiots famous. It delves into exploitation of others and the reality that literally anyone can post online for a few views. Just how far are you willing to go for that 15 minutes of internet fame?
Track 3 - My soldiers rage – For listeners who’ve loved the bands past references to film media, this song will tickle your fancy with its tribute to the Japanese dark fantasy anime Attack on Titan. The hard vocals in this track go... well, hard! The chorus is a delightful contrast to this, reminding me of the amity affliction's clean vocals and melodic choruses. The harmonious layering of hard and clean vocals towards the end brings these elements of the track together well. This track was definitely one of my favourites.
Track 4 - xmoshlordx - I simply loved this track. Electric guitar leads you into this high-energy track and a catchy chorus keeps you hooked. Verse 2 introduces guest vocalist Jon from The Ghost Inside and kicks off a mid-song conversation. The concept of singing out the conversations you have with your friends at gigs is so much fun. The ending of this track will blow your mind. With all that said, I guess "all that's left to do is to hit the pit".
Track 5 - letter of resignation - this was my first impression of lost souls and I'm not mad about it. This track expresses how many have felt working their 9-5. The mix of frustration and anger worked into both the sound and the lyrics makes this track go harder than you imagine any track about corporate jargon could go.
Track 6 - remember my name - Just wait for the guitar solo in the bridge of this track. This one blew me away. The track is somewhat more melodic than the others on the album and is slightly calmer (I said slightly), yet retains a lyrical intensity that contrasts this softness. This track adds something extra special into the album.
Track 7 - Dopamine - Bringing the album back to its fast-paced beginnings, dopamine comes in with an electrifying intro and catchy hook of "give me dopamine". continuing on with the theme of relatability, the band sings "I'm sorry I zoned out, you just don't interest me", which I'm sure we've all either said or thought at one point or another in our lives. The irony of this song asking for dopamine is that it will provide you with dopamine in spades as you listen.
Track 8 - shallow graves - Is 'head bang-able' a word? If not, it should be, because the drums in this song are extremely head-bang-able. Verse 1 took me back to 2000's pop punk, which I loved against the hard vocals that came in later. 'There's no escape from my own brain' - no doubt this track will resonate with many.
Track 9 - the return - a comment under the music video for this track read "Sounds like 2012, which is most definitely a great thing" and I cannot agree more. The incredible hard vocals set against a clean chorus and a mesmerizing electric guitar solo make this track unforgettable.
Track 10 - boosters or plastic crack - The intro to this song is reminiscent of static sounds and old video game intros. It's fast, it's intense, it's over suddenly and you're reaching for the rewind.
Track 11 - childhood died - The track that you may be the most familiar with thanks to its references to star wars. With a soft start, kicking into a melodic chorus and relatable references, this song is the one most likely to get stuck in your head. The "bleugh" in this track is excellent, especially after the heavy vocals in the bridge. It's catchy, it's singable and most of all, it's so bloody right. How do Jedi die from being tired?
This album was so much heavier than I expected, and not just in terms of sound. The lyrics, the instrumentals, the angst you can hear in the vocalists' projections - the album will take you through so many emotions and will say things that you've probably wanted to say yourself many times over. Unafraid to criticise, to discuss contemporary issues, to call out poor behaviour - this album was brilliance.
