“A Great Artist” was originally released back in 2003 and was the recording that changed the career of “A Life Once Lost” because it was this album that started off the bidding war to get them signed, which culminated in 2004 with them putting pen to paper with Ferret Music.  “A Great Artist” went out of print in 2004 and, probably because of the resurgence of this genre and also the fact that their latest release, “Hunter”, has already sold over 30,000 copies, Ferret Music have decided to re-release.   

A Life Once Lost are classed as a heavy Metalcore band and originally formed way back in 1999 in Philadelphia.  Now, although the 3 original founders of the group are no longer part of the set-up, “ALOL” have still continued to make music.  Personally, I feel that Metalcore is a bit too vague a description for these; they seem to range from Deathcore, through Metalcore, with at times heavy hints of Extreme Progressive Metal.  However, the band themselves describe their sounds as “Technical Groove Metal”.  WHAT THE F**K? Whatever happened to the good old days when we managed with about 10 genres? 

With this release “ALOL” threw aside their previous style of technical discordant metal (a rather boring sound in my opinion) and have replaced it with a newer sound that makes use of extremely odd and off-putting time signatures, highly complex rhythmic measures and some extremely experimental guitar sounds that, overall, add up to another really boring sound. 

The sounds throughout the release make use of a mid-paced tempo which is full on from start to finish; they certainly take no prisoners when it comes to mashing up your brain cells.  The drums are very complex and syncopated, some may even say twisted, but still manage to sound natural, tribal, and god knows how but they keep in time with the rest of the sounds.  The vocals range all the way from distant whispering (Anything Under the Sun), through lower growling all the way up to mind numbing snarling (Pious).  Putting the experimental guitar sounds to one side, they still manage to use standard twin attack guitar harmonies to good effect at times, which helps to bring you back to some small semblance of normality, but these are few and far between and the tendency is to finish off listening to the CD with a sense of surreal madness enveloping your persona. 

Whilst this didn’t do anything for me, not really my style, undoubtedly it's aimed very much at a niche market  and as such will no doubt receive rave reviews on specialty sites and be a huge hit within the market they are targeting. If you do pick up a copy though, don't play it in front of children younger than 14, because it could seriously affect their ability to produce cohesive thoughts for the rest of their lives. A brutal, pummelling collection of discordant, twisted mish mash that could not be played in any open area inhabited by sensible, mature adults without fear of causing severe sensory deprivation and possible brain damage - actually that may be a recommendation of sorts!

Let us know your views on 'Poetic Justice'

Track Listing

Surreal Atrocities
Cavil
Change Came Suddenly
Never More Will I Have An Understanding
In Anything Under The Sun
Maudlin
Pious
Wicked Will Rot
Overwhelming

Line Up 

Robert Meadows - Vocals
Robert Carpenter - Guitar
Douglas Sabolick - Guitar
Nick Frasca - Bass
Justin Graves - Drums