Philadelphia's A Life Once Lost have finally created the monster they threatened to unleash on their debut 'Open Your Mouth..'. Where the prior record fell short in terms of production, mono vocals and focus, 'The Fourth Plague: Flies' represents the polar opposite, baring all the hallmarks of a band who have honed their skills and hit the ground running.
Blending technical mastery within a metalcore environment of Chugga-Chugga riffs is by no means new ground but ALOL are more than just subscribing to The Dillinger Escape Plan school of thought. The music incorporates elements of melodic death metal akin to In Flames and a distinctive European feel but the over riding theme is its clear, unforgiving bare knuckled ferocity. Indeed any given song on this record is largely segmented and given to a number of styles ranging from grind to thrash and equal amounts of tempo change. Some may call this forced but it works on one level in that it keeps the listener on their toes and if there's one thing this record is certainly not, its passive. By hook or by crook the music will draw you in to a point where the twelve minute duration of this disc feels more like a workout resulting in a stiff neck. The vocals are delivered in the form of throaty growls and needless to say the subject matter of the lyrics are largely indecipherable but a glance at the lyrics located in the record sleeve (designed by Aaron Turner of Isis) will confirm any suspicion of their down trodden and pessimistic nature.
Those looking to increasingly harder music to get their kicks will no doubt find some common ground here. The question though is just how many people fall within this envelope? Although short in minutes this disc has secured longevity by its very impact. Unless you happen to own livestock (see the biblical fifth plague) you'll be hugely anticipating any further material from this band. In the meantime this short but sweet record bodes well for the future and will certainly tie you over and them some. Look out for a full length in December via Deathwish Inc. (Converge, Boy Sets Fire)
