Well, I'd all but given up hope on Lost Soul. I'd been a fan of their technical death metal since their debut release kicked my arse into another dimension back in 2000 (even though they'd actually been around in one shape or another, releasing demos and split albums since the early 90s). I felt their second album was a bit of a let down when held in comparison to the crushing attack of their first effort, but was glad to see them return to form with their third album 'Chaostream', released back in 2005 on Earache sub-label Wicked World.
Then, nothing. So far as I was aware they'd broken up and disappeared into obscurity - that was, until this little beauty caught my eye on the reviews list. The four years away since album number 3 has seen line-up changes, but not much of a change in sound (well, perhaps their death has a more Polish edge to it this time around, with much more of a Vader vibe than the Morbid Angel worship of 'Chaostream'). Come album number 4 and it's clear these guys still don't like to fuck about when it comes to grabbing your attention, with their super fast technical passages twisting and turning, eager as ever to bite deep into your soft flesh like a fat bloke in a burger eating contest. Bellowed growling vocals are occasionally turned into spoken passages a la David Vincent, but it's the guitars that really grab your attention, fighting it out with the drumming school onslaught as to which will get to batter your face clean of features first.
There are a few touches of fellow countrymen Decapitated in the tightness of the playing, with a huge amount of compression and noise gates set to maximum efficiency between each syncopated blast of riffage. Similarities with latter day Behemoth pop up here and there too, but I guess that's par for the course since they pretty much dominate this style of technically cold and sterile death metal these days. The album as a whole has an absolutely massive sound, I mean, REALLY monolithic – all this with the usual guitar/bass/drum combo for the most part as well (there are occasional pieces of synthesiser which act as intros etc, but not so much to actually make a large part of the bands overall sound).
To me, this is pretty much as perfect as Polish death metal gets. I couldn't wish for anything more from them. I just hope it gets Lost Soul the attention they most certainly deserve off the back of it. Be warned however, if you get this playing on a decent stereo, at the correct level of decibels (i.e all knobs at eleven, then snapped off) – you WILL be left violated. Don't say I didn't warn you.
http://www.myspace.com/lostsoulofficial
http://www.witchinghour.pl/artists-en-lost_soul.htm
