When choosing to review stuff for Metal Injection I sometimes just sort of grab a random release from a label I like from a band that sounds familiar. This has been a surprisingly effective tactic for me over the years. This might be the best it's ever worked out though. I was familiar with the band, I forgot how much I love Lifelost, and this was a potent reminder that these Spanish Transcending Obscurity Records signees have always had a very special and powerful brand of black metal.
With their upcoming release Dialogues From Beyond we get a sense that the masters have attained a whole new level. This is some of the most well put together black metal I have heard all year, perfectly fusing modern flash and beauty with an old school sense of evil. Everything about this record sounds positively massive, from the gorgeous production that remains wonderfully dry to the rich and demonic vocals that can't help but to fascinate the listener and drag them down to hell.
There is a pulsing sense of drive to this record that makes it a really exciting listen. Not only that though but the breadth of sounds the album encapsulates is impressive. The cover art is almost smoky and hints at the demonic ministrations within. I can't help but be mesmerized by the soaring atmospheres and the punishing rhythm section. Within it all there is an amazing sense of space that serves to make Dialogues From Beyond a truly tasteful record. Lifelost have really stepped up their game in terms of songwriting here and every passing track immerses you deeper into the unforgiving void the band has crafted.
This is what European black metal has always been about, powerful and overwhelming stuff that is on almost a different plane of existence. Lifelost perfectly embody this with Dialogues From Beyond having refined a piece of art that you're not going to soon forget, but instead find yourself going over again and again. I find myself coming back to this record, a sort of lodestar for my fascination with the genre, but one spin and you'll see why.
In a year that has been very good for black metal, Lifelost have managed to craft something that stands above the rest. The unrelenting sonic assault is merely one piece in the puzzle of a much larger and almost transcendent aural situation. Dialogues From Beyond is the sound of massive soundscapes unraveling themselves before your eyes. you hear in every passing moment an even greater darker threnody to a time forgotten. This is a record that breathes and expands, encouraging the listener to really sink their teeth into everything it brings to the table.
Lifelost is a testament to the darker side of the human condition and encourages the listener to search for the madness within themselves. You will find yourself swept along with the band's ceaseless attack and be doomed to fall in love. While this may not be the black metal album of the year, it is certainly a strong fucking contender.
Score: 9/10
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