Gimmicks. Gimmicks are a terrible plague, especially in the world of metal. It seems as if we can’t live without them but this writer refuses to get used to it. Makeup, additional band members, cool locations or clothes, these are no replacements for what we’re all here for: music. So when a great band like Lorelei, known for their technical take on deathcore, release a video like this it just makes me angry. We’ll discuss it after the jump but you really need to hear/see this for yourself.
I was intrigued when they announced a new vocalist, as I am a fan of the dual vocalist style and Lorelei have always been a good example of its strengths. But what exactly does the second vocalist add to this song? It’s unclear but this is the least of my issues. The mix on this track is terrible. The vocals are basically inaudible during the verse and the guitars absent during the chorus. During the entire thing the bass is simply not there and everything sounds paper-thin. Exactly because of this, it’s hard to judge the new vocalist on his own merits, since he is often inaudible.
Sure, there are some interesting parts near the end of the track, with those Vildhjarta-like riffs in the background, but overall this is disappointing. The makeup on the singers’ face or the admittedly cool location and style can’t save this video. This is especially unfortunate since we really like this band and their last release. Hopefully they can refocus on what made us love them in the first time: their music.
-EK