In Search of Resonance

Modern Melodic Death Metal is what we got on offer here from this Austrian band which has been existing for more than 15 years. While this record is classified as EP it contains 6 tracks and a total running time of nearly 30 minutes so there is quite some value for your money (in case you are not just streaming the songs on their Bandcamp page).

While the guys think of themselves as “standing out of the masses” most of the stuff that can be found on “In Search of Resonance” is hardly new or innovative. We heard similar riffs in older records from Dark Tranquility or In Flames and while there are no clean vocals some of the refrains have similar harmonies to certain Soilwork titles. While this might sound a bit negative in the first place it is the way how Lost Vital Spark present the songs that really got me hooked. They are taking all the standard elements putting them back together with ease and a kind of maturity that makes me think that they clearly deserve more attention.

This is a band that exactly knows what chords and melodies to use in different situations. The songwriting is brimming with small details and some twists and turns that are not really changing the formula but adding a freshness some of their better known peers have been lacking over the past years. The instrumentation is slightly more complex than on most similar albums but not to the point where the music loses its immediate accessibility. Powerful drumming and highly melodic solo work are surrounding the very harmonic choruses some of which are going to stick with the listener for quite a while. The basic structure of each is song is well defined so that the interest of the passive consumer cannot be lost. Whenever the well-known path is left for more complicated sections it does not take too long before we are getting back to the groovy and uplifting basis of the music.

Not only the instruments are played on a very professional level but also the singer has a fantastic tone offering a mixture of aggressiveness and a feeling of when to keep the tone a bit smoother if a situation asks for it. Add to all these facts a very polished and punchy production and you got a winner. Some purists might find something to criticize because of the modern production and a few staccato riffs but make no mistake: This is some quality Metal music that easily competes with some of the genre’s big names.