There is definitely a different vibe to Landscapes’ latest offering ‘Modern Earth’, the maturity evident; the sonic levels this album hits leaking out like a tin of spilt red paint over a white marble floor.
Shaun Milton’s vocal parts are as strong as an ox and the clarity is simply wonderful. The crescendos of warmth are laid down from the get go. There is no need for a jacket when listening to this album with ‘Mouths Of Decadence’ providing that uplifting aura that perfectly prepares you for a Landscapes record.
As ‘Observer’ is evidence of their quality amongst others in the melodic hardcore scene, the energy relentless, ‘Death After Life’ shows a development from previous attempts, the euphoric angst still present, but with a more polished veneer that propels Landscapes to untouched ground, a blissful melting pot of fist and chest pumping sonic sound against a backdrop of emotional and heartfelt lyricism with such jewels as ‘I swear this world could be the death of me’.
There feels like an intentional scaling back on this record, ‘Embrace’ feeling warmer and less gritty than tracks from ‘Life Gone Wrong’. The first single ‘Neighbourhood’ enhances this idea, the melody soaring and high like a buzzard over hot concrete, the visceral screams of Milton summoning visions of warm summers days, the chorus enhancing their originality amongst others in the melodic hardcore scene.
The only criticism is that whilst the album is a seamless production, and works very well as a full length format and as a whole, it is more difficult than it was with ‘Life Gone Wrong’ to pick a stand out track or stand out tracks, each blurring into one another – not necessarily a huge admission, but more to a band changing their direction, and focusing more on the overall picture.
‘Escapist’ has you on your knees, the drawn out vocal screams of “take me away” leaves you hoarse whilst ‘Aurora’ displays the familiarly epic voice over parts seen in ‘Life Gone Wrong’ with some dark and deep themes, “I go to hide the herd in the shadows in the foolish hope that they won’t follow me home”, an ode to the fact that savagery and those with the sharpest teeth get the most meat from the bone.
The album closes strongly with ‘Radiance’ and ‘Transient’ offering a more familiar structure and sound, that fans of their first LP will have expected, the chug-chug in the latter wonderfully lazy, while ‘Heaven Ascended’ returns to much mellower grounds before Milton tears off your ears with a pounding and emotional barrage which leaves you simply exhausted.
Hats off these boys from Somerset who are refusing to stand still and have produced an album notable by its production and how it is seen as a piece of art, a full 11 track album totalling just over 25 minutes, a short release, but one that enhances their credentials as one of Britain’s finest – there are many layers to this band, and inevitably this is what often keeps a band afloat, offering more to revellers than the guys next door.
Although not initially as likeable as ‘Life Gone Wrong’, there are tracks such as ‘Death After Life’, ‘Neighbourhood’, ‘Radiance’ and ‘Transient’ that grow on you and get under the skin, finding that you are craving that sound later in the day. Change is good and it is encouraging to see Landscapes thinking of their development with what can be called a solid and welcome metamorphosis.
DAVE BULL