Last Souls
Light
5.8
The mighty Drew Ailes described this Italian band’s previous demo (Inner Voices) as “very okay,” and while I haven’t heard that particular recording, I’m either an easier sell than Mr. Ailes or Last Souls have improved to a slight degree. Still, their third demo is a frustrating release. Though the slow, melodic moments are executed well and are thus enjoyable, when LS speed up and simultaneously transition into blackened death, the appeal lessens significantly.
Opener “Light” relies heavily on piano, and the keyboard backdrop does indeed contribute to the atmosphere, which results in the title track being emotional and stirring – at least until the five-minute mark when the tempo gets upped. Ironically, “Forgotten Screams” is mostly forgettable despite Last Souls’ tackling of blackened melodeath a la Immortal Souls, et al. “Meltin’ Snow” is a dismal instrumental with a noticeable Agalloch vibe in place, and is easily the finest of the four. Unfortunately, “When the Hope Falls” returns to the black/death formula that doesn’t seem to ever work in the band’s favor. Rather, it exposes their weaknesses, though the leads from 2:00 and on are diamonds in the rough. The switch to acoustic-led instrumentation at 6:15 is a nice touch, and said technique should be familiar to Woods of Ypres fans.
About half of this 26-minute demo I really like. The other half – well, not so much. Last Souls are great when they opt for soft, melody-infused songwriting, but drop the ball when the heavier yet innocuous counterpart is summoned. In effect, Light is what most would call a mixed bag.
Related
Last SoulsInner Voices
2/1/2005