Lotus Eater – Social Hazard.
Hailing from the less-than-glamorous streets of Glasgow, five piece metal outfit Lotus Eater have turned heads in recent years with a signature sound incorporating some of the industrial and experimental aspects of Nu-metal with more contemporary flavours of death-core and metal-core. But their sound goes farther than that. It has an unsettling undertone that I’ve never heard created as effectively from other bands, and that comes down to one main ingredient: Gloom. Gloom is our home. Doom and Gloom. These phrases are emblazoned on everything the band creates, from music to merchandise. Gloom is their aesthetic, their sound, their statement, and having such a developed artistic vision helps the band create consistency in their work that stays completely true to them and no one else.
Metal perfection.
Social Hazard is to me, exactly what a metal album should be sonically and artistically. The album features some of the most brutal production I have ever heard, with the band’s crushing low-tuned guitars, tight-as-anything drums and pieces of experimental electronic sound littered through-out, this album is just disgusting sounding, and it is so effective. The gloom monicker makes complete sense. Their is a constant feeling of unease riddled throughout the 15 minute EP. Simply put, is it sonically aggressive? Yes. Does it have an over-encompassing artistic aesthetic that is original and refreshing? Yes. Does it creep me out and make me scared to listen to it if all the lights are out? 100%. This EP is my favourite metal album of the year by far. It is everything I would’ve wanted from Lotus Eater, a band who had been impressing me long before this album’s release.
Favourite track.
My favourite track on this EP at the time of writing this post, is ‘Mother’. The intro gets me. Every. Single. Time. The guitars have an odd rhythm that, without the backing of drums, throws me off each time I listen. It is one of the more atmospheric songs on the EP; a lot less breakneck than a track like ‘Jawless’. It focuses more on creating an unsettling atmosphere, and with the crushing chorus it does more than delivers. The screams of ‘mother!’ during the chorus gave me goosebumps upon first listen, supported by the cavernous guitar riff. The warped vocals during the verses just adds even more layers to the creepy factor. It gives a different flavour than the usual screaming or aggressive rap-style delivery.
This EP is just massive. From it’s ginormous sound to the projection it’s had for the band, this album is one of the only times I would ever be ok with the description of ‘it slaps’ being used. Get crushed by this album’s astronomical power here: https://open.spotify.com/album/7pYfYulwcuJxCRTA8JwkGE?si=-HkubA7ySN2ePaXGTnJYjA
My second favourite release from this year is coming this Friday. Some of you who know me and my tastes will know exactly what is to come in my next two posts, but regardless I will see you on Friday then Sunday for my last two posts of the year.
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