REVIEW: Lordis – In Between Misery & Apathy [2018]

Artist: Lordis

Album: In Between Misery & Apathy

 

The human psyche is truly breathtaking. Between the highs and lows, the good times and the bad and from birth until death, we experience a stunning array of emotions, most of which have names—but some of them don’t. While it’s easy to capture and re-create those named sensations; sadness, anger, guilt, depression, the list goes on—it’s a whole hell of a lot harder to truly capture those emotions that fall through the cracks.

But don’t worry, because that’s where Floridian nu-metalcore outfit Lordis shine: in exploiting all the subconscious and conscious fears we old, capitalizing on our shared moments of depression and suicidal ideation—taking everything we’ve been too dumbfounded, downtrodden and laden with despair to describe and making it into one wild ride of an album:

In Between Misery & Apathy

The band’s long-awaited debut (and potentially final) full-length record, In Between Misery & Apathy is simply awe-inspiring. Aligning themselves with legendary like-minded acts such as VCTMS, Deadland, Yuth Forever and more, the group create dark, brutalizing and catchier-than-the-clap metalcore that hits with a hefty punch and leaves a very big hole.

In Between Misery & Apathy is a dynamic record that takes nu-metal, metalcore and downtempo deathcore and combines them into one awe-inspiringly aggressive amalgamation. From the second the full band kicks in on “Dead Drop,” through the ungodly heavy “Consume Me By Night” and the climactic, crushing beauty found within “The Dance,” Lordis touch on an entire spectrum of heavy music with talent and grace both. Songs like “Dead Beat King” and “Bad Seed” are fast and rambunctious, highlighting pummeling percussion and a chunky, bouncy bass foundation that sets the tone for sharp, scathing guitars to slice across. Meanwhile, “Dream Eater” and “Consume Me By Night” are the release’s two shining stars where ruthless heaviness is concerned. “Consume Me By Night” is an excellent example of Lordis’ ability to get goddamn insane—combining drums that sound like cannons and guitars that rumble and roar like jet engines to oscillate between slow, pounding grooves and even slower breakdowns, spaced out ever so slightly by riff-driven segments that keep things moving along instead of creating a figurative black hole in the “heavy” spectrum. In Between Misery & Apathy continues this dynamic, keeping the listener engaged throughout the entire release—tossing in hip-hop (“Dead Drop”) and swing elements (“Empress,” “Bad Seed”) to spice things up and prove they aren’t stuck in the “low and slow” mindset.

Where Lordis’ instrumentation excels at oscillating between low, lurid heaviness and quick, groove-tinted passages, the outfit’s vocal element is almost constant in its dark and oppressively depressive nature. From the first line of “Dead Drop” through the haunting, repeated urges that end “The Dance,” In Between Misery and Apathy is a powerhouse of emotional and intense lyricism let loose with marked vocal expertise. Improving immensely over the somewhat monotonous The Thin Line, Lordis’ vocals use much more diversity—especially where the guest vocalist is concerned (Alex Stankewitz of Loser on “Dead Beat King”) and where “Consume My By Night” and “Bad Seed” feature a plethora of lows—the likes of which that made “The Hangman” on The Line Line EP one of the few moments of vocal diversity. The takeaway is that Lordis’ vocal game has been stepped up on all fronts, be it lyricism, endurance, intensity or diversity—making In Between Misery & Apathy a much more intriguing listen with almost infinitely more replay value.

When a band has their listeners on the ropes for well over a year in anticipation of any new involving their full-length record, expectations start to mount—so in Lordis’ case, with it being close to three years, expectations were sky high. While the reasons for the delay were (mostly) out of their control, that did little to slake the sensation that this record better be damn worth the wait.
And it is.

While it’s still a touch on the short side, In Between Misery & Apathy is every ounce the record fans of the band could have hoped for, and even more so, stands to expand Lordis’ audience immensely. From the second the first track kicks in, the listener doesn’t get a break—Lordis keep up the insanity and brutality for over half an hour—ensuring that there are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore throughout the release with listen after listen. Even after having the record for months on end—closer to a year by the time you read this—it still hits hard and sends shivers down my spine like the first time I’d heard it, which is something precious few albums can do.

 

10/10

For Fans Of: Yuth Forever, VCTMS, Filth, Agerasia, Weeping Wound

By: Connor Welsh