When I first listened to the seven-piece Lorelei’s new album, Lore of Lies, I thought for sure that this band has to come from across the Atlantic Ocean, hailing from one of those crazy European countries. When I ventured onto their Facebook page, I saw that they were from none other than my home state of North Carolina. Listening to Lore of Lies, I can plainly see that they draw influence from other bands of this genre such as Ovid’s Withering and The Breathing Process.
The first track’s title, “Preface to Insanity,” is an accurate description to the content of this track. This thrill ride of an album starts off with a somber, relaxing piano piece which reminds me of something right out of a horror movie that would be played inside of an eerie manor. Just when you’re starting to get relaxed, “Godfather Death” changes the mood completely and crushes any relaxed feelings that you had. As soon as this song begins, you get a taste of the epic, atmospheric ambience that Lore of Lies traps you in. The dirty riffs, melodic keys, hard-hitting drums and guttural vocals mixed with brutal high vocals all join together to create an entirely new world that leaves you in suspense for your entire stay.
The third track, “The Dunwich Horror,” begins with goosebump-inducing keys and pounding drums that will also get your heart pumping and your blood racing. I can’t help but get the feeling that I’m about to open the creaking, rusted gates of a haunted manor as I get lost in this song. The fourth track, “The Mortal Immortal,” has a great first half, but my brain exploded when the second half of the song hit. The tracks titled “Masque” and “Salem Town” both feature black metal-esque clean vocals that sound a tad out of place with the rest of the music. Skipping to the final track, the title track, I don’t even know where to begin. The keys about a third of the way through sound awkward and like noises you would hear from an ’80s arcade game cabinet, but that’s my only complaint. The drumming in many places on this track is expertly done as well. This song is filled to the brim with beautiful instrumentation and heavy blast beats that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Everything on Lore of Lies is captivating. The drumming on every single song is fantastic, as blast beats and technical drumming are executed with ease. The drumming on “The Dunwich Horror” and “Lore of Lies” is at its peak on the album. The guitar riffs are distorted and dirty with pinch harmonics being thrown around to add even more depth to this awesome world that is being created. The solos on songs such as “The Mortal Immortal” or “Masque” alone are enough to melt the skin right off of your face. A lot of bands in this genre utilize keys in one way or another, but Lorelei makes them an essential part of the band – and they pull it off. They keep the key parts unique and seamlessly integrate it right into each song. Each band member does an incredible job and is an expert at setting the atmosphere.
Every second I spend listening to Lorelei’s Lore of Lies is another second I spend inside of a world crafted within the mind of a lunatic. It might make me insane as well, but it’s a world that I can enjoy. Whether you’re a fan of the genre or not, give Lore of Lies a listen and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
