Album Review: Lords Of Black - Alchemy Of Souls Pt II

Here we are again. Lords Of Black return with the second installment of what was an underwhelming album, and it also so happens to be the second full album of the year featuring Ronnie Romero's voice (plus a couple of other guest appearances). I keep complaining about the over-saturation of certain people on the scene, but it doesn't seem anyone is going to slow down and reduce the amount of times they pop up. Before we even get to discussing this album, I'll just say I was even less excited going into it than the band itself deserves, simply because I've grown tired of hearing Ronnie's voice so often. I have no built-up appetite to hear him when it's barely been any time since his last release. I get the realities of the music business right now, but as a fan, it gets tiring.

As for this album, the band comes out of the gates trying to be as dark and heavy as they can on "Maker Of Nothingness", but that is not at all their strong suit. The guitars don't have the right tone to sound sinister, and while Ronnie's rasp does fit the approach, it needs far more melody to carry the song. It sounds less like a song and more like a five-minute tone setter, which is not a strong way to start off an album.

Lords Of Black have been trying to straddle the line between being a hard rock band and a melodic metal one, but the production choices they make don't lend themselves to either. The guitar tone is the biggest problem, being too soft and saturated to carry a metallic edge. The band doesn't sound heavy, but rather almost fluffy. The ringing chords are washes of sound, and the muted riffs hit like a Nerf ball in the face. Turning up the gain dial doesn't make things heavier, and this album is a solid example of how that is true.

But even that could be forgiven if the band was delivering great songs, which they aren't. I don't know if it's the conceptual nature of these sorts of albums that let musicians think they don't have to bring their A-game, but this is yet another one that treats the songwriting as second fiddle to whatever greater ambitions they think are there. Great albums, whether concepts or not, are only great when they have the requisite songs. Lords Of Black not only don't have the songs, but they make the case Ronnie's main band might be his weakest. Compare this to the Sunstorm record he sang on earlier in the year, and there's no comparison which one is more memorable. I think I've already forgotten every detail of this one.

Perhaps this comes down to the psychological desire of many musicians in bands to prove they are somehow more than that. Lords Of Black's two album set is a grand idea, but it exposes the shortcomings they possess. There's a lot more artistic merit and talent involved in writing great songs, no matter how rote they may be, than there is in proving you don't know your limitations. Not everyone needs to make a concept album. Writing lyrics about a story doesn't necessarily make you any more of an artist. It heightens the scrutiny you'll receive, though, and if you're not firing on all cylinders, that's the last think you'd want.

Case in point here.