Lord of the Lost continues its great work.
Just a few months after the first volume, Chris “The Lord” Harms (vocals/guitar/violin), Class Grenayde (bass), Gared Dirge (keyboards/guitar/percussion), Pi “?” Stoffers (guitar), Niklas Kahl (drums), and Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler (guitar/keyboards) present OPVS NOIR Vol. 2, once again with the support of Napalm Records.
The album opens with The Fall From Grace and its gentle keyboard intro, which returns to the imposing tones we know and love, followed by Chris‘ instantly recognizable voice, which energizes the mix while maintaining a rather solemn tone. The choruses are obviously more catchy, bringing the whole band back together, then the break lets the screams appear before a final chorus that leads into Would You Walk With Me Through Hell?, where the band welcomes Lena Scissorhands from Infected Rain. The song is quite contrasting, moving from virulent industrial passages to this unpredictable and often aggressive vocal duet, but also a massive and surprising mosh part, while One Of Us Will Be Next is much softer, adopting melancholic ballad patterns. The saturation returns to energize the choruses, but it is with Walls Of Eden that the band really gets back on track, offering a song that is clearly tailored for the stage and will have no trouble uniting an audience that comes to concerts knowing what to expect. The tone changes completely with the arrival of Käärijä for Raveyard, who transforms an already lively and motivating track into a real dance frenzy for a totally crazy break with his rap, which led him to second place in Eurovision. The tone returns to heavier tones for The Last Star, which calms down in the verses but remains energetic in the choruses, allowing for some crowd movement, but the backing vocals fail to dampen their fury, as on What Have We Become, which features Chris Corner (IAMX) for a more experimental touch. The contrast between the two vocalists is perfectly served by an industrial rhythm before returning to an intoxicating and seasonal coldness for Winter’s Dying Heart, the album’s second ballad with sublime instrumental passages that rival the singer’s voice without overshadowing it. Scarlight offers us a moment of respite before setting off again at full speed, even treating us to a solo between two explosive choruses, and finally the Germans tackle a new duet on Please Break The Silence with Anna Brunner (League of Distorsion, Exit Eden). Melancholy and energy collide, particularly in the break before a rather abrupt finale, then Sharp Edges brings the album to a close with an almost heady sweetness thanks to particularly soft keyboards that become noisy for the climax, leading us to the final.
While the previous album was very straightforward, OPVS NOIR Vol. 2 seems to take a slightly different direction, taking more risks and experimenting more. It still retains the inimitable Lord of the Lost touch that will appeal to fans.
80/100
