From Ashes To New
Reflections
It’s hilarious that there was a whole album’s worth of demos scrapped before this, because that implies a version that was somehow even worse. But apparently From Ashes To New have some sense of quality assurance; who knew? You’d never think so from the low-rent Linkin Park wannabes that now inhabit the profitable yet terminally unimaginable straits of radio-humping alt-metal. It begs the question how unusably bad in its original form Reflections was, then, and how much From Ashes To New think they can fool the general public into believing that this is an upgrade.
To put it bluntly, there’s nothing of note on Reflections. At all. It’s the mean average of every single radio-metal second- and third-stringer coagulated into 12 tracks, bereft of vision that’s even willing to entertain a unique thought. Based on prior knowledge, can you imagine what an alt-metal song called Villain is all about? How about Die For You? Or Parasite? Or New Disease? Or Darkside? Well, congrats—you’ve got a vivid mental picture of almost half the album without even pressing play. You’re not missing out on anything, either; it’s the same mid-tempo wallow of un-heavy yet slovenly guitars as all the others, and just as ineffectual to boot.
If there’s one thing that From Ashes To New do have for themselves, in how Matt Brandyberry still insists on rapping, even though he’s as supremely mediocre as always. With how sporadic it is this time, it might even seem worse, as the basic rhyme schemes and arthritic flows on a song like Falling From Heaven are corny beyond belief. He’s better as a singer, insofar as confusing him for every other performatively yearning nobody means he can slink away into the crowd. Again, there’s nothing to it. With each new, insipidly plodding step taken, that just becomes more and more apparent.
By the end, you’ve sunk 40-odd minutes into an album that offers nothing in return, just like most of From Ashes To New’s catalogue. It’s hard to say where Reflections ranks among the cavalcade of similar drudgery (the first one is fine, if memory serves, but that’s it), but when it says or does so little on its own, that hardly matters. In a vacuum, you’re left with this banal brick that’ll only inspire more than apathy if it’s literally the first thing in this style you’ve ever heard. Even then, there’s no guarantee. At least the scrapped version, so unsalvageable as it allegedly was, might’ve had literally anything worth discussing. • LN
For fans of: I Prevail, We Came As Romans, Catch Your Breath
‘Reflections’ by From Ashes To New is released on 17th April on Better Noise Records.
Lord Of The Lost
OPVS NOIR Vol. 3
Germany’s Lord Of The Lost draw their captivating tripart offering to a close with the final act, OPVS NOIR Vol. 3. The expansive collection has brought an impressive array of guests in LOTL’s realm as they broaden the horizons of their sound and creativity further than before. The album’s otherworldly introduction in Kill The Lights sees orchestral instruments gradually emerge from the dark. Monstrous harsh and heavy guitars erupt and quickly fade into a synth-led verse and clean vocals. It’s a dramatic opener to OPVS NOIR Vol. 3 that encompasses the multi-faceted nature of Lord Of The Lost’s eclectic sound. I’m A Diamond, featuring Saltatio Mortis frontman Alea, is a catchy, upbeat and rhythmic track that still retains LOTL’s gothic, moody quality. The vocal performances of Alea and LOTL’s Chris Harms create a commanding impact. My Funeral is not as shrouded in sorrow as one might expect. The gloomy musicality is accompanied by tongue-in-cheek lyrics such as “wear pink to my funeral”, that reconsider what is ‘normal’.
Joined by Wednesday 13, I Hate People is an industrially charged anthem that calls out inequality against marginalised groups. The metallic driving rhythm carries throughout the song, while lead-vocal lines inject a touch of the melodic. The eloquent and impactful The Shadows Within, is an impressive dynamic and symphonic addition to the track list. It’s an engaging offering with introspective lyrics. Featuring Kissin’ Dynamite frontman Hannes Braun, La Vie Est Hell is a grand offering encompassing both subtle piano moments and an explosive chorus. The track’s enthralling quality arising from the orchestration, tolling bells and soaring vocals with some lyrics sung in French.
Square One unveils a moody industrial edge, perfectly suited to the playlist of a goth nightclub playlist. Its catchy chorus is synth heavy with textural layers and vocoder vocals effects blending Chris Harms’ voice in almost as another electronic part. When Did The Love Break is a haunting duet with Ambre Vourvahis of Xandria. It’s powerful in a more intimate form, placing the central focus of the track on the lead vocal hook that is performed by both Vourvahis and Harms. The heaviness of Your Love Is Colder Than Death draws the focus of the sound, while melodic elements emerge and entwine around the distortion maintaining a compelling sound.
In Take Me Far Away, the sextet (and guest Damien Edwards of Cats In Space) traverse ominous progressions in its dark, rhythmic sound. The shadows hit against the uplifting quality of the chorus arrangement. A thunderous breakdown and Harms’ harsh vocals delve deeper into LOTL’s heavier side, expanding the dynamic range of this song. The theatrical drama, emotional grandeur from Lord Of The Lost materialises in its most beautiful form in the finale, The Days Of Our Lives. All aspects of this song combine in perfect harmony to strike the most empathetic and resonant chord throughout. From the atmospheric instrumental layers to the moments of space afforded between verses and choruses, the intensity is enhanced to an even greater extent. • HR
For fans of: Mono Inc., Deathstars, Beyond The Black
‘OPVS NOIR Vol. 3’ by Lord Of The Lost is out now on Napalm Records.
Love Rarely
Pain Travels
Don’t be surprised to see Album of the Year nods aplenty for this one come December. Emo, math-rock, post-hardcore and screamo arranged into lean yet thorny package as a reaction to family trauma? Wild horses couldn’t keep some people away!
But yeah, Love Rarely are the real deal. They’re the kind of the band that the underground is in no short supply of, but the inklings of how they’ve risen above the waterline add up noticeably and considerably. For one, the sound of Pain Travels is a stunner all on its own. The mix is simultaneously crystal-clear and aching in its groundedness, the ideal place for Midwest-emo dreaminess and Dan Gilson’s impeccable slap-bass to coexist. There’s this higher power coursing through Love Rarely that crystallises upon everything they try. Whiplash is the obvious example in pitching itself in the no man’s land between mathcore and dance-punk and seeming perfectly at home there, too. Elsewhere, there are fewer extremities touched, though songs like Will, Severed and Haunted still use their ample room to sprawl and metastasise without inhibition.
The biggest, brightest feather in Love Rarely’s cap, though, is vocalist Courtney Levitt and the utterly fearless display she puts on. It’s required for an album as raw as Pain Travels is (and the plainspoken approach to lyricism is absolutely the right choice), but even then, you’re getting so much more than La Dispute Lite. Boundaries between singing, shouts and screams are practically nonexistent, the epitome of realism in vocal release. Seldom is efficiency in these styles at this much of a premium, yet Love Rarely are staking claim to the whole thing on their first go. The fact that Pain Travels isn’t one for a light revisit speaks to its strengths, if anything; Love Rarely are properly drilling into what makes an album like this tick, and striking gold all the way down. Nail this down as one of the breakthroughs of 2026 already, ‘cause it’ll take some stiff competition to beat it. • LN
For fans of: La Dispute, Sweet Pill, The Callous Daoboys
‘Pain Travels’ by Love Rarely is out now on Big Scary Monsters.
Words by Luke Nuttall (LN) and Holly Royle (HR)
