Terror Hungry

Looking back on the debut album of this young Finnish thrash quartet, Fast Loud Death, I seriously devalued that sumbitch as far as the score is concerned. Because looking at that 77 in hindsight (which is always 20/20, of course), there’s no way I can go below that in rating their second album, Terror Hungry, even though the element of surprise that the blistering energy of the debut had going with it is no longer here. As such, this disc isn’t quite as awesome as the first record that really grew on me, but still very damn good. As can be expected in cases like these, the unhinged free-for-all of rapid riffs and gang shouts of their first album are still very much present on this sophomore effort, but there is a more, dare I say it, mature approach at work. Or at least as mature as you should expect from an album with monocle-worthy song titles such as Thrashed Reality and Brewtal Awakening on it. My point is that the song structures show a touch more complexity and elaboration when compared to the straight-forward dashing of the debut. Tunes like Tyrant Takeover and Overdosed Brain tinker with the tempos throughout the song, showing that if these guys ever veer towards more proggy thrashing, I think they could pull it off. All who fell in love with the no-nonsense speed of the debut should not panic though, as there is plenty of chum to sink your most primal teeth into, Snowroad Blowout and Mosh It Up being the most notable ones of these songs. Guitar solos whizz by with reckless abandon (or should I say “wreckless”, ahahahaa yes I’m sorry, I’ll get me coat…) and singer Sammy Elbanna provides the kind of Zetro Souza-influenced screeching on the mic that is tailor-made for this level of hair-spinning. But all in all, I have to be honest about the ultimate function of this album and why it’s good that it’s here. Lost Society is a live band. A LIVE band. Just like giants of their own genre AC/DC, I feel that there is no way studio recordings can capture the things Lost Society does on the live stage. The sheer electrical charge blasted out in clubs or at festivals is something I haven’t seen from a young band in years and years. If you have the chance to see Lost Society live, do NOT miss it, and while you’re there, pick up Terror Hungry from the merch stand.