Review Summary: "A bit more cheer would have made Memoria swallowable, but it looks like this album will stay stuck half way down the throat."
When it comes to futurepop, I am often emotionally affected by its soundscape. I often interpret the music as melancholy, and as such, I feel the pain that is embodied through the dense, melodic atmosphere. Music has always greatly affected my mood, so when I find an album thick with depression, I definitely feel a bit depressed. In the case of my listening experience with Lost Area’s
Memoria, depression hit me like a hammer, and it took me some time to recover from the blow. I started by listening to the first track, and was honestly not expecting much until I hit the part at 1:01: the best introduction to vocals that I’ve ever heard. The immediate lyrics he sung were, “I was born in darkness, incomplete and all alone. Hiding myself and feeling safe in a lonely place called home”. What a beginning! Delaying the inclusion of the vocals until 1:01 builds tension, and when the lyrics “I was born in darkness” are sung, the trap is sprung and the mood is set. From then on, it is difficult to turn away from the album, it leaves you in shock, as you wonder what will occur next. Unfortunately, what happens next is nothing special, and is actually quite drab.
The band may know how to depress, but beyond that
Memoria is utterly forgettable. The reason for it being forgettable is that the listener would rather kiss an ostrich than remember what they listened to. Dark gloom permeates the album in the way rain clouds hang over head, you usually don’t want them there, but they remain there despite your persistent irritation. There is no end to the bitterness, sadness, rage, and depression in the album, it is a twisted experience that delves into the deep caverns of the band members’ minds. It is all grating to listen to, and the further you enter into the darkness of the cavern, the further the cavern consumes. I suppose the band could be congratulated for producing such a dreary album with only simple electronics, but then again, such an outcome was unwanted to start with. Some may be able to stomach the gloom in the album more than others, but I certainly do not enjoy the taste.
Save for a few good tracks, the entire album is boring; this is mainly due to the band’s depression, which in turn makes their music drag in the murky gray. It doesn’t help either that the vocalist has the weirdest/creepiest singing voice I’ve ever heard - there is too much despair bringing down the album, and very little that convinces the listener to continuing listening to it. Even when the electronics pick up the pace with catchy synth lines, they get drowned out by the despair that permeates everything. How tragic it is that the synths are the backbone of the band’s sound, for the band members have nothing else up their sleeves. Then again, futurepop albums are often dark, and synthesizers are definitely the main instrument. It is unfortunate that Lost Area did not make this album a bit more enjoyable. A bit more cheer would have made
Memoria swallowable, but it looks like this album will stay stuck half way down the throat.
Recommended Songs:
- Memoria
- Guardian Angel
- Strangers
- Eye of the Storm
- Ikarus
