Review Summary: Corny bandnames aside, there’s a lot of talent and promise to be found on this debut album.
Corny bandnames aside, Lastdayhere is easily one of those bands that could swarm the ''modern rock'' radios (albeit the heavier side) and one you just might listen to without finding yourself face palming every five seconds.
Lastdayhere is the band Three Days Grace or Seether could have been if they knew how to play their instruments. The band cites Dream Theater as an influence and justifiably so. For better or worse (feelings on Dream Theater have always been mixed here on Sputnik) they never transit into so called ''wankery''. Nevertheless every instrument gets it's time to shine whether it's a melodic guitar solo or a tasty double bass drum fill. There are plenty of odd time signatures to be found too. The chorus on the opener Burned Inside is perhaps the best example. I mean try tapping to that b**** (no pun intended).
So what made me categorize Lastdayhere in the post-grunge, nu metal generic fest in the first place? Well, Lastdayhere never stray too far from the formula, the song structures are all the same, emphasizing on big choruses. The lyrics are bad, but not excruciatingly so. Otherwise painfully generic lines like ‘'Save me from myself!!!’’ sound surprisingly powerful thanks to the excellent vocal delivery. And it’s moments like this, where Aaron Lewis of Staind would sound like a whiny little bi***, but on here it just makes up for an energetic chorus, not as depressing and ultimately more believable.
After hearing what they are really capable of, it’s that much more disappointing to see they are playing it safe. The record plays like a collection of songs, rather than a full blown album. There are only ten songs on the record and only two exceed the four minute mark. All are mid-tempo rockers and strikingly similar, and even if this never gets to the point of being tedious, one could wish for more diversity.
From pieces created is an effortless listen; catchy riffs, sing-along choruses, and enough odd-times prevent your attention from straying elsewhere. More often than not it feels like a long EP, merely a tease for a real album. Till then though we’ll just have to be satisfied with this more than solid collection of songs.
I'd be lying if I said there are many great bands in Slovenia, but the ones that are, are having a hard time making it abroad...
