Review Summary: Even 5 years after its release, Love and Death's debut album still remains one of the most consistent nu-metal records out there.
Brian "Head" Welch left Korn in 2005 after converting to Christianity. Shortly afterwards, in 2008, he released his solo debut album Save Me From Myself, featuring much of the same heaviness of Korn accompanied by lyrics revolving around God and religion. Following this solo project, "Head" formed a band under the name Love and Death.
In 2013, Love and Death released their debut record, Between Here and Lost. This proved to be a great improvement from Brian's previous album in terms of musicianship and vocals. Between Here and Lost is filled with distorted, down tuned guitars recorded by the (at the time) teenage J.R. Bareis, providing a much heavier nu-metal vibe compared to that of the former Save Me From Myself. Although the guitar work is the main standout of the album, the bass and drums help drive the songs along, keeping the entire record alive from start to finish. To accompany these instruments, Welch's clearly improved vocals provide a wider vocal range, from mere whispers in Bruises to the screams found in Meltdown. This combination of heavier instrumentation and enhanced vocal abilities provides for a standout record in the genre of nu-metal.
As said previously, the album relies on excellent guitar work for the progression of the album. Many times, the guitars are very reminiscent to the older days of Korn with haunting dissonance and hidden guitar harmonies found in the background of most choruses. I W8 4 U boasts heavy open chords alternating with higher pitched dissonance chords, while songs like Paralyzed and Fading Away rely on pummeling guitar riffs, focusing on brutality rather than technicality. Despite the lack of technicality, the guitar work remains intriguing as each song provides a new atmosphere for the guitars, ranging from the fast-paced chaos of The Abandoning to the melodic alternate picking of Bruises. Although the guitars appear at the forefront of the album, the bass (Michael Valentine) and drums (Dan Johnson) cannot be neglected. In spite of the fact that there is not much innovation or originality found in either of these roles on the album, they play a large part in driving the songs along and keeping the overall tone of the songs at hand.
As for "Head" as a writer, it is clearly obvious he has matured since his past record Save Me From Myself. His lyrical themes reach a deeper level than what was previously found, and his ability to write catchy melodies to go with the lyrics has grown abundantly. Although primarily revolving around Christian-based lyrics, "Head" delves deeper into the world of addiction, failure, and even the death of a loved one. Although the lyrics do seem lackluster at times, as in the verses of Watching the Bottom Fall, they have greatly improved compared to those found in Save Me From Myself and open up to more thought-provoking ideas.
Overall, this is a phenomenal album and a must have for any nu-metal fan out there. Although there isn't much originality or innovation found throughout this album, it holds to be a solid debut album even to this day. Now, all we can do is wait in agony for the next Love and Death album that has been rumored for years.
Standout Tracks:
Bruises
I W8 4 U
My Disaster
Meltdown
