LostAlone waste no time in getting into this album; the first track on ‘Shapes Of Screams’ launches straight into the vocals. ‘Crusaders’ is one of the more melodic, vocal based songs on the record, ending on a ‘music box’ style version of the chorus. The second song turns things up a notch, and after the sound of ringing bells, kicks in with some heavy guitar work. These two songs are a great way to start the album and show the two different sides to this band; the lyrically and melodically led side, and the heavier guitar led side.
The next song, ‘Hostages’, is accompanied by strings, and they start the song, before vocals and drums join. Between the strings and the harmonies that really beef up this track, it becomes anthemic and would not be out of place on the set list at an arena show. Once the opening chorus is done we truly see frontman Steven Battelle’s talent with a guitar through the epic solo that brings guitars into the song.
‘Guilty’ is a song the band had already been playing live, and works perfectly in that set up with its easy to sing along to refrain of ‘g.u.i.l.t.y’ (there’s also now no chance of a LostAlone fan forgetting how to spell guilty). Something you didn’t get live was the beginning of the track, the sound of court proceedings ending with a judge saying ‘you have been found…’ at which the refrain kicks in. The song then finishes as cleanly as it starts with one final strum of a guitar chord.
The whole album is full of strong, powerful songs, whether they are led by vocals or guitars, including clever introductions and sudden endings before coming to an end on the shortest song of the collection, which has a very choral sound. ‘Shapes Of Screams’ has you waiting for the day this band can headline arenas and reach their full live potential, as they already seemed to have done the best possible on this record.
