Losa - The Perfect Moment
Metal Blade - 3984-14507-2 - 03/05/2005
By Patrick Walsh
Although Losa may initially seem like another throwaway addition to the seam-bursting ranks of American metalcore, The Perfect Moment is at least an attempt to throw a few new elements into the mix. Clearly there's been a concerted effort to sound apart from their contemporaries, and this Losa manage, but it's questionable whether this actually works to their advantage or not. Still, it's an admirable attitude to have, and one that may pay dividends in the future. Each track on this album tends to twist and wind around myriad riffs, builing towards crescendos and the like before seguing into the next song.
The Perfect Moment plays as a kind of life concept, and 'The Beginning', which kicks in after the obligatory 'Prelude', shows the band coming in at full force, a barrage of melodically-tinged, not untechnical riffs overlaid with the standard raspy vocal approach so beloved of these kinds of groups. However, what this track also shows is that that Losa have some nice ideas in mind, as it slows down into a more sombre affair, with the vocalist unfortunately resorting to a sub-Opiate era Maynard James Keenan voice. While it does add a nice shift in gears, its execution is a little clumsy, and unfortunately this is true of much of The Perfect Moment. 'The Witness's Account' is consistently good however, and exhibits some smooth transitions between the harsh and softer elements of the band, not to mention showcasing some highly adept drumwork. 'From the Ashes of Infancy' is probably the album's highlight, as it semalessly displays the different facets of the band without sounding directionless, and even builds up into a very nice climactic chaos of guitars, drums and screams.
'Church of Pitted Vipers' stands out because it's mellow for the most part, but the band don't seem capable of exploiting this side of themselves as well as their more bombastic half; they're just never as engaging whilst going slow, particularly due to vocal limitations but also because the band come across as unsure as to how to approach the more laid back parts. This is The Perfect Moment'sbiggest weakness. With a mostly solid affair that shows much potential, Losa have already succeeded in creating a sound that can be deemed as theirs, and in future it'll just be a matter of refining it into a more palatable form.
6.5/10
Official Losa Website
Official Metal Blade Records Website
Metal Blade - 3984-14507-2 - 03/05/2005
By Patrick Walsh
Although Losa may initially seem like another throwaway addition to the seam-bursting ranks of American metalcore, The Perfect Moment is at least an attempt to throw a few new elements into the mix. Clearly there's been a concerted effort to sound apart from their contemporaries, and this Losa manage, but it's questionable whether this actually works to their advantage or not. Still, it's an admirable attitude to have, and one that may pay dividends in the future. Each track on this album tends to twist and wind around myriad riffs, builing towards crescendos and the like before seguing into the next song.
The Perfect Moment plays as a kind of life concept, and 'The Beginning', which kicks in after the obligatory 'Prelude', shows the band coming in at full force, a barrage of melodically-tinged, not untechnical riffs overlaid with the standard raspy vocal approach so beloved of these kinds of groups. However, what this track also shows is that that Losa have some nice ideas in mind, as it slows down into a more sombre affair, with the vocalist unfortunately resorting to a sub-Opiate era Maynard James Keenan voice. While it does add a nice shift in gears, its execution is a little clumsy, and unfortunately this is true of much of The Perfect Moment. 'The Witness's Account' is consistently good however, and exhibits some smooth transitions between the harsh and softer elements of the band, not to mention showcasing some highly adept drumwork. 'From the Ashes of Infancy' is probably the album's highlight, as it semalessly displays the different facets of the band without sounding directionless, and even builds up into a very nice climactic chaos of guitars, drums and screams.
'Church of Pitted Vipers' stands out because it's mellow for the most part, but the band don't seem capable of exploiting this side of themselves as well as their more bombastic half; they're just never as engaging whilst going slow, particularly due to vocal limitations but also because the band come across as unsure as to how to approach the more laid back parts. This is The Perfect Moment'sbiggest weakness. With a mostly solid affair that shows much potential, Losa have already succeeded in creating a sound that can be deemed as theirs, and in future it'll just be a matter of refining it into a more palatable form.
6.5/10
Official Losa Website
Official Metal Blade Records Website
