Building on the versatile, technical hard rock and alternative metal elements exemplified on their 2022 debut EP Ruin Within, Lords of Ruin (each member of which uses the moniker Lord to cement their identity) seek to attain the next level with their new offering Coda Revival.
Decay opens the EP with pulsating, battering drums and enigmatic vocals as Lords of Ruin tell their story of surrender and longing for connection. Decay / Jealousy controls the world / Integrity cannot be earned / Come with me and I surrender / Fall with me and you can’t breathe / All I have is right before me. Authoritative and incendiary guitar riffs drive the song, complete with a slower, heavier bridge and a sizzling end section. The theme of decay and jealousy controlling the world reflects an implication of disillusionment. Lord Dox’s forceful delivery convincingly conveys the search for meaning amidst inner turmoil. This from a frontman who cites vocalists as diverse as Michael Jackson, Myles Kennedy, Andrea Bocelli, Ray Charles and Axl Rose as his inspirations.
Throughout Coda Revival, the sense of overcoming challenges and finding beauty within the darkest moments of our lives is a recurring theme. Second track Bulldozer emphatically and effectively delivers a message which both musically and lyrically delicately balances determination and the difficulty in embracing change. Opening with urgent and insistent guitar from Lords Kev and Stones, Bulldozer is destined to become a live favourite with its searing guitar solo and a sing-along chorus which would not be out of place on an album by Europe or the Scorpions. Rise / There’s a beauty in the smile behind your eyes / It’s time to take it over / Fly high / The winds of change will take you back to life / But tonight, there’s an angel on your shoulder. Evoking feelings of hope and empowerment, Bulldozer emphasis the transformative power of perseverance and self-discovery.
The band clearly see the EP as a stepping stone. “This EP is our way of drawing a line under everything we’ve done up until now, while leaving indications of what’s to come. This is not the end, but it is the final piece of this chapter of Lords of Ruin and a culmination of what we’ve been working on since our inception.” Universal features impressive bass work from Lord Liam throughout and musically is an arresting concoction of all the elements that represent the core of what Lords of Ruin are aiming for. Diving further into complicated emotions, this song tries to make sense of struggling to find satisfaction in life while being defiant and determined to break free from chains of the past. Long been trapped / On this never-ending, ever-changing life / Nothing satisfies my heart no more / Feeling scared / But it’s complicated/ I won’t change my mind / Can’t quit before I start.
Broken Dreams (the heaviest and lyrically darkest song of the EP) portrays a protagonist once again reflecting on life, contemplation of drastic actions and mourning for misused or wasted time. I’m wandering through my mind / I see my broken dreams / I see my broken life / I’m wandering through my life / Nothing’s what it seems. Lord Steve-O’s drums ebb and flow with the changing tempos that eddy throughout the track’s four minutes mirroring the extremes of dispositions experienced throughout. Brutally introspective, Broken Dreams captures the theme of shattered dreams and the realisation that things are not as they seem.
At 18 minutes long, Coda Revival is the perfect introduction to Lords of Ruin for the uninitiated. Fans of melodic hard rock, metal and more traditional British metal will find much here that demands repeated listens. If this is as truly transitional as Lords of Ruin claim, it will be fascinating to see where they head next.
Coda Revival is available now.
Written: 30th November 2023
Visit the band's Spotify page here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7gFG5IaFRndLTzRHPT7vHM
Watch the lyric video for Universal and the official video for Broken Dreams below.