With the release of this new album, The Lost Prophets have returned to the fold and embraced their punk roots. Opening track If It Wasn't For Hate is very Faith No More-esque with lead singer Ian Watkins sounding like a dead ringer for Mike Patton. The band plough through the first three songs at breakneck speed with nary a catchy chorus ala Liberation Transmission to be seen.
If Liberation Transmission was their commercial album then The Betrayed is most certainly its antithesis. It's certainly feeling like call to arms with Where We Belong finally showing the band's trademark anthemic choruses and Watkins rallying the troops with the chorus
"Oh take these storms away, Start a brand new story, I'll make it through each day, Singing death or glory. Lord won't answer me. I won't let it bring me down"
The lyrics are a little cheesy but you get the idea on what the band are trying to do with this album. Rebel! Revolt! Viva La Revolution. It's the album's Rooftops and probably one of the high pieces of the album.
Similarly themed songs Next Stop, Atro City continue in the sam vein before the reggae tinged For He's A Jolly Good Felon turns up and turns things upside down. For me this song sounds like something The Police would release until of course the big choruses come in. Maybe a cool guitar riff ala Lucky You could have helped that song ?
A Better Nothing is a better song with a nice piano intro and a piercing guitar riff that we know and love about the Prophets coupled with some nice harmonies from the boys.
Streets of Nowhere probably comes closest to capturing the sound from Start Something with its pop punk rhythms and melodies.
Dirty Little Heart, the album's ballad is almost anti love song with its gritty and yearning lyrics. There's definitely the sense that this album is all about battles. It's almost as catchy as Always, All Ways.
Darkest Blue is another catchy and epic piece with its keyboard and guitars in your face once again hinting at Faith No More. It's probably one of the catchier songs on the album.
Slow burner Close The Light That Shines Twice As Bright... ends the album in a rather drawn out way as the band close off this battle hymn of an album.
Overall this is quite a departure from Liberation Transmission as the band try to shed that commercial pop rock image to return to their punk roots. This album is a mish mash of songs that almost gets there. About half the album is good but the rest seems a little bit too mundane and lacking the catchy guitar riffs that made Start Something really stand out.
Let's hope the band continue to improve on this. See them at Brixton Academy on Feb 11th with Kids In Glass Houses supporting. It promises to be an epic gig.
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