After signing onto Fearless Records in April, the Lostprophets have finally been able to release their latest effort, Weapons, in the United States. This album actually marks the band’s fifth studio album despite the fact their previous record was never officially made available in the states. Musically, Weapons is one of the group’s most diverse albums to date and should warrant mostly positive reviews from longtime listeners of the band.
The second single, “We Bring An Arsenal,” is by far the album’s strongest song. The track quickly takes on the feel of a fight song with the opening chants and the energy only increases as the song progresses; the percussions are loud, the vocals are louder, and it’s easy to imagine an entire arena exploding when the band plays this song live. “Bring ‘Em Down” is similar due to the fact it is also one of the heavier tracks on the record but unfortunately it lacks the same type of booming chorus as “We Bring An Arsenal.”
Weapons also incorporates some of the more pop-infused material that was specifically prevalent on Liberation Transmission. While some older fans may take issue with this, I would argue this is simply the band continuing to expand their skill set and it pays dividends here. For instance, “Jesus Walks,” while certainly a pop song at its core, is still one of the best songs that the album has to offer.
Finally, the hidden title track is certainly worth fans checking out. The song sounds more similar to their earlier material than anything they have done in years; Watkins’ screams are juxtaposed with his melodic singing, and it really makes for an impressive track. The song doesn’t actually begin until about the 12:30 mark of “Can’t Get Enough,” but fans can buy the songs separately if they wish to on iTunes or other MP3 purchasing devices.
This is certainly a solid album but it would be a stretch to proclaim it great; regrettably, a couple of the tracks become a bit bland after a couple of listens and it takes away from the overall quality of the record. Regardless, there are still plenty of songs here that listeners can get into and will be excited to hear at shows. When it comes down to it, this is certainly an album Lostprophets’ fans are going to want to have in their collection.