24th November 2023

Review: “Coda Revival” by Lords Of Ruin

“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.” ~ Lords Of Ruin

Having spent a couple of years at the coal face, mining the fuel that would keep the furnaces of Valhalla burning brightly, Northern Metal outfit Lords Of Ruin unleashed their debut single with 2019’s “In from the Cold“. Well worth the wait, that one sword forged from steel was mighty enough to take them to HRH Festival before the winds of plague slowed their progress in the live arena. Keeping the fires smouldering the band offered up 2021 single “What’s Left?” before dawn broke from the eclipse in 2022 and debut EP “Ruin Within” was unleashed. That paved the way for appearances at Wildfire, Rockwich and Call Of The Wild Festivals…

Long known for a sound that bridges the gap between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal (or as they put it “Melodic Metal“), quintet Lords Of Ruin waste no time in stepping out from the cold with opening cut “Decay“. A cut with American accented clean vocals, stylistically it floats somewhere between Alice In Chains and Soil with a distinctive groove laden swagger, as if it was made for American Hard Rock Radio and truckers cruising in their 18 wheelers on the Interstate. The final third harbours the gut punch moment that the first half cries out for, a brutal roar and chunky breakdown styled mosh guitar part with leads over the top giving that darker edge before the final chorus. Far from the Machine Head cover that some might have hoped for, “Bulldozer” offers up something that borders on the Traditional Heavy Metal side of things with a big sing-a-long chorus before once again switching into something more Metalcore orientated for a thunderous breakdown in the final third. Breaking that out into a blistering solo before the final chorus once again proves that variety is the spice of life, the slick transitions confirming that the band have the musicianship to carry of their vision without missing a beat. After two instantly appealing cuts, “Universal” is one that grows on you with repeated listens because the band get a little experimental with their vocals. Offering an almost spoken word, rap scream verse that is a step away from their usual range threatens to break the flow as it doesn’t quite fit in the context but fortunately the rest of the song is too good to ignore. The riffs then fly as the beast is unleashed for closer “Broken Dreams“, a cut that clearly has a name and benefits from the weight of the extra unclean vocal parts which give it a greater grit and integrity. As if that wasn’t enough, the solo is a fretboard smouldering one, the pounding rhythm section bringing it home in style [7.5/10]

Track Listing