LORD OF THE LOST

An increasingly big deal, in Europe and beyond, LORD OF THE LOST have truly hurled themselves into the task of flooding the zone. "Opvs Noir Vol. 2" arrives hot on the heels of its sister volume, which emerged earlier this year, and has already proved to be one of the German band's most successful releases to date. When everything is going your way, it would be insane to let the momentum drop. This is an honest attempt to keep the ball rolling as leader Chris Harms transforms into the rock star his unwavering charisma always promised.

Two-part albums can be interpreted as acts of generosity to the fans, or as a slightly cynical way to spin one album's worth of material into two separate opportunities to plunder willing wallets. "Opvs Noir Vol.2" plainly belongs to the former camp, not least because these 22 songs are, at the very least, the equal of those found on "Opvs Noir Vol.1". Harms is a prolific songwriter, and audibly in the throes of a fruitful, golden period in his evolutionary journey. Blessed with cameos from various alternative and gothic alumni, this is an even more obvious leap into the big time than its predecessor. LORD OF THE LOST are enjoying their rise to prominence, and here they are making music that gently refines the triumphs of the past while cornering new markets and saluting the multifarious sources of inspiration that have helped to form previous records.

The essence of the band's sound remains the same as ever, of course: glossy gothic metal with potent electronic undercurrents and a dash of pop eccentricity. But the confidence that has fueled them for the last few years seems to have reached an apex of efficacy here, because a handful of these songs are easily the finest that LORD OF THE LOST have ever committed to tape. Opener "The Fall From Grace" might be a little too close to a goth metal reworking of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" to qualify as a bold leap forward, but Harms's production is so unabashed and well-rounded that it scarcely seems to matter. The real revelations start with "Would You Walk With Me Through Hell", which is simultaneously one of the heaviest songs in the band's catalogue and one of the most fiendishly catchy.

Pushed into the pop stratosphere by INFECTED RAIN's Lena Scissorhands, it is a duet that encapsulates much of LORD OF THE LOST's appeal while also nudging the band into darker, heavier waters. It also has a huge chorus with undeniable singalong potential. The same is true, only more so, of "One Of Us Will Be Next", wherein Harms's skewed sense of pop precision blends seamlessly with the bleak throb of dark, electronic rock, with melodies that sink their teeth into the subconscious. Equally stunning is "What Have We Become": a collaboration with UK EDM protagonist IAMX that makes room for the latter's pleading, angst-ridden vocals and manages to be genuinely stirring and awash with pathos. Elsewhere, "Raveyard" is a resolutely bonkers collision between high-drama goth rock and bubbling, futuristic electronics; "Winter's Dying Heart" is pitch-black, poetic and ankle deep in synthesized doom; and closer "Sharp Edges" is a fabulously tender and tumultuous ballad that is both sonically adventurous and melodically traditional, the LORD OF THE LOST blueprint reborn in dazzling monochrome and at a somnambulistic pace.

Once again, the sound of a band on peak form but still brimming with ambition is unmistakable. "Opvs Noir Vol.2" suggests that too much of a good thing is something to be cherished. Another one for the goths, perhaps, but with plenty of glitter in the air, too.