Rating: 9 / 10 Stars
REVIEW – Once Human are here to take 2022 to hell with them. No longer content being just another band, this time around the band is drawing a line in music and daring any person to cross it. The first two records I felt were good but did not really stand out. This record stands out in a very major way. Lauren Hart has gained confidence in her delivery, and it shows. She has made the growls more impactful and the clean vocals catchier. “Scar Weaver” is the fuck you that the music industry needs about now. In the four plus years that they have been gone, you can tell they were working hard on this sound. This is a band who have tightened their sound and really show so much passion that you cannot help but smile while you headbang to this cd. The title track for some reason has become etched in my skull. It is so damn catchy. Lauren’s range on this track is just so sick. The only way to appreciate the beauty of this track with that sick drum and guitar interplay is to blast it. “Eidolon” opens this cd in such a fury. Within seconds of this song kicking out, you will feel the earth move in such a violent direction. It is like Lauren is not here to fuck around and wants to show people immediately she is not this or that, that she is her own person. Robb Flynn joins the fun for the next tune. “Deadlock” feels like old school Machine Head in a modern-day massacre. It made me sad that Machine Head has not had a great cd in ages. “Bottom Feeder” much like the title track is a slower paced affair that has some incredible musicianship to carry the torch. These two tracks hit you hard for the sheer fact that the music is addicting and insane.
The band has thrown some surprises in this record. They have moments that at first feel out of place till they get going. “Erasure” is an example. It showcases that Lauren has so many different ranges and can really make a song her own. “Deserted” is another track that just came out of nowhere and grabbed you by the hair. Then, Lauren calms it down and comes across like Pat Benatar from 1982 for a brief moment. The band complimented her daring risks in such a crushing way. She has really showcased herself in this cd as someone who is not going away so easily. If this cd is a sign of what we are going to get in 2022 from music. Logan, Lauren and crew take a bow.
ONCE HUMAN is:
Lauren Hart – Vocals
Logan Mader – Guitars
Max Karon – Guitars
Damian Rainaud – Bass
Dillon Trollope – Drums
