What a pleasant surprise it is to be reviewing the new studio album from House of Lords, Indestructible. Who would have thought that a mere 16 months from their last release House Of Lords would be delivering new music. This is quite a feat considering today’s standard, is a two to three-year album/tour cycle before releasing new music. So does this mean that this album sounds rushed? Is there a bunch of filler around three or four quality songs? Quite frankly, it is none of the above. Once again House Of Lords, James Christian/singer, Jimi Bell/guitars, B.J. Zampa/drums, and Chris McCarvill/bass, put together 11 quality songs that are full of the signature House of Lords sound. If anything, the band pushes themselves into a harder rock territory by using more up-tempo beats and heavier guitar riffs. I would call this a “creative zenith” for the band. They have put out what I think are quality and relevant back to back albums. Give credit to the fact that this particular line-up has been together basically 10 years, which is far longer than any other. Credit it to the songwriting partnership that James and Jimi have together. Credit it to the best guitar player no one has heard of, Jimi Bell. Know one thing, this is a great album.
So what about the songs?
“Go to Hell”– good song, very melodic but not the heaviest on the record. Don’t let the title fool you, the lyrics aren’t what you think.
“Indestructible”– mid-tempo song, ok but probably my least favorite on the record.
“Pillar of Salt”– my personal favorite. This song encompasses everything that I love about this band. Great pop sensibility in the verse, a killer guitar riff in the pre-chorus, and then soaring vocal harmonies in the chorus.
“100 MPH”– hard driving song with a chorus that get stuck in your head the rest of the day.
“Call My Bluff”– a pop gem that if there was such a thing as rock radio would be a huge single.
“We Will Always Be One”– is the first, and best ballad on the album. A heartfelt and powerful song.
“Die to Tell”– solid rock song, slow build at the beginning that leads to a cool opening chord progression.
“Another Dawn”– once again, solid rock song although the chorus melody is somewhat similar to “Call My Bluff”.
“Eye of the Storm”– the other ballad on the album. More of a power ballad, ok but not as touching as “We Will Always Be One”.
“Ain’t Suicidal”– up-tempo, driving beat with my favorite guitar solo.
“Stand and Deliver”– a great way to end the album. Fast paced rocker with another cool guitar solo.
All in all, I would have to say this is one of my favorite releases so far this year. If every song was worth one point, I would get this 9 1/2 out of 11, and definitely recommend using the link to pre-order this album before its June 9th release date. Happy listening!
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