The new EP from Last Hounds, ‘Old Dreams’, is a solid four-track second release for the five-piece formed in 2013. The riffs are strong throughout the record, but the lyrics and delivery are a bit trite. Last Hounds are heading in the right direction, but there is too much emphasis on trying to sound like Gallows, and not quite enough oomph in the delivery to pull it off.
Blending grime into hardcore and metal can be hugely successful, and this genre-bending is producing a few bands who are really nailing it. Unfortunately ‘Listen (To Me)’, the first track on the record, really doesn’t hit hard enough to work. When the rap vocal hits there isn’t enough strength behind it, it just feels a touch more awkward than it should. It’s a short track and the heavier vocal in the second half is good, it just isn’t balanced with the intro.
Track two, ‘Lay Me Down’ is a shining comeback. It’s fast and punchy, the chorus just catchy enough to work, and after the breakdown the vocals are strong and full of depth. The feel of the whole record would have very different if this had been the opening track. Track three, ‘Murder Murder’, comes into strength in the second half, when the vocals let loose a little more. There is definite potential in the EP, the band just seem a touch confused about what they want to be.
The record ends with ‘DOA’, a more upbeat track that you can definitely see being screamed back by a crowd. The chorus of “we are the DOA” is really strong, but it breaks out into rap verses which sit uncomfortably within the strength of the song structure. The production on the EP is nice, and it’s got some good moments. Last Hounds have a way to go with ironing out their sound, but hopes are high for good things in the future.
RHIAN WILKINSON