{"id":30827,"date":"2015-06-03T00:00:19","date_gmt":"2015-06-03T00:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=30827"},"modified":"2015-06-09T16:44:14","modified_gmt":"2015-06-09T16:44:14","slug":"album-review-house-of-lords-indestructible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-house-of-lords-indestructible\/","title":{"rendered":"HOUSE OF LORDS – Indestructible (2015) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSE OF LORDS
Indestructible<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nFrontiers (2015)<\/span>
Rating: 9\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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I haven\u2019t got a clue as to why melodic hard rockers House Of Lords decided to shoot the video for their song \u2018Go To Hell\u2019 in a warehouse of stacked pallets and cardboard boxes, but not even this strange choice of locations can detract from the fact that Indestructible<\/em> is another fine opus from these guys. <\/p>\n

I recall when I first purchased the Californian band\u2019s self-titled debut in 1988, and was surprised by the weight. For me, House Of Lords had always been fluffed up as one of those dodgy \u201chair\u201d bands. Upon reflection, they were way too cool for that school of thought, especially when two years later their fantastic 1990 Sahara<\/em> platter followed. Of course, in spite of the rollicking 1992 record Demons Down<\/em>, the band went the way of so many other acts affected by the horrid grunge invasion.<\/p>\n

Eight years later, House Of Lords \u2013 in spite of several legal issues \u2013 reformed, but it would be another four years before the band released its fourth album in the shape of 2004\u2019s The Power And The Myth<\/em>. Since then, however, House Of Lords just hasn\u2019t looked back. Indestructible<\/em> seems a rather fitting title for a band which has now reached its tenth studio album, the mercurial James Christian once again at the helm of this persistent ship and backed by the crew of Jimi Bell (guitars), Chris McCarvill (bass) and B.J. Zampa (drums) <\/p>\n

Indestructible<\/em> serves up 11 choice cuts, beginning with the aforementioned \u2018Go To Hell\u2019 which features a driving riff, Christian\u2019s darkly-tinged harmonies and a slamming drum. In other words, House Of Lords are very much happy to pay homage to that 80s style of melodic rock, but the savage guitar tone is still very much of contemporary design. Hell, these guys are taking the glammy grit and buzz of unknown cult faves Beautiful Creatures and marrying it with enough 80s-styled pomp to win every time. <\/p>\n

How can one not drown in the all-round accessibility of this track, but then be fried by the killer leads which take us into that breath-taking chorus? It\u2019s proof that bands of this ilk should never have buckled under the pressure of that alternative early 90s rock scene, but it\u2019s also proof that everything runs in cycles. The 00s and beyond were just made for these bands, even if the general vibe cannot match the hysteria of that 80s scene. <\/p>\n

Indestructible<\/em> doesn\u2019t mess around, bringing with it weight, and subtle passion in equal doses. The latter quality is evident with the sweeping \u2018Call My Bluff\u2019 which boasts soulful vocals and is typically fluffy by design, bringing to mind the floating quality of Def Leppard, particularly with its chorus. Elsewhere though, House Of Lords bring plenty of metal to the table too. The title track is a high energy slab of pomp, perfectly combining those high-octane melodies with that essence of softness. For me, House Of Lords has always been masters of such magical combinations; the sort of act \u2013 alongside, say, Harem Scarem or the lesser known Law And Order \u2013 who somehow and maybe unintentionally loiter on the boundaries of progressive or, dare I say it, alternative chimes, and yet have one foot firmly in that melodic metal mould. <\/p>\n

Of course, no House Of Lords platter would be complete without a stirring ballad. \u2018We Will Always Be One\u2019 certainly doesn\u2019t sit out of place alongside the hotter climes of \u2018100mph\u2019 and \u2018Die To Tell\u2019, which showcase the band\u2019s edgier side. But all those who mocked the so-called wetness of such hard rock ballads in the 80s will surely find themselves drowning in the extravagant landscapes of the aforementioned \u2018We Will Always Be One\u2019 and other softer edged tunes such as \u2018Pillar Of Salt\u2019. <\/p>\n

Upon reflection, House Of Lords should be commended once again; not just for issuing another splendid opus of varying layers, but for keeping the same line-up for nigh on a decade. That stability shines through once again, bringing with it a mix of soul, swagger and sugar-coated solidity.<\/p>\n

Indestructible<\/em> is further proof that none of the great pretenders of the modern age can compete with the veterans of the scene. Forget the nonsensical aping of the 80s that seems to be doing the rounds in a suffocating manner and dive into the latest offering from a band who were there when it all started and have continued to progress wonderfully. Indestructible maybe, but irresistible most definitely.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HOUSE OF LORDSIndestructible Frontiers (2015)Rating: 9\/10 I haven\u2019t got a clue as to why melodic hard rockers House Of Lords decided to shoot the video for their song \u2018Go To Hell\u2019 in a warehouse of stacked pallets and cardboard boxes, but not even this strange choice of locations can detract from the fact that Indestructible […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,2189],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-house-of-lords"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30827"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30830,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30827\/revisions\/30830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}