Reunion albums can be a tough nut to crack, especially when there’s been an extended period of absence between releases. Sometimes, bands can release some of their best material after taking some time away, coming back refreshed with a desire to continue to push themselves creatively. Other times, this material can sometimes come across as somewhat uninspired and a cynical move designed to both capitalise on the demand of their fanbase and attempt to recapture the magic found in their past releases. However, they can also fall somewhat in between the two camps – noble efforts that are perfectly listenable but end up leaving listeners coming away feeling that something is missing. Copenhagan’s Lack must have considered this to some extent when they initially reformed in 2021, given that it’s taken them five years after reforming to finally release new music for the first time since 2008’s Saturate Every Atom. With their new self-titled album, Lack aren’t treating this like a big reunion album many years in the making, but simply the next chapter in their story, picking up where they left off 18 years ago.
“It's a performance that feels unique whilst also paying homage to their influences without going too far into mimicry”
Never a band to release the same album twice; this time Lack infuses noise rock elements into their existing post-hardcore formula. This approach brings to mind Fugazi, with vocalist Thomas Burø emulating Ian MacKaye’s distinctive vocal stylings. It’s a performance that feels unique whilst also paying homage to their influences without going too far into mimicry. Opening track ‘Boltguns Are Painless’ is a great starting point to the album which shows us what we’re in store for throughout the album’s duration. It’s a track with a lot of build-up and a classic loud/quiet dynamic that keeps the track interesting throughout its short duration.
At first glance, some of the tracks on the album might come across as a little repetitive. This is due to the fact that they tend to just keep alternating between the same riffs throughout the entire song. However, upon delving deeper you realise that the band does a lot of work to keep the songs interesting in spite of this repetition. The best example of this is the third track ‘Hands Held High’. Possibly the most melodic track on the album, a lot of the track can somewhat bleed together as it’s built around a lengthy chorus section, but the start of the song builds up to the vocals coming in, and a more off-kilter bridge section about halfway through the song breaks up the structure before we return to the chorus for the track’s conclusion.
Photo Credit: Jens Raadal
However, this album isn’t quite perfect. While a lot of these tracks are great in isolation, they can somewhat blend together as a collective, resulting in the album feeling a little bit samey by the time you reach the end of the album. There are some interesting deviations throughout to break things up, such as the more drawn out and bordering on ballad territory ‘The Activist’ two tracks shy of the album’s climax. Another downside is the penultimate track ‘Mapmakers’ which, at just over six minutes long, gets a little bit monotonous before the end.
In spite of these minor flaws, this is an exceptionally listenable effort from Lack and one which they should be proud of. It showcases all that they have learned in their time away and sounds like four friends rediscovering the joy of creating art together and having the time of their lives doing so.