Year: 2021
Total Time: 38:49
Label: Listenable Records
Four years after the dynamic “Demonization”, the band consisting of “stars” of the extreme metal scene, decided to return with its new release, which goes by the name “The Dregs of Hades”. As a reminder, LOCK UP is composed by Adam Jarvis (MISERY INDEX/PIG DESTROYER/SCOUR), Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES, THE LURKING FEAR), Kevin Sharp (VENOMOUS CONCEPT, ex-BRUTAL TRUTH), Anton Reisenegger (BRUJERIA, CRIMINAL, PENTAGRAM CHILE) and the mighty Shane Embury (NAPALM DEATH, BRUJERIA). We should also note that Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY), Nicholas Barker (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, ex-CRADLE OF FILTH) and the late Jesse Pintado were also members of the band.
“The Dregs of Hades” is the fifth full-length album of the band, in which they offer us exactly what they know to do well for years. Quality and aggressive Death/Grind Metal with some Punk/Hardcore elements with a few parts influenced by recent NAPALM DEATH and NEUROSIS. The album moves in raw and fast tempo without mercy, with the only moments in which the band shows the willingness to slow down, being during the crushing breakdowns. The peculiarity of the new album, compared to their previous works, is the fact that the vocals are shared between Kevin Sharp and Tomas Lindberg, with the latter having a more leading and dominant role. Furthermore, the addition of the mighty Adam Jarvis on drums has brought an air of renewal to the songs.
When LOCK UP started their career, we all thought (not unfairly, of course) that they would be a project where well-known musicians of the extreme scene would gather whenever they felt like it and let loose. However, over the years, their progress and their releases have proven that we should treat them as a regular band. They may not offer us something original musically, but their professionalism and the quality of their releases, have resulted in every new album of LOCK UP to be considered as great news and to attract the attention of metal fans. In conclusion, invest fearlessly in “The Dregs of Hades”, as the extreme metal veterans add to their discography another massive release that manages to stand out very easily in the Death/Grind genre.
Rating: 7,5/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: LOCK UP – Facebook Page
