I’m loving the stride blackened screamo has been hitting these past couple of years – Respire and Portrayal of Guilt come to mind, and Infant Island‘s Obsidian Wreath still has me on a chokehold to this day. Now, there’s something special going on with Philly-based outfit LÁSTIMA, or at least that’s what I gathered upon listening to their newest single “Sin Sol”, a track we at Everything Is Noise are absolutely thrilled to premiere.
Including members of Witching, Sonagi, and Capacities, LÁSTIMA incorporate classical instrumentation to their melancholic take on blackened screamo. With “Sin Sol”, however, that melancholy veers towards the familiar (nostalgic, even) for me: I’m taken back to My Dying Bride, to the weight I felt on my chest when listening to Swallow the Sun‘s The Morning Never Came for the first time. I am facing with this very same weight once more and I couldn’t be more excited about it, because “Sin Sol” taps into these blazing dirges championed by the golden days of melodic goth/doom metal, sharpening them with the fiery vehemence characteristic of the broader screamo and post-hardcore genres – and that’s one hell of a combination.
Make no mistake, “Sin Sol” has much more to offer. Emotive and commanding, the song displays dynamic musicianship throughout and with much grace, developing a sense of grandeur that never overstays its welcome. The vocals range from contemplative and bellowing to shrieks with much attack and bite, coalescing seamlessly with the likes of blistering blast beats and anguished violin leads. This is all in conjunction with a wonderful pacing that showcases the band’s ear for progression, especially the drumming which amplifies the overall emotional impact, while also engaging in throttling fills and even leading a dembow-inspired middle section that is just a blast to listen to on repeat. If “Sin Sol” is any indication of what’s to come for LÁSTIMA, then the blackened screamo genre continues to be in very good hands.
“Sin Sol” is a teaser for the band’s forthcoming debut full-length album a pain bloomed from my lungs, to be released on May 16th via Tomb tree and Liminal Dread Production. The record features ‘soaring violin, punishing drums, shrieking vocals, haunting keys, & walls of howling guitars’ that address ‘lyrical themes of loss, generational trauma, and the struggles of immigrant identity‘. Make sure to follow their Bandcamp, Instagram, and Facebook pages to stay afloat on any future updates.
