Album Review: Scarlett O'Hara - Lost in Existence

Rise Records seems to be taking a bit of a kicking at the moment. Their detractors complaining that they continue to sign “hardcore” bands, who are nothing more than five to six pairs of skinny leg jeans and a never ending succession of brutal breakdowns. It’s a shame, because the hardcore scene can be more than that, and can bring genuine innovators to the table. Scarlett O’Hara unfortunately lies in the former category, and while their technical proficiency is solid, their newest album 'Lost in Existence' is all loud shouting with no real soul behind it.

Combing through the album there are individual bits on inspiration. A melody here, a cool intro or solo there, but the rest of it is just dedicated to how much noise the band can make (it’s a lot). As a result everything feels the same, there were many songs where I couldn’t tell that one had ended and another had begun. They are essentially a series of similar breakdowns, joined together by the lead singers screams. The screams themselves are also a point of contention. There is nothing to them, they lack passion or any kind of feeling, they are just there. That’s a bad thing when more than half of the vocals are comprised of these screams. That’s just counting the main screams as well, because it certain extra poor moments, there are lower more guttural screams that sound like a dog that smokes a pack of cigarettes a day coughing.

The start of the last track 'Where in the World is Earthworm Jim?' is exemplary of this, within 10 seconds it contaminates the song, and makes it really hard to keep going with the song. It’s actually embarrassing, which once again does the band no favours.

It’s not all bad, the problem is, there is just very little that is good. There is some average, such as the title track, which is one that manages to separate itself from the brutality of the tracks preceding it. It’s more of a mid tempo song, and is fairly inoffensive, until the insincere screams start up again and start dragging it down. Bits and pieces indicate the band may have some potential, if they can maybe break out of the mould that all their songs seem to be stuck in.

Overall though, 'Lost in Existence' is a weak offering, bland in most parts, horrible in others. A passing listen will not find anything particularly agreeable, but nothing too offensive. They will then forget it the moment they go to do something else. Deeper listens will be more painful. It is pretty much devoid of any creativity or originality. If loud guitars chugging along with a double kick drum accompanying over and over again is what hardcore music is these days, things are bleak indeed.

1.5/5

'Lost in Existence' by Scarlett O'Hara is available now on Rise Records.

Scarlett O'Hara on MySpace, Twitter and Facebook.

Jamie Kirk