2 Cents – Lost At Sea

It’s weird how no matter how hard you try you’ll always get preconceived notions about a band before you hear them. Maybe it’s the producer, maybe it’s the label, or maybe it’s the artwork, whatever it is, there’s often one thing that will give the listener a slight hint of what to expect and will fill the listener with either dread or excitement. For me, it was the fact that 2 Cents were touring with Killswitch Engage that threw me off. When I heard that, I wrote the band off immediately before even cracking open the seal of the album. Still, after a week or so of it sitting idly beside me I figured it was time I at least gave them a chance, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Now, while it’s true that 2 Cents would make a fine opener for Killswitch Engage. I’m sure the crowd there will love them, after all, Lost At Sea is full of the must-needed sections for proper head banging. Metallic riffs and solos, along with lightning fast drumming and perfectly placed breakdowns, you can easily imagine the pit ripping open when the band breaks into a song like Wired or the like. It is heavy, harsh and angry; combining both hardcore and metal elements for an intense sound that is raw and carefully crafted to get the biggest reaction out of the crowd.

But at the same time, while it is heavy and hard and in your face, Lost At Sea can also be filed under “Radio-friendly metal” occasionally thanks to it’s significant use of melody throughout. It’s something that, while heavy, wouldn’t throw anyone off if they heard it as they walked into a CD store. There are numerous breakdowns where the band slows it down to show a more melodic side, take A Song For Darrell Abbott for example. It starts off softly before breaking out and getting more intense.

While there are some melodic factors of this album that make me enjoy it, it is the vocals that attract me to the album the most; and that will deter most metal elitists. For the most part they are harsh, blood curling screams; but quite often they are delivered in a more reserved and melodic fashion. It’s almost like a mix between talking and screaming, not quite singing at all. His rough vocals remind me of a angrier and louder Tim McIlrath and the alteration between screams and the more restraint vocals remind me of The Bled.

While it’s not an album I will throw in constantly, it’s definitely entertaining. Songs like The Wedding Dress, Fucked In The Afterlife, Victims of Pop Culture and The Mark Of My Pen are all worthy of multiple listens. Metal fans will like it, although it may take some getting used to; and non-metal fans will like it too, although it may take some getting used to.