Lasting Traces hails from Mainz, Germany and started back in 2007 as “wild jamming in a rehearsal room somewhere in the middle of nowhere”. They released a self-titled demo in April, 2008 and played occasional gigs at the local youth centre. After the release of the single “Portraits” in summer 2009 they did a small tour in Germany and Poland to “show themselves and leave an impression”. Following a split 7” in 2010 and a tour in East- and Middle-Europe, as well as in the United Kingdom.
In May 2011 they released their first long-player “Old Hearts Brake In Isolation”. After that they reached a peak in summer 2012 when they travelled to Asia for two weeks to play a number of shows. After that there were some changes going on inside the band. Changes in the line-up and questions concerning the future musical path of Lasting Traces. With the new 7” called “Elements” at the beginning of 2013, the plan manifested to take a step back from the ‘typical’ fast hardcore and turn down the tempo but anyway to write massive songs that contain a little pop-appeal.
In the summer of 2013 they started writing for their second long-player which, we know now, has the title “You & Me”. The band statest hat this was a mammoth task fort hem. They didn’t want to repeat themselves but to build up new structures, create new ideas and implement them, stay Lasting Traces, but continue an evolution. This all in cooperation with producer Arkadi Zaslavski, who “supported, cursed and complemented their ideas.” “You & Me” was recorded in spring 2014. All of a sudden I got the opportunity to listen to this new Lasting Traces’ album “You & Me” and write a review more than a month before it’s release. On September 4, 2015 “You & Me” is released worldwide as download and stream via Redfield Digital and on vinyl via Demons Run Amok Entertainment. I always see this as a privilege and I am ‘Redfield Digital’ thankful for it. The title summarizes whom the album is dedicated to, who is fuelling Lasting Traces and what it is about.
First song ‘Wildlife’ starts immediately with a high tempo and’after a while, a relatively high pitched scream, interspersed with clean vocals. No surprises but well executed.
Then we have the song ‘Dark Matter’ which has some nice surprises in it. It has it’s calm moments and some alternations with a more rock oriented sound. This is a song that even my wife, who doesn’t like metal at all, would like. And I mean this in a positive way.
‘Golden Cage’ is the song which was first released through social media. They have a nice video on Youtube of it. This is a song with a chorus that gets stuck in your head. Everytime I hear this song and I wake up at night, it is still in my head. This song is what this band reflects the best as far as I’m concerned. This is also where you hear the poppy-sound. I think this will reach a broad audience.
The fourth song ‘Lone Wolf’ also has some calmer parts again interspersed with a crossbreed of metalcore and rock. At some parts of this record I have the feeling that I am listening to Indie-Rock.
Maybe that is the great advantage of this album, it is so versatile. Some parts are bombastic, some parts very fragile and if you think you have figured it out then they go into another direction so you never get bored.
‘Memento’ starts with a drumbeat and then treats you to a song where I put the link to the sound of John Coffey. Rock & Roll!!
I also want to make a remark about the clean vocalist, we hear so often in hard-/metalcore that the cleans could easily fit into a boyband like One Direction. Nothing wrong with that but it is a relief to finaly hear somthing else. Realy, my compliments! Finaly someone who has actualy a great voice.
‘Suffer’ is also a highlight for me, more a metalcore sound with beautiful melodic guitar Lines. ‘Summer Dress’ starts very mellow with clean vocals and then the screaming kicks in but the song stays very calm and easy. So take a deep breath and enjoy the relaxing ride.
It all ends with a blow with ‘Sentenced To Live’, a song full of melodic guitar and screamo elements. The screamer reminds me a bit of the old screamo bands like The Spirit That Guides Us for example.
Great song with bombastic elements but it also has some fragile parts.
All in all an album to be proud of, Redfield Records did it again, they signed another band with great potential. Bravo! And is it me or do all the innovative bands of this moment come from germany? I think of Desasterkids, Burning Down Alaska and Taped, who come from Liechtenstein, for example and are all signed to Redfield. I think that Lasting Traces should also be put in that list.
Rating: 8/10
Written by: René Woning
Tracklist:
01. Wildlife
02. Dark Matter
03. Golden Cage
04. Lone Wolf
05. Castles In The Sky
06. Memento
07. Attraction/Affection
08. Suffer
09. Summer Dress
10. Sentenced To Live
Band members:
Thomas, Daniel, Felix, Yannick, Julian
Discography:
“Demo” 2008
“Portraits” (Single) 2009
“Split w/Way Down” 2010
“Old Hearts Break In Isolation” 2011
“Elements” (Single) 2013
“You & Me” 2015
Record Label: Redfield Digital, September 2015
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Weblinks: Facebook / Website / Instagram / Bandcamp
Video Below: ‘Golden Cage’