...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – Lost Songs

Coming with an overtly political manifesto, Trail of Dead’s eighth studio album Lost Songs fittingly stands as their most direct statement in some time, perhaps ever. There’s little in the way of grandiose song movements or recurrent themes that have lent weighty textures to the Texan veterans' output over the past decade. Instead, Lost Songs is largely a straight-up, blistering ride of towering riffage, pummelling percussion and some thrilling ‘lose yourself’ vocals.

From Open Doors, through lead single Up To Infinity and onwards, it’s an album that seems hell-bent on keeping its foot down. Perhaps the only misgiving is the finale, Time and Again, which goes out on something of a whimper where a record of this magnitude certainly deserves much more of a bang. Yet hearing Trail of Dead on this form should appeal to die hards whilst those perhaps put off by their grander latter-day flourishes may also find plenty to return to the fold for. [Darren Carle]