Good Start, Room to Improve

Brothers Ben and Joe Lionetti have always been active in the rock scene. They were the co-founders of the popular metalcore band Emmure but left in 2009. Now in 2017 the brothers have returned with a new project called Lakeshore, a hard-hitting group that features Ben on guitar and Joe on drums, as well as Shawn Adams (vocals), Chris Segovia (bass) and Mitch LoBuglio (guitar). Their debut EP, 41, hit shelves August 4th.

The EP maintains a few traces of the Emmure sound, with its chugging, down-tuned metal riffs and explosive double bass patterns. But unlike Emmure, Lakeshore have a distinctly melodic element to their sound — most notably, the lack of brutal screaming stands out. Adams shows flashes of it briefly, especially on “Kings,” but for the most part, he’s belting out soaring melodies. The songs on 41 have clear melodies and chord progressions, with ascending lead guitar lines stacked on top of the riffs rather than just open-fret, death growl sludge. It’s definitely a large step forward in terms of maturity; the metal aspect is still part of their sound, but there are enough new flourishes to prove that the Lionetti brothers aren’t one-trick ponies.

Despite the growth, there are still some aspects that haven’t really changed. For example, there’s not really a concrete song structure, or, at the very least, there’s so little variety between verses and choruses in terms of volume, mood or anything else, making it hard to tell which is which. The hooks aren’t incredibly memorable. The individual talent of all the musicians is there; they would just do better to be a little more focused as a group.

Overall, 41 is a solid start for a new band. Lakeshore have all the elements to be successful in terms of talent, but there is certainly plenty of room for them to grow. And with the progression the Lionetti brothers already took from Emmure to this new project, it’s a pretty safe bet that they will.