Profits from a Dying Genre

Apparently, as far as major label A&R executives are concerned, the once rich, musical well that used to be nu-metal hasn’t quite dried up just yet; at least not in Wales. The Welsh sextet known as Lostprophets, made a name for themselves with their 2001 debut, The Fake Sound of Progress, with a smart and quirky but commercial radio friendly sound that garnered mass appeal in the UK but relatively little in the United States. After a few years of touring with some larger acts, the group returns three years later with an even more commercially viable sound in Start Something.Imagine if you will, an uninhibited, wild, thrash band combining a plethora of musical styles, mixed in with some legitimate DJ spinning. Now, dilute this image with a radio friendly, kid brother type of sound. The result is Lostprophets; giving off a somewhat watered-down, glossy sound; something that has all the promise but none of the goods. That’s not to say that Start Something is without merit. The band’s strength relies heavily on catchy, sing-a-long hooks that might even have the most musical elite bobbing their heads, but probably will be more effective with the teenage crowd – especially since we’ve ALL heard “Last Train Home” now thanks to incessant radio saturation. But still, throughout the glimpses of promise shown on the album, you can’t help but find yourself wanting a bit more of the rigid, edgier style that encompassed much of their earlier work.