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LANTLOS “Nowhere In Between Forever”
LANTLOS “Nowhere In Between Forever”
By Iron Sheik
On their sixth album “Nowhere In Between Forever” (NIB4) LANTLOS explores 80s new wave and 90s electronic mixed with hard rock that is at times as noise rock as it is alternative or shoegaze. Their music is further described as glitch hop - experimental electronic music which uses glitches in audio media. Mixing these musical stylings together is a duo from Rheda, Germany. Composed of Markus Siegenhort on vocals, bass, keys and electronics and Felix Wylezik on drums LANTLOS has been a vision more of sole multi-tasking musician Markus Skye (formerly SIEGENHORT, HERBST).
A name chosen by Marcus Skye, LANTLOS describes how he feels at home neither in Germany nor anywhere else. In High German, LANTLOS means "homeless" (literally "without homeland'). While NIB4 is a roaming forty-two minutes of looking back at the 80s new wave and 90s nu-metal, it fits into a more current space and time in its futuristic glitch-hop sounds. As it roams through those many styles of music for a visit while on its unique path not fitting anywhere specific, it is alternative rock that is the most appropriate description of the music on this album. Starting off intense and urgent it mellows into a more contemplative groove. This is music with shadows of darkness, borne of a plastic hollow foreboding according to Skye.
With hints of NEW ORDER, first track “Daisies” is as intense as it is foreboding in style. SIOUXSIE comes to mind in the second track “Cherries” because it locks into a more atmospheric vibe with jangly guitars. Contemplation and darkness play hand and hand with 80s style new wave as much as they do with other styles. By track five “Numb TV Superstar” we have a song with a really cool backbeat giving it a NIN feel. “Solar Death” is a slower shoegaze track that really brings out the contemplativeness. As much as the aural experience to this point has explored many genres, similar music takes us through the middle of the album while “Planets” once again brings the heavier sound. In the back end of the album, NIB4's last three tracks get a bit more contemplative. With a touch of heaviness and retro leanings, last of the three “Wildhunter” closes the album. NIB4 has a yearning to it that cannot be ignored, and is best experienced in totality rather than individual songs.
I have not picked out the glitch-hop sounds, yet I am sure they will become more noticeable upon future listens. Noise rock is what first struck me as a good descriptor of their style of music. It's not in the metal realm per se, yet it is hard rock music. NIB4 is a far cry from the black metal of Skye's early days, and it went by too fast! It is refreshing to have bands like LANTLOS who have gone back to focusing on quality over quantity. What matters the most is the quality. We get that on NIB4 by LANTLOS along with an amazing album short enough to be able to remember more than the first few songs!
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