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France might not be your usual go-to country for metal music, but under the vail of romantic chansons and food-related stereotypes there is a raging scene of extremely talented, gritty and forward-thinking bands that can put any celebrated whatever-core bands to shame. One of the undisputed flagmen of modern hard-hitting metalcore are LANDMVRKS, whose inspiring charge towards the tops of the European metal scene in recent years has been an absolute joy to watch.
LANDMVRKS' signature sound is largely the result of the stunning synergy between charismatic singer Florent Salfati and lead guitarist Nicolas Exposito. Throw in the inspiring presence of Rudy Parkart (bass guitar), Paul C. Wilson (guitar) and Kévin D’Agostino (drums) and you are left with a modern, innovative metalcore outfit that as good a musicians as they are down to earth. Self-sufficient and hard working, they demand and deserve all the attention, rapidly climbing from the stages of small clubs across the French countriside to widespread global appreciation and near-cult online status.
On the back of two critically acclaimed albums and few insanely good singles out in 2020, the Mariseille quintet dropped Lost In The Waves to silence any critics, if there were ever any. If the their first two records were fresh and promising, it is their third official release that transformed them into a mature arena headliner. Fuelling their explosive metalcore concoction with modern production and moderate hardcore influences results in one of the finest releases in 2021. Starting the pit is 'Lost In A Wave', the (almost) title single that pretty much sums up everything that is so good about the entire album.
Now loved all over Europe, with rapidly growing fan bases outside the continent, LANDMVRKS started their charge across the metalcore scenes in 2014 with a ferocious blend of hardcore riffs, anthemic choruses and uncontainable raw energy. Having already produced and released their debut Hollow in-house, Florent and Nicolas really rose up to become the bands' driving engine, putting forward those trademark angsty vocal tirades and blistering guitar compositions. Moulding their talent and influences into a ferocious live act, the quintet went to tour across Europe before finally finding their home at the perfectly suitable Arising Empire, produly leading the label's ranks towards metalcore domination.
The rest is history, dropping their sophomore Fantasy (2018) and taking the rest of the world by storm through headline shows and endless festival appearances. That very same non-stop touring cycle is exactly where Lost In The Waves was born, written on the go and charged with the passion, emotion and challenges of live on the road. Straight from the first single 'Rainfall', you could tell that their third album was going to be bigger and bolder.
A true force of nature in front of a crowd, the band did not hesitate to run back to live gigs straight after its official premiere, but their touring was cut short by the pandemic. If you think that stopped them for a second, think again, because LANDMVRKS immediately retaliated with a free livestream album release show, featuring fellow countrymen Resolve and Glassbone, done entirely in a DIY manner, like all true core should be.
France have an extensive tradition in hardcore-led, rapcore-infused modern heavy music, developped through the likes of Smash Hit Combo, Betraying The Martyrs, and Rise of the Northstar, just to point out a few (at some point I'm going to celebrate all these in a nice French playlist). Put aside Gojira's decade-long global dominance, for a while now there has been a healthy metalcore and modern metal scene brewing with immense talent and unique acts breaking stereotypes and screaming their hearts out. Leading that new generation of innovative bands, LANDMVRKS are here to stay, waving the French flag across the top European festivals alongside the likes of Resolve, Novelist, ten56., Glassbone and many others. Vive la scène française!
Delving deeper into the multi-layered atmosphere of Lost In The Waves, you would discover an abundance of certified pit-starters and imaginative melodic pieces, as brutal and in-your-face as they are deeply emotional. As the album unfolds, you are kept on the edge, never knowing exactly when the ticking time bomb Flo will explode, reigniting his intimate narratives or passionate anthemic choruses into breathtaking verbal canonnades. Equally unpredictable, the instrumental parts switch from calming synths and chilled acoustics into chaotic breakdowns and pure riff madness within seconds. Envigorating, inspiring, emotive, groovy, raw, just as we have learned to expect from LANDMVRKS.
Lost In The Waves goes by rather quick, leaving you wanting more and eagerly anticipating where the band goes next. If the past three albums are indication, ot top of their growing fan base and Arising Empire's guiding light, their next installment is to be just as fresh, bold and envigorating, potentially also marking their tenth anniversary as a band. The bar has been set very high and while I have not had the pleasure of seeing them live yet, I can only imagine the absolute mayhem caused by that "I can't breathe, I'm suffocating". Until I do, there is always my immediate surrounding to be disrespected.
2022 Edit: Approaching the 1st anniversary of Lost In The Waves, LANDMVRKS dropped its Complete Edition, in line with a slightly annoying but understandable trend in deluxe re-issues (more on that another time). In this case, however, I am fascinated by the three new singles added and just wish they were already part of the original album to make it unrivalled #1 for 2021. Better late than never as we are now blessed with 3 insanely good collaborations that not only add depth to the record, but also give a brand new meaning to featuring guest singers, the way it should be done.
We already got blown by away by 'Death', featuring the charismatic Drew York (Stray From The Path); its smooth trap beats in the intro luring you in before exploding into an exemplary vocal duel, both frontmen bouncing off each other and shouting in perfect harmony, on top of a brilliant video production resulting in an absolute 10/10 banger. The second single 'Suffocate' added an interesting layer to the record, taking both Flo and Bertrand Poncet of CHUNK! NO, CAPTAIN CHUNK! out of their comfort zone into a toned down and melodic track, culminating in a huge open-space chorus and surprisingly fitting breakdown finale.
Cue in the third track 'Self-Made Black Hole' with none other but Anthony Diliberto of Resolve himself, premiering on the day of the deluxe edition release, and giving us an instant metalcore classic and what I'm sure is going to be one of the tracks of the year. Total mayhem from start to finish, fuelled by ferocious instrumentation, a guaranteed fan-favourite chorus, an absolute rager of a breakdown, and what is possibly Florent's and Anthony's best vocal performances to date.
Already a beauty of record, reinforced with three brilliant singles and the full audio of the said livestream from July 2021. Thank you LANDMVRKS, long may you reign!
LANDMVRKS - 'Lost In The Waves' (Complete Edition)
Country: France
Released: 19 March 2021 (Complete Edition out 18 March 2022)
Label: Arising Empire
Tracklisting (Complete Edition):
1. "Death" (ft. Drew York from Stray From The Path)
2. "Suffocate" (ft. Bertrand Poncet from Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!)
3. "Self-Made Black Hole" (ft. Antony Diliberto from Resolve)
4."Lost in a Wave"
5. "Rainfall"
6. "Silent"
7. "Visage"
8. "Tired of it All'
9. "Say No Words"
10. "Always"
11. "Shoreline"
12. "Overrated"
13. "Paralyzed"
14. "Les Vagues" (Live)
15. "Lost in a Wave" (Live)
16. "Rainfall" (Live)
17. "Blistering" (Live)
18. "Winter" (Live)
19. "Say No Word" (Live)
20. "Visage" (Live)
21. "Scars" (Live)
22. "Tired Of It All" (Live)
23. "Fantasy" (Live)
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