It took a while before I got into Lower Than Atlantis. I saw them twice, both times supporting bands from total different genres. I attended the shows to see melodic hardcore, but got some sort of indie punk for starters. It didn’t convince me, until I heard their record Far Q. Greatly amazed by their debut, the band is about to release their second album called World Record.

If you already know the band, it’s likely that you are already familiar with the first two songs. ‘(Motor) Way Of Life’ is an uplifting intro song that provides the album with an energetic take-off. The guys take back some of that energy when frontman Mike starts singing, but the song is catchy nevertheless. You’ll catch yourself singing along with the song within no time.

Lower Than Atlantis released a great video for an even greater single. ‘Beech Like The Tree’ contains slick riffs and emotional yet straight forward sing-a-longs. Also in this song the energy level varies, though it shows a clear growth in their songwriting. You’ll notice that Mike does a lot more clean vocals than screaming, and it seems like the band is on a journey to adolescence. A very interesting and extraordinary journey.

In ‘Uni 9mm’ the energy level is turned around. The song starts with slow chords and Mike’s soft voice evolves to an explosion of guitar violence and heavy drums. The song carries forth some sort of gloomyness, translated in an exquisite musical way.

I wish I could tell you about the greatness of all the songs but unfortunately I can’t. Songs you can’t miss out on are ‘Another Sad Song’, ‘Marilyn’s Mansion’ and ‘Up In Smoke’. The rawness of Mike’s voice and the dark Fender sound really stand out and make this record like no other.

Lower Than Atlantis just released a video for their second single called ‘Deadliest Catch’. A low instrumental intro leads to quite a simple melody. As in the other songs, Mike’s voice brings forth a determing touch. The song doesn’t stand out in any way though, and I think ‘(Motor) Way Of Life’ would have been a better choice for the second video.

‘R.O.I.’ wraps the record up, with some good rock tunes. World Record is a great album that shows that Lower Than Atlantis is ready to conquer the World. Their sound is more mature, songs are structured better and melodies are catchier.