Whoever thought Lostprophets were a flash in the pan novelty emo act was looking at the wrong tree and barking up another entirely. With Liberation Transmission, it appeared the band had latched onto the secret formula for creating anthems for the disenchanted. It was, to all intents and purposes, their Slippery When Wet. Not content with mastering that part of the equation, The Betrayed looks set to now become their New Jersey.
With speculation rife as to the content and direction of The Betrayed, the magazine world still appeared confident enough to put their covers where their mouths are and now that the full tilt onslaught is available to all, we can pretty much decide for ourselves.
From where I'm standing, The Betrayed is more like the record they should have made last time around. It's exciting, it's hungry, it shows growth and it really is all those things that a third album should be - not a fourth. Conversely, Liberation Transmission was slick and catchy at every turn and kicked out an iconic riff faster than it took to play one. There are some fine, fine moments on board. It's Not The End Of The World is a huge song - as everybody doubtless knows by now. Where We Belong is another but just as the album is looking like a hot contender for slaying at every turn, they revert to the type and bring me down swiftly with Next Stop, Atro City. Then again, for my money, For He's A Jolly Good Felon will be the sleeper hit off the album. Is that a stolen riff from an old Jam tune I hear?
With the TV tan generation behind them, it should all be over bar the shouting, I'm just not sure this stop/start agenda they have going on will work for them on a global scale but then, I wouldn't expect to feel any other way when talking about a band so dramatically fuelled by contradictions.
They probably don't even want to take over the world.
Lostprophets could (if they felt like it) spearhead yet another "happy to be pissed off" British invasion this year. All they need to do now is decide which country they'd like to dominate first.
Funny. I don't feel betrayed at all.
