I don't know what to say about MEMORIES OF A LOST SOUL and their latest album, "Redefining Nothingness." On one hand, it's hard to comprehend how a band can sound so heavy and yet so pretentious all at the same time. On the other hand, goddamn my gatekeeper soul, but I love this album. And what the hell!?! This band formed in 1995. That's 27 years ago. It's also five albums ago. From what I understand, over the years their style has spanned the varied landscapes including Death, Black, Symphonic, Prog, and Goth. From my ears, all those styles come to bear on this their latest release.

MEMORIES OF A LOST SOUL is a foursome out of Reggio Calabria, Italy. Yeah, like you know where that is. Okay, maybe you do but I sure as hell don't. "Redefining Nothingness" was released on Oct 7, 2022 via My Kingdom Music.  It's almost an hour long-57:57 to be exact, which is some cool symmetry, btw, or just a hell of a coincidence-and boasts nine tracks. It looks like the band has a new lineup, so if you are a longtime fan, you might need to do some readjusting. If you are like me and just found the band, then, hey, no loss. They sound great as is. I should also mention there are a few guests on the album-Nefer Stria providing operatic female vocals and Axl providing clean male vocals.

The band's name comes from the Alone in the Dark video game series-a game often touted as having created the survival horror genre. The interesting thing here is that the band describes their long tenure as a struggle to survive especially when compared to the popularity many of their Swedish counterparts have enjoyed. And having formed in the 1990's, MEMORIES OF A LOST SOUL is also an originator in the Melodic Black Metal subgenre. Originator and survivor. As for "Redefining Nothingness," there's a lot going on here. I noted earlier the mash of subgenres the band delves in-well, it's all here. Most prevalent are the Gothic and Prog overtones with Melodic influences drifting in and out. The same thing that I find intriguing about this band, others may be turned off by-that is their refusal to be tied down to one domineering style.

To be clear, this isn't a hit and run album. It demands a careful listen with cascading movements, abrupt compositional shifts, and the introduction of multiple vocal styles. Most tracks are north of six minutes. Even the instrumental interlude is long-for an interlude at least. Standout tracks are hard to isolate because they are all so distinctive, but my favorites are "They're Coming From The Stars," "The Alien Artifact," and "The End of Coming Light."

Bottomline: This album lives up to its title. It's about redefining yourself, stepping over parameters, expanding boundaries-and we all know you can't find your center unless you explore your edges. And that sums up my recommendation: Pick up "Redefining Nothingness" and explore.