One of the reasons I like Metal is that it is full of surprises. I usually end up bitching about Ferret Music and its crappy bands, but as it seems, the US label is more determined than ever to prove me wrong. By now, you will be wondering why I am telling all this bullshit. To make a fine intro for the incredible A LIFE ONCE LOST of course! The Philadelphia based metallers really kicked the living shit out of me!

The band has managed to play in Ozzfest, Sounds Of The Underground and Jagermeister Music tours and has already established its own devoted fan base. One more fact about these guys is that just like PANTERA, they refuse to play anything from their debut album live. The fact that their music has many elements from the high and mighty thrash metallers made me believe that these guys are some kind of wannabes.

Anyway, I am not here to judge their personalities. What's an object of my interest is their brand new full-length album Iron Gag. A LIFE ONCE LOST are not the Ferret typical Hardcore/Screamo band. The US metallers are mostly based on groove and brutality. Their music is something like a mixture between PANTERA and LAMB OF GOD, something that as you can easily understand will be the least pleasant to your ears. The band uses many classic Metal stuff like BLACK SABBATH and METALLICA and mixes them with many 'modern' elements, using some help from the Hardcore scene. Iron Gag is filled with 11 clever compositions full of Thrash Metal outbreaks, mid tempo catchy riffs and some slight MASTODON style touches that make the whole thing even more interesting.

All of the above-mentioned things are of course armored with a raw and solid sound that makes the music even heavier. I guess I finally got tricked by Ferret and I have to admit that not all of this label's bands suck. A LIFE ONCE LOST managed to prove me wrong and all I can do in return is rate them as they deserve to be rated.