LOST SOCIETY formed in 2011 in Jyväskylä, Finland. At the time all four members were in their teens. Over the past nine years they've released three full-length studio albums and done a whole helluva lot of touring. On February 21, 2020 (02/21/2020 or 21/02/2020 depending on your preferred convention), they release their fourth album, "No Absolution." Not sure if there is any significance behind that string of numbers other than a fun confluence of a bunch of zeros, ones, and twos.

The album is reputed to be their most indepth and personal to date. There is also mention of "evolution" and "growth," which is code for their style may have changed and some people are likely to be butt hurt. I can't say I have heard their earlier albums, but I can say "No Absolution" is pretty damned good, so I guess some people will need to get over it. Nothing stays the same. BTW, I'm thinking that first track, "Nonbeliever," might be pointed at these people, but I could be wrong.

"No Absolution" times out right about 45 minutes, spans ten tracks, and comes at you like a bag of hammers with a whole lot of momentum and telekinetic angst. If there's a theme about the album, it's something like, "I'm tired of your crap, now get out of my way." Elbanna's and Lesonen's groove-laden guitar work is tightly interwoven and surprisingly intricate, while Luhtinen's (bass) and Paananen's (drums) rhythm is unrelenting in its pace and deep enough in its tuning to punish your subwoofers in an exquisite way. Elbanna's vocals are not the most distinctive in the genre, but they are consistent, strong, and earnest.

My favorite tracks are "Nonbeliever," "Blood on Your Hands," "Pray for Death," and "Into Eternity." "Worthless" is also very good in its aggressive, bent sort of way. Not sure who this song is aimed at, but I think the message is clear. The most interesting track is "Into Eternity." The track represents a sonic shift from the previous ten tracks. It's more pathos driven in its lyrical intent and, as you'd expect with a classical string accompaniment, runs at a slower, more refined tempo. The lead guitar solo is amazing and lends to the overall epic tone. Adding to this tone are the triumphant lyrics Elbanna renders: "We need to die just to breathe again." True enough.

It's been four years since we last heard from LOST SOCIETY. It seems they've had a lot on their mind and with "No Absolution" they let us all know about it in a very loud and uncompromising way. Again, I am not familiar with LOST SOCIETY's former sound, but this one is solid enough.