Lament: Shot Down But Not Destroyed | Firm and Dignified
(2024 – Lament Records)
They are our benchmark in Mexican metal. With their own style within metal, Lament has managed to make a name and sound for themselves. Throughout their long history, they have also gone through many situations and lineup changes, and even today, the great Abel Gomez, who remains at the helm of Lament, continues to fight on the scene, and “Shot Down But Not Destroyed” is a perfect example of this.
Lament has managed to take different musical turns over the years in their music, without ever straying from Metal. That much is clear, but it is true that from their early Death Metal, which we came to know in the 90s, to more recent times, the band has been varying their approach without losing the essence that characterizes them.
In fact, the first thing that comes to mind when listening to this album is Metal without labels of any kind, as here Lament seems to be attempting a kind of bridge between their different eras. Thus, based on more traditional Heavy Metal, we can hear hints of their old and familiar Extreme Metal style, and even traces of Thrash Metal here and there. The personality of Abel Gomez and Lament flows through every corner of the album, and that in itself is a great find.
The band is formed on this occasion by Abel Gomez on guitar and vocals, Job Leví Gomez on drums, Jorge A. Lopez on bass, and Francisco Nolasco on guitars. A combo that has managed to renew Lament’s style with a powerful and furious sound.
It is no easy task to analyze an album like this, but not because it is poor, quite the contrary. It is difficult to find parameters to define Lament, and “Shot Down But Not Destroyed” seems like a tough nut to crack in that sense. It is imbued with its own imprint that, of course, has its influences, but which enriches the band’s sound.
“Shot Down But Not Destroyed” begins with an instrumental. “Intro (Psalm 50)” has an epic feel and an ancient church atmosphere, mediated by a mid-tempo base. It precedes the powerful “Religión Zombie,” in which Lament takes on religious figures who only know how to take money from people. It’s tremendous, and at the same time sad and true.
It is clear that Lament’s style is traditional metal with rotten vocals and classic orchestrations in the guitar solos. In “Dios Es Grande” (God Is Great), this can be appreciated in all its fairness; with “Derribados Más No Destruidos” (Shot Down But Not Destroyed), we have another instrumental, whose conception is somewhat reminiscent of Lament’s early days, with biblical passages read in between.
At half speed and with a welcoming intro and guitar orchestration, “Pueblo Sin Dios” remains in line with traditional metal and with a certain influence from thrash metal. This continues in “Ruge El León,” one of the best and most energetic tracks on the album. On the other hand, “Y A Pesar De Todo” leans more towards the band’s characteristic Death style, with a structure based on Heavy Metal.
“Al Dios No Conocido,” mid-tempo with a solid base and hard riffs, introduces us to one of the most interesting pieces on the album, with a rather warlike atmosphere. Meanwhile, “Mi Corazón Es De Metal” will only be understood by those who are into metal. With vocals ranging from clean to rotten, plus passages of crushing riffs and guitar solos, it becomes another of the album’s must-hear tracks.
As a kind of bonus track, and to finish off, there is a totally acoustic piece aptly titled “Acoustic Medley,” an “Unplugged” journey through the history of Lament, including several of the band’s classic songs, but in instrumental form. It is a way of saluting the past and the necessary connection with the band’s current present, which, as we have seen, has in no way strayed from the sound for which it is known.
The album has many strengths. First, it knows how to stay true to the essence of its own sound and style, rooted in traditional metal with its classic hints of the extreme. Secondly, Lament has managed to stand the test of time, and their particular musical style does not seem to have aged, but rather been updated without losing its essence, as we have already mentioned. Finally, I would highlight the total lack of commitment to religion or the establishment. Yes, of course, Lament is basically a Christian band, but they have what it takes when it comes to denouncing and communicating the message they have to convey. This is a characteristic that has been reinforced over time.
Another key fact to keep in mind is that, unlike previous productions, here Lament sings entirely in Spanish. This is no minor detail and marks their belonging to the Latin American world, so often underestimated.
The sound of Shot Down But Not Destroyed is truly superb. Its recording, engineering, and mixing have managed to combine the rustic with the powerful. Thus, we can listen to perhaps one of the best recordings that Lament has ever released. The album hits hard, it must be said. Everything here sounds really powerful. And all in a totally independent production, which is worth noting.
The cover is equally impressive, and Heavy Metal in its conception. What can we say about the inner sleeve… laminated and with a quality that even big productions from major labels would envy. Where others cut costs, Lament takes care to maintain the essence of the physical format and provide quality to those of us who prefer it to digital. Really worthy of applause. The only thing missing is a vinyl edition.
It doesn’t look like Abel Gomez and Lament are going to throw in the towel. Quite the contrary. “Shot Down But Not Destroyed” appears as a renewal of their sound and particular style, while at the same time saluting their past, their essence of always, and evolving positively with a truly powerful and metallic album.
The album can be found through Lament Records, the band’s own independent label, so here we leave you with their social media contacts, as well as the coordinates to find out the latest news about Lament, and of course, we leave you with a lyric video of the song “Ruge El Leon,” from this great album, so you can form your own opinion and judge for yourselves…
https://www.facebook.com/lamentbandmx
https://www.facebook.com/lamentrecords
