Melodic Rock/Metal and close cousin Arena Oriented Rock/Metal scratches an itch for
me on a regular basis. With that in mind it’s surprising that I’d never come across these prolific
veterans of the genre: LastWorld. With albums out in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 they have been busy
honing their skills. I was very excited to dig in deep and hear what they had to offer to me and
the hard music fan at large. Let us tackle this song-by-song as I think “eating the elephant” one
bite at a time makes it easier to digest.
Don’t Tell Me I’m Wrong – This is a very “keys-heavy” start to the album with what I’d
call capable vocals. I’m getting massive Ten vibes; one of my favorite Melodic Metal
bands. Such a comparison lends gravitas! But, although the song starts out with promise
and I keep waiting for it to crescendo… it never does. Hm… I’m left wanting a bit more.
Younger Days – This is a very 80s era Arena Rock sounding tune. It’s catchy; I’m
getting my first glimpse of this band’s song-writing skills. This song has an interesting
vibe: It kind of sounds like a Country band playing Arena Rock; or an Alt-Rock/Country
crossover. Cool!
I Can’t Explain – That’s the song title, not my inability to express myself! Good
songwriting is what jumps out immediately. This is what I’d call a “piano rocker.” The
vocals on this one are better… less strained. Good guitar melodies are found
throughout. This is maybe the best song on the album, with emotional melodies. This is
their wheelhouse… where their talents come out to play.
I Will Find My Way – Faster! (I’m a sucker for faster, regardless of genre) heavier,
upbeat “metal.” I find the vocals to be a bit strained again on this track, but that does not
take away from what I will call a… restrained Riot vibe.
Better of Me – I’m starting to see a pattern of a band who isn’t sure where to hang their
hat. This is a bluesier rocker. It has a decidedly nice bluesy swing to it, with a strong
bass undergirding the tune. The vocals are in a lower register and that sounds better.
Tasty solos are found within and I rank this as one of the standout tracks. I am, however,
still waiting to hear them let loose! They seem… restrained?
The Fantasy’s Over – Another synth-heavy song `a la Ten. They have a “Ten” vibe
snaking its way through their work, but they can’t seem to reach the “warmth,” hooks or
melodies Ten is famous for. I’ll call this an off-brand Ten song. A generic Dollar Store
cream-filled sponge cake instead of a Twinkie.
Destiny – What decade is this? Keys! Harmony! Keys! The vocals just lack the range
and warmth needed. This is a recurring theme, and it produces one of the album’s lesser
lights.
Been There Before – This is a soulful rocker with good songwriting. The vocals work
better here with this simple yet effective song that has nice guitar tones and hooks. The
vocal and guitar hooks combine to create one of the stronger songs on the album.
You Never Listen – Aha! We’ve come to our “power ballad” and it has pretty good
songwriting (a theme!) but I’m afraid we come back to the tricky issue of the vocals: the
vocals don’t quite “bring it” like we all want on a true ballad. Remember the wheelhouse
we talked about earlier?
A Step Beyond Death – We find LastWorld upping the energy again with a catchy
rocker with reverb vocals. Cool! Now I’m getting a Badlands and Red Sea-type bluesy
rock/metal feel here. That’s high praise! This song has crunch, but my earlier “waiting for
the crescendo” concern has returned. This one is lacking the final oomph; the melody or
hooks to make it truly memorable.
Beautiful Illusion – This is a super-slow instrumental with… quiet maracas? Meh. This
was a bummer way to end. Out like a lamb?
Beautiful Illusion is an album I really want to love, but can only bring myself to like.
What jumps out to me is that these guys know how to write a song, and only occasionally miss
the mark with a hook or a melody. That’s their strong point. David Cagle is a fine and capable
vocalist when he stays inside of his skill-set. A final word on the discussion of “wheelhouse?” I
Can’t Explain represents their wheelhouse to me… songwriting and melodies that Cagle can
sink his teeth into and that the listener can get lost in. I want more of that!
With multiple listens I came away with a sense that they aren’t sure what their “sound”
should be. Now they have my thoughts on the matter, lol. I also wouldn’t mind it one bit if they
chased that Badlands style, and did so by loosening the chains… or throwing off the shackles
altogether!
Rating: 6.5/10 – A solid effort that with a shade of tweaking could easily be an 8+
Track Listing
1. Don’t Tell Me I’m Wrong
2. Younger Days
3. I Can’t Explain
4. I Will Find My Way
5. Better Of Me
6. The Fantasy’s Over
7. Destiny
8. Been There Before
9. You Never Listen To Me
10. A Step Beyond Death
11. Beautiful Illusion
All lyrics & music written by Jim Shepard
Produced, Engineered and Mixed by: Jim Shepard
Music Recorded and Mixed at Cheap Track Studios
Vocals recorded at Cagle Studios
Mastered by: JK Northrup
Artwork by: Nello Dell’Omo
Band Members
Jim Shepard – All Instruments
David Cagle – All Vocals
