I've always enjoyed the Appleseed Cast, so that may make me biased in this review, but I don't give a shit and neither should you because this album needed to be reviewed. Lost Songs is comprised of material recorded after The Ring Wars and before Mare Vitalis and displays the transitional phase of the band in between the two albums. The vocals weren't added until 2002; however, this is insignificant and you canât tell any changes or additions were made to the songs. There is really raw energy throughout the nine tracks on this little gem and it really displays the talent that this band carries. This band has been said to run along the same route as the likes of greats such as Mineral and Sunny Day Real Estate.
"E to W" is a great song to start this record off and lets the listener know what they are in for, with a slow eerie intro which eventually erupts with loud crashing guitars and the very recognizable haunting and eager vocals of Christopher Crisci. There are signs of true brilliance here with the way that the feedback is blended with the guitar riffs to create a unique listen.
This release is laced with great guitar riffs and some absolutely amazing drumming. "State N W/K" showcases their ability to completely rock the shit out of the listener's ears then abruptly stop and transcend into beautiful guitar riffs just long enough for the words to fall out of Crisci's mouth in a manner that will have you wishing for more. However, before you know it, BAM! -- you're thrown right back in the mix of a short but well-placed jam session.
"Beach Gray" is in my opinion, one of this band's best songs and it proves that they can write slower songs that are just as effective as their heavier or faster songs. The guitar work, again, is incredible and the vocals seem urgent and the emotion put through them is very strong.
One flaw on this record is "House on a Hill"; ambient noise can be very fitting and can make songs more interesting but having a full track dedicated to it is something that I don't understand, especially when you can play your instruments like these guys. And although "Novice Ambient Cannibalization" is a bit more intriguing of an instrumental, I still would have liked to seen them have more songs with vocals -- but then again wait, this is an Appleseed Cast record.
All in all, this record does an excellent job of letting the listener in on the journey of the evolution of the band from what they were on The Ring Wars to what they displayed on Mare Vitalis. The only real flaw is the 13 minutes taken up by these two ambient instrumentals, and I only say it's a flaw because from listening to the other tracks on this album I know they could have put together a few more songs that would absolutely blow these two out of the water, no questions asked. All in all, if you are a fan of ASC or anyone who enjoys energetic and emotional music, pick this up and see what you've been missing.