Frustrating, and uninspired, LSTC fail to impress
Warning! Warning! Classic metal approaching with Metallica written all over it. 'Vital Signs' is a totally misleading album title - there's not a trace of originality in there at all. Technically, Last Stop China Town are an accomplished band and there are a few gems in there but overall Metallica did it better. How this lot won 'Metal Hammer Best UK band' award is beyond me. Only a few gems lurks in rough, and it's not enough.
So recent single 'Just Ashes' kicks of proceedings and from the first chord you know what you're going to get. This is solid stuff, no doubt about it - the start is promising - but singer Alon's vocals are too much like James Hetfield. The same could be said for 'Hollywood Ending', a track so twisted and awkward it's painful; once again, the vocals are to blame.
It's a surprise, therefore, when track four, 'Let the Dice Decide', turns out to be great. It's devilishly good - all sharp riffs and punchy beats, as the shortest song on the record it's one of the best. There's a real edge to it, for once, even a sense of danger. Shame it doesn't last as LSCT resort back to the chug-a-chug metal of before with 'This Gift' and 'Opinions Collide'. They would make steam trains proud.
'Vital Signs' is an atmospheric record, and it may not be original but for the most part, it's well put together at least; For all that, the last half is somewhat forgettable. There's not much to recommend it, and when it comes to tracks like 'Fall Behind' and 'Bet on Red', the resemblances to Metallica are too much to ignore and it's most off-putting.
The title track, however, is a light in the murk of mediocrity. Like 'Let the Dice Decide', it's punchy and angry, something that seems to be missing 0n most of the record. For that reason alone it stands out, and this time the vocals are pretty decent - a bonus. The bite and edge of 'Take Me Under' also makes a welcome change, but it's all the more frustrating for that and therein lays the point. If there was more of the likes of that and 'Vital Signs', this would be a much better record. Unfortunately, it seems that won't be happening anytime soon, so unless you really love Metallica or classic metal this will be highly frustrating.