91Èȱ¬

Today sees the release of Weapons, the fifth studio album by Pontypridd's Lostprophets. Here we track reaction to the album.

Lostprophets - Weapons

91Èȱ¬ Music
"Because of its compact form and committed performances, Weapons is a release that burns brightly. Its cause is aided by the fact that Lostprophets are a quite fabulous band in motion, one equipped with not just power but also nuance."

4/5
"...the majority of Weapons showcases a band every bit as hungry as the one that blasted out of their Pontypridd rehearsal room a decade ago."

5/10
"We Bring An Arsenal oozes gang chants worthy of a lads' holiday and Better Off Dead includes vocally-manipulated rapping, which isn't as unappealing as it sounds. But as a big comeback for these Welsh titans, it's more lost than prophecy... "

Rock Sound 8/10
"Weapons does indeed mark a new beginning for Lostprophets. Where in the past they specialised in instant hits, now they're aiming for something larger and more long-lasting."

5/10
"Another Shot adds tension and atmosphere but a tendency toward the derivative comes to the fore..."

2/5
"Heart On Loan, Another Shot and Jesus Walks save this record from the sonic doldrums because they're driven by bristling, big choruses and power riffs, proving that Lostprophets should stick to what they know."

4/5
"On We Bring An Arsenal, it means blending Auto-Tune, a mariachi football chant and a non-specific-but-disgusted lyric - a crudely effective concoction that captures the feeling of being 16 and looking for the meaning of life."

3.5/5
"It's perhaps a little strange that Weapons sees Lostprophets drawing further on influences from bands that they themselves inspired over the last decade (not least from some of their Welsh contemporaries in The Blackout and Kids In Glass Houses), but if taken for what it is (a pop rock record) it's a great listen with a few non-fatal flaws."

"It's hard to say the members of Lostprophets themselves perform badly here - all do their respective jobs well enough without ever becoming brilliant or more than mildly interesting at any point. It's really the songwriting, and a seeming allergy to experimentation, that brings Weapons down to the level that it occupies."

"Lostprophets still have a career and they've done well to sustain it, they've adapted to the changing times and they've gotten themselves an entire new fan base along the way. They've still got their style, they just don't have any substance left."

"This is a band that knows where its strengths are - in simple, fist-pumping choruses and ferocious riffs. It's not to say that they don't play with the formula... but the songs that step back a little are the ones that us newcomers are unlikely to be humming in the morning."

"I've used the words "anthemic" and "epic" a few times in this review, but they're words that epitomise the sound of 'Weapons'. It's clear that Lostprophets have put their heart and soul into this album, and are proud to be releasing something that they've worked so hard on... A very welcome return for one of Britain's best rock bands."

"As sad as it is to say (I grew up listening to fakesoundofprogress religiously) but Weapons just might be the final nail in the coffin for anyone holding out hope of Lostprophets ever being relevant again."

8/10
"However, for all the middle-finger, we're not going away attitude of the band in 2012, dig underneath it all and you find a band who still love writing catchy rock songs."

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