4/5

Hmmm. Not every Italian metal band sounds like Lacuna Coil. Who knew? With their one song demo, Ancestry, Lapsus eschew goth for accessible melodic death. In that regard, they don’t bring anything new to the table. The all-too-familiar melodic thrash riffs with slithery lead lines, crunchy rhythms, and screamed verses/sung choruses appear – although admittedly well-done – here in spades. However, they may have found a diamond in the rough with vocalist Saoshyant, who is just all over the place. Pretty much every extreme vocal style is utilized, from high screams and demonic growls to a gruff singing voice that wouldn’t seem out of place in the Bay Area. Oh yeah, and clean vocals, he does those too. Combine his range with his slightly schizophrenic delivery which often switches mid-syllable and you have an interesting take on the melodic death sound. Unfortunately, hearing all that in one four-minute song can be a bit overwhelming and a little focus would have helped instead allowing him to use his range over the course of an entire album. Really, the only real problem is that at one song, the demo is just too short, keeping the listener from being exposed to all the band has to offer. But if Ancestry is any indication, Lapsus might be a band worth keeping an eye out for.