A decade after the release of what was one of my favorite records at the time, The Fake Sound of Progress, and after four years of silence, Lostprophets have unearthed themselves to come at us with a new sound that is unlike anything I expected, to be completely honest with you. At first, The Betrayed comes across uncharacteristically strange if you think back to Lostprophets’ previous albums; and seems to be one of those albums where the artist decides to go in a completely different direction and take some chances. I’m all about paradigm breaking but there is always the chance it will blow up in your face. As much as I commend these boys for taking a chance, I’m not so sure I can agree with the critics on this album. I have read some good reviews on The Betrayed, but it came across overly trendy and entirely too hipster wanna-be rocker to me.

In some tracks, you completely lose footing and forget who you’re listening to. At one point I had to open my iTunes because I thought I hit shuffle on accident. There are some songs where you hear Ian’s trademark vocals and you just know it’s Lostprophets, but oddly those moments are few and far between. He somehow readjusts his vocals and you easily lose him in the music, resurfacing sporadically throughout the songs.

In the few songs they give you in which they stay true to the sound we all grew to love, I actually found myself getting into the music; but the majority of the album is just so off-putting, it would be a miracle that you make it far enough to enjoy those tracks.

Track two, “Dstryr and Dstryr” (and that is spelled correctly), is Rage Against The Machine. This is track that had me checking my iTunes. If you only listen to one track on this album, you have to hear this one because the resemblance to RATM is uncanny. Vocally and musically it seems to be a copy-cat of “Bulls On Parade,” and the breakdown at the end has to be a note for note rip off.

Track four, “Where We Belong,” sounds like a track off of a [The] Killers album. I’m not saying I don’t like The Killers because I do, but I want my Lostprophets to sound like Lostprophets and The Killers to sound like The Killers.

Track seven, “AC Ricochet,” sounds more like Lostprophets and is actually a decent track. It has a lot of melody and a great hook. It’s one of those songs that’s really great…if you don’t get turned off too soon to make it far enough in to hear it.

In all fairness, I’m not going to take six hundred words and rip this album because I don’t truly know what to say. I don’t want to say it’s a bad album because they are trying new things. I think they will appeal to a different fan base and that might be what they are after. I will say if you haven’t heard much out of Lostprophets since 2004 and if you liked them then, you will find this to be nothing like you expect.

This is a must hear album only because I feel like a lot of people will like it. That being said, I am not a fan of Lostprophets’ new release, The Betrayed. This Welsh sextet is very talented and driven, though. They are doing something completely different, and it will either be a break out album or a break down. Only time will tell, but until then, you be the judge and take a listen, because if nothing else it is entertaining.

3.0/5