By Mani Khawaja (@manikhawaja88)
I’ve never really heard a rock band from Italy, much less a post-hardcore/indie-punk one, so I was pretty intrigued when I heard about LAGS and their debut album, Pilot. My interest was only further piqued, when I found out that the band’s drummer was also an internationally renowned athlete who has represented his country on numerous occasions.
The album kicks off guns blazing with the high energy track, aptly titled ‘A Push and A Rush’. With roaring vocals, fiery guitar riffs and thumping beats, this is the perfect track to give you a taste of what the band is all about.
LAGS has been compared to At the Drive-In, which is high praise indeed. This is an album pulsating with raw adrenaline, perfect to pump you up and rock out to. I put it on my gym playlist and breezed through the session. A weaker vocalist would be lost beneath this manic music, but Antonio Canestri holds his own and then some, bringing just the right amount of intensity to the proceedings.
After the opening track, my favourite song is ‘Queen Bee’, another high-octane, super-charged offering. With a wicked bass, catchy riffs and a memorable hook, this song will be stuck in your head. This classification might not necessarily endear me to the band, but tracks like ‘The Stream’ and ‘Behind The Clouds’ reminded me of a lot of “screamo” music I’ve heard, especially Hawthorne Height’s EP, Hate.
For fans of post-hardcore, Pilots comes with my highest recommendation. People who are hoping for some sort of Italian element to the music might be disappointed, though. There was nothing obvious that I could pick up on. All the songs were in English. In fact, if I hadn’t read up on the band before, I never would have guessed the Italian connection. What I can tell you, with Pilots under their belts, LAGS are a band to watch out for.