CHRIS HARMS
1980 NAPALM
Lord Of The Lost frontman goes full-on synth-pop on solo album
There aren’t many bands that can pirouette from supporting Iron Maiden to competing at Eurovision. Lord Of The Lost made that transition with a blend of metallic riffs, dark industrial noise and big, melodic hooks. Frontman Chris Harms’s debut solo album doesn’t have that crossover appeal, heading straight for the synth-pop side of the 80s. And this isn’t the metal-adjacent dark synth music that Perturbator or Carpenter Brut create. The lyrics are at times cynical and biting, but the music is overwhelmingly perky. If it sounds like Depeche Mode, it’s the gawky, early-80s Top Of The Pops incarnation rather than the leather-clad violators singing about BDSM. It’s harmless fun made with honesty and joy, but don’t expect it to bite. ■■■■■■■■■■