“We’ll keep on pushing on and on until the memory’s dead.”
Post-hardcore supergroup L.S. Dunes made a huge splash in the scene upon their debut in 2022. The band, fronted by the ever-prolific Anthony Green (Circa Survive, Saosin, The Sound of Animals Fighting) also features members of My Chemical Romance, Coheed and Cambria, and Thursday.
While their first full-length Past Lives brought solid energy and some memorable hooks, it was hard to escape the feeling that it was more an amalgamation of the members’ other projects than a cohesive listening experience. As the band continued on, they faced a conundrum that had stymied many supergroups before them: Could they become more than the sum of their individual members, and develop their own identity as a band?
On their sophomore album Violet, L.S. Dunes tackle these artistic growing pains head-on, delivering a set of songs that expands upon the promise of their debut in a major way. The talented instrumentalists in the group have grown more in sync with each other as songwriters, and the additional time spent on this album has led to a more focused and refined body of work.
Opening track “Like Magick” begins with an extended a cappella section by Anthony Green before transitioning into a lurching mid-tempo groove. It is one of many sections on Violet that recall Green’s former(?) band Circa Survive in its combination of off-kilter melodies and progressive elements. The solo in the bridge section recalls some of guitarist Frank Lero’s work in My Chemical Romance without taking the listener out of the overall mood.
Elsewhere, “Machines” is led by a menacing bass line courtesy of Thursday’s Tim Payne, whose bass tone and melodic contributions are a consistent highlight throughout. Returning producer Will Yip knows how to bring out the best of each instrumentalist, and the low range on this song especially shines. Green’s vocals on the track, combined with the more direct alt rock instrumentation, call back to Circa Survive’s Blue Sky Noise era in the best possible way.
In fact, many fans still mourning the extended hiatus of Circa Survive may find Violet to be the next best thing. Green seems to be exerting a larger influence on the overall sound here compared to on Past Lives, and his guiding hand helps give the project a more distinct identity.
“You Deserve To Be Haunted” recalls Green’s more energetic work on Circa Survive’s Descensus, with a healthy dose of Coheed and Cambria riffs thrown in for good measure. “Paper Tigers” shows the group’s collective appreciation for ‘90s alternative with a riff that throws back to the best of Seattle grunge.
Closing track “Forgiveness” explodes into a cathartic stadium rock climax that will thrill fans of The Black Parade, yet with a distinctly progressive twist. By the time Violet touches down in a cacophony of glorious noise, L.S. Dunes have proven that this is no sophomore slump. In fact, it is the sound of a promising project fully coming into its own, and a group of scene veterans finding new artistic life in a thrilling new chapter of their careers, one that hopefully is just beginning.
8/10
Violet is out January 31st on Fantasy Records, it can be pre-ordered here.