“What if tomorrow never comes?”
An ever-growing niche in the heavy scene, where exhaustingly heavy sounds mesh with soul-crushingly emotive lyricism to achieve something much more than a sum of their parts. LILA is one of the bands that thrive in this space, with their downtempo stylings, dissonant guitars, and atmospherics impressing nothing short of panic and fear onto the listener. Where their debut EP, you can’t fix everything showed promise, The Mountains Are Calling And I Must Go realises their full potential.
First and foremost, we must point out that, yes, this is a Wax Vessel-adjacent project. That should impress upon you that there is already a level of quality to this release which allows it to stand above many of its peers. Having released their debut through the label, they’re now returning with their first full-length release, which, despite being only a couple of minutes longer than the EP, is all the more impactful as a full-length product.
LILA are heavily inspired by their early 2010’s predecessors, and they wear this on their sleeves, allowing those influences to shine through without being derivative or “copy-catting” their forerunners. If you were already a fan of vocalist Nick Bollock’s other project, Sabella, then you’ll undoubtedly love LILA, assuming you don’t already. But for those who do not know either project, allow us to give you a rundown of their influences. Picture an amalgamation of 2010s Yuth Forever, Traitors, and maybe a little bit of Sworn In thrown in for good measure. LILA is exactly that, and more: Instrumentally crushing when it needs to be, but equally sparse and atmospheric in other moments, allowing the vocals shine through on their own. This dissonance-soaked sound is instantly nostalgic, yet all the more refreshing with LILA’s modern implementation, which sets it apart.
As we’ve already alluded to, the lyricism on this release is a real selling point. It’s a narrative, yet strangely relatable. “Redroom” epitomises this, with dual vocalists Nick and Jess Miles trading blows to deliver the gruelling story. Their descriptions and delivery lend to a befitting imagery, and allow us, the listener, to picture a scene in our minds. Without telling you explicitly, it is impressed upon you both the scenery, weather, and atmosphere of this setting. The duo put us through our paces and offers us a glimpse into the main character’s inner turmoil, and what a conflict it is they’re suffering through. It’s visceral, aggressive, and altogether grounded and believable.
“These demons won’t leave me alone.
What would you do if you found me dangling?
Would I successfully succeed in changing everything?
I can’t even enjoy the drive home.”
“Storm Door” is another fantastic example, with the band taking a much more stripped-back approach and allowing the vocals to echo over a dreamier, synth-laden instrumental. Nick’s vocal delivery is gutwrenchingly emotional, with the concept of loss and its toll shining through in every second. “I spend my nights combing the blinds, following the signs, I thought I’d find you out there” perhaps encapsulates the feeling of the track the best, capturing that sense of uneasiness and false hope that someone might return despite the impossibility of it. It’s this level of lyricism which sets LILA apart from many of their modern contemporaries and only furthers their appeal.
There are also the radio news-anchor style clips, which are interspersed throughout the album, adding to the atmosphere at every turn. Thoughtfully arranged across the release, they continue the narrative and enhance the pacing perfectly, punctuating the dissonance and giving breathing room from the unrelentingly harsh screams.
The Mountains Are Calling And I Must Go is more than just an album; it’s a story, an experience, and LILA wants to take you along for the ride. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but if you’re a fan of that downtuned, dissonant sound that was once commonplace, then there’s plenty here for you, all wrapped up in a modern package with a neat little bow on top. Emotionally relentless, instrumentally exhausting, but all the more impactful for it, LILA achieves what many cannot, and The Mountains Are Calling And I Must Go will undoubtedly go down in the genre’s history as a cult-classic release, reshaping and reforming the sound for years to come.
9/10
The Mountains Are Calling And I Must Go is out now, with vinyl pre-orders available via Wax Vessel here.