Review: LOITS – Must Album

Year of release: 2007
Label: Nailboard Records
Rating: 8 / 10

The last (at the moment) album of LOITS, as well as the previous one, requires a considerable amount of time and attention. Perhaps because it also has a slight imbalance between the lyrical / aesthetical and musical parts. From the first seconds, the fact that the "Black Album" is rather gloomy and heavy - probably the darkest and heaviest record in the discography of Estonians - rushes into our ears. Again, old BURZUM is the fundament of most of the songs. This sounding is recognized unmistakably, but it's just the tip of the iceberg. All further layers, in spite of their rock and roll attitiude, are woven in a very cunning manner. Frankly, this is far from the standards of metal. While recording "Must Album", the musicians were exactly inspired not by SLAYER and not by MOTÖRHEAD. Take at least drum parts, which are almost impossible to follow because of their volatility. There are many other cool things here.: a variety of clean vocals, and almost symphonic keyboards. The song "Surmarestoran" in general is something like a funeral march with an accordion in the foreground. And the style of final track is much closer to the early works of LOITS. Similar solutions were present on the previous album, but there it all sounded a little lighthearted. Here, 85% of the material carries a depressing atmosphere. Perhaps, only the song "Kiri kaevikust" for a long time seems clean and easy, but it does not come to an end on a positive note. And also there is a short song "Ei kahetse midagi" that sounds really similar to the classic rock'n'roll.

The lyrics of the album (once again magnificent) form in one big story about people in the war - both soldiers and those who stayed behind to wait for them at home. Here I see the small imbalance. In the texts for "Vere kutse kohustab" there was more blood, sweat, battles and military pride, but the music sounded pretty cheerful. While "Must Album" sounds much darker, although the lyrics are softer. There is neither patriotism nor heroism in it, only personal experiences and unexpected twists of fate that bring grief. Of course, the music accompanying such things should not sound fun. But, in my opinion, it should have more melancholy, and the "Must Album" mood is more malicious than melancholic. Well, the musicians know better.

Album artworks are again above all praise. A thick booklet contains many beautifully styled photographs and lyrics in Estonian and English. The quality and design are just perfect. See more on a video. The limited two-disc version also contains postcards with biographies of the relatives of each of the musicians who passed throught war - a killer addition to the concept of the album, which keeps the memory about these dark times.