Lost Society

Lost Society: The Finnish Thrash Monsters Remain Terror Hungry

Interview With Front Man Samy Elbanna

Photos Courtesy of Lost Society's Facebook

Jyaskyla, Finland thrashers Lost Society are back with Terror Hungry, a brash, bold, blistering sonic punch to the face that picks up immediately where the band's 2013 debut Fast, Loud, Death left off. Yes, the band stills sound as if their members were recently thawed from ice, where they've been encased since 1986, and yes, they're still too young to legally drink beer, but these old metal souls have grown as songwriters, musicians and performers.

HISTORY

The band was formed in January 2010 by the then 14-year-old guitarist founded Samy Elbanna. The unnamed first drummer left after half a year the band. His successor was Ossi Paananen. Was completed the band by guitarist Arttu Lesonen and the bass player Mirko Lehtinen who come from Elbannas friends. Since Lost Society no suitable singer found took Elbanna ado the song.

In August 2011, the band released their self-titled demo with three songs and played numerous concerts. A year later took part in the Lost Society worldwide talent competition Global Battle of the Bands. Although the deadline was missed, the band was allowed to participate in the preliminary round in Jyväskylä, which won Lost Society. After the band also won the Finnish finals occupied Lost Society in the Global Final on 9 December 2012 in London in third place. The demo finished at the Finnish Metal Awards 2012 ranked ninth in the category demo / self-production of the year.

Frenzied frontman Samy Elbanna recently spoke with JAM.

JAM: Was it a natural progression for Lost Society to get darker and angrier on Terror Hungry?

Samy Elbanna: The new album definitely has a noticeably darker feel— compared to Fast Loud Death. We added new aspects to our music, but we didn't think about it much while writing and recording the new songs. I guess it's true that we're getting angrier all the time!

JAM: Did the band members' time together—rehearsing, performing and hanging out—strengthen both friendships and band chemistry?

Samy Elbanna - Yes, it has. We get along well and everything we do—even apart from the music—somehow involves all of the guys. Even though it sounds like a cliché, we really are brothers!

JAM: How did the Terror Hungry's recording sessions differ from the Fast, Loud Death sessions?

Everything went a little this time. Still, the recording sessions were a hell of a time and we're really satisfied with what we did!

JAM: Why did you choose to record again with producer Nino Laurenne at Sonic Pump Studios?

While recording Fast Loud Death, we noticed that working with Nino was really smooth and he really knew what he was doing. We wanted to get the same kind of thing going with Terror Hungry. It worked. Nino is experience with thrash and he's a really awesome guy to work with!

JAM: Is Terror Hungry, like the title of your debut, not only a song, but also indicative of the disc's music?

Yeah! Most of the album's lyrics and themes [deal with] angry stuff. The overall feel of the music is pure brutal aggression! We're pissed off, but we also enjoy seeing the crowds [at our shows] stirring up some terror in the [mosh] pits!

JAM: Which of the 14 Terror Hungry tracks are you most looking forward to performing live and why?

It's got to be the title track Terror Hungry, which we are currently playing live. It's just a full-on thrash song and I just get to scream my ass off and party like fuck on stage.

JAM: Was "Mosh It Up" inspired by the Anthrax side-project S.O.D.?

It was inspired by both Anthrax and S.O.D.! It's just a song about having a good time and thrashing out both on stage and off stage.

JAM: Why did Lost Society choose to cover Twisted Sister's classic "You Can't Stop Rock and Roll"?

We played the song during practice and we came up with a good, fast-tempo arrangement that we thought would be perfect for the record. Plus, the message is true: you can't stop rock 'n' roll, and you never will!

JAM: Why did you decide upon artist Jan Meininghaus (Bolt Thrower, Sick of it All, UDO) to create Terror Hungry's the cover art?

Once again, we gave our basic idea to the guys at Nuclear Blast and they passed them on to Jan. We just let him do what he wanted to do. When we saw what he had come up with, we were blown away. The artwork really captures what the album is all about!

JAM: What story does his artwork tell?

The Terror Hungry dude is in an amusement park with his machete. He's planning to decapitate these happy guys on a rollercoaster! And he has already killed the grim reaper from the cover of our first album. I guess he didn't like him.

When later asked about his Terror Hungry cover artwork, Meininghaus explained: "[Lost Society's] musical style and their approach to metal is very '80s Bay Area. So, I thought it would be fun to paint something that might have been on one of those classic record covers."