The Polish death metal band Lost Soul has released a new album, Genesis: XX Years of Chaoz. It’s a two-CD set; the first disc, “Genesis,” features newly recorded versions of songs from their entire career, starting with their earliest demos and going all the way up to their last album, 2009’s Immerse in Infinity, as well as some new material, plus covers of Metallica‘s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and The Prodigy‘s “Spitfire,” while the second disc, “Lords of Endeavors,” actually anthologizes those demos.

The band has put together a three-part video series documenting the recording of the set. Here’s Part 1, which captures drum tracking:

Here’s Part 2, covering guitars and bass:

And here’s Part 3, which shows frontman Jacek Grecki recording vocals:

I’ve always liked Lost Soul. Polish death metal has a uniquely chunky, bottom-heavy sound – you can hear it in Vader, Decapitated, and even Behemoth, and Lost Soul are great explorers of that style. The production on Genesis, like Immerse in Infinity, is high-tech (the drums sound super-triggered and mechanical, but not in a chintzy way; they batter at your skull like a jackhammer, practically causing concussion), but the music isn’t about extremity for its own sake. The guitar riffs have a head-nodding, magnetic power, and the solos are fleet and melodic, with sophisticated harmonies that recall Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. The mix is deep and spacious, with every instrument given room to impress the listener. Genesis (which seems like it was originally supposed to come out in late 2011, but was delayed for some reason) is a great introduction to Lost Soul‘s impressive discography.

—Phil Freeman

Here’s a stream of one track, “Black Forerunner”: