Review by Saxy S for Loneshore - Nothing Left to Deconstruct (2026)

The sophomore release by Brazilian based progressive/post-metal/death doomers Loneshore is a confusing record. That's not to say that I don't like it; the quality of the songwriting and unconventional structure sucked me in and would not let me go for the entire fifty-plus minutes of runtime. However, Nothing Left to Deconstruct is an album that feels more like an amalgamation of the sum of its parts instead of a cohesive unit. When the album begun with "Straylight" and "To Stride the Black Earth", I could hear the influence right away. Imagine if Tool wrote more heavy songs, with seven string guitars and more death metal howls from Maynard, something closer to that of The Ocean. And I really enjoyed it; "To Stride the Black Earth" in particular with its unconventionally short runtime. "Of Lost Waters" starts off with a neat riff that sounds influenced by "Windowpane" by Opeth. "Birth of a Mountain" and "Parhelion" are both good as well, and even have segments that feature Mastodon-esque sludge metal grooves. The main issue I felt was that even though these influences were indeed influential and not blatant rip-off's, I still felt myself getting sucked out of the experience. I really enjoyed the variety found within this album, but it kind of felt like too much at some times, which was odd. 

If the mixing of this album was worse, I would probably view this record in a far less positive light. The production is splendid allowing every note and word to be performed with expert precision. As the album shifts between styles and influences, so does the mix. Clean guitars on "With Nothing We Part" sound weighty even beyond their lowered tuning, while tremolo guitar leads are balanced with the vocals, creating some great counterpoint. The percussion is tight and draws the album forward even during its more contemplative and slower sections. The vocals of Luiz Felipe Netto take some getting used to, especially his death metal howls. They don't sound particularly dense here. A healthy dose of reverb and bass boost could have done wonders. The clean singing on the other hand is well done; Luiz shows a great vocal range and dynamic variety.

I wanted to enjoy this album more, but something about it just irks me. I can tell immediately that these guys have chops and their approach to songwriting is unique and very interesting. But as a whole, Nothing Left to Deconstruct also has the feeling of an identity crisis. Perhaps giving it more time will really bring it home, but I don't really want to have to deconstruct this album for another eight years to find out!

Best Songs: Straylight, To Stride the Black Earth, Parhelion

For Fans Of: Tool, The Ocean, Spirit Adrift