Last Train’s Explosive Album: ‘III’
The rock band from Alsace rocked festivals this summer with their new album. Simply titled III, their record released at the end of January, explores raw emotions. With addicting sounds, it offers a more mature image of Jean-Noël Scherrer and his bandmates.
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One minute and five seconds. That's how long it takes for the first guitar riff to arrive in "Home," the introductory track to III. Before it, nothing, or almost nothing. A silence, followed by a few half-sung phrases. After that, a furious, visceral, relentless scream. The kind of scream that oozes urgency in large drops. Last Train has never been about being quiet, and with this third album, the band seems intent on continuing the push back.
Must we not forget, the four Alsatians had accustomed us to a more emotion focused rock. The codes of the genre remained very respected until then, often flirting with classical music: in Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, their previous album released in 2024 (no, these guys never take a break), they called on the Mulhouse Symphony Orchestra to reinterpret old titles. For III, they’re going in a totally opposite direction. No more clean melodies, make way for raw rock, as dissonant as possible.
But while the music of this album is clearly more violent than their previous ones, they are no less polished, quite the contrary. From the chords to the vocal techniques, everything in III shows notable progress. Jean-Noël's voice sounds more assertive: richer in nuances, his tone less nasally than in previous projects. Instrumentally, the progress is also pretty clear. Antoine's drums in "All to Blame" are crazy, the guitar crescendos in the middle of "One by One" are so satisfying to hear. Tim's bass is not left out either , with special mention to his performance in "Revenge." But amidst all this evolution, there still remains Last Train’s characteristic element in their music: silence. Always present, always heavier to better surprise. If we had to summarize IIIfrom a purely musical point of view, it would surely be with this paradox: a joyful cohesion amidst a violent mess.
The only dark spot on the horizon: the lack of themes addressed. The anxiety of a blank page, the fear that success will end... subjects already well addressed in previous albums, which almost give the impression of a still-open wound. Yet, faced with these (very) persistent doubts, the group also seems more mature. The project, closed by the relentless "I Hate You," gives the four childhood friends a kind of new serenity. The last four notes, just on the piano, sound almost like the light after the chaos. With this third album, the members of Last Train are no longer searching for themselves: they are positioning themselves. And they do it calmly. Because after all, "if this must be the end, let it be loud."