Releasing on March 31st of this year, the EP “No Longer Needed” by Lonesome Territory had me hooked from the first few seconds. Though they formed in 2024, Lonesome Territory has what it takes to dominate the scene in a new and refreshing way. Originating in Tacoma, Washington, the group of four weave together many genres and sounds to create their own unique seat at the metaphorical table.
The first track, a short and sweet 30 seconds, really gives you a taste for the atmosphere that Lonesome Territory is creating with every note and breath. It’s a great introduction to this gem of an EP, and had me super pumped for the listening experience to come.
The title track does a great job of oscillating between lighter and more tender rock, and the deep and dark. The lyrics that stick out to me in this track are: “You took part of me, no / When did we start losing empathy? / I guess you’ve all conceded / That I’m no longer needed” and “Where’s your compassion in this tragedy? / My mission’s now completed / Now I’m no longer needed / I’ll never be defeated / You are no longer needed”.
This track tells a story of someone you once cared for completely disregarding you, and you feeling every part of that betrayal, from anger to sadness, and every emotion in-between. By the end, you’ve decided that THEY are the part of the equation that needed to go…YOU get to decide to accept their decision and realize you’re better off for it in every way.
The fourth track, Silver Lining, took me off guard in the best way with the screaming vocals and more metal-esque qualities. Like the title track, there’s a back-and-forth between the sweet and the scary, maybe used as a representation of the internal battle we’re going through during this EP.
The next track, Reveal Yourself, has some spoken-word vocals (some of my favorite additions), and reminds me of a hardcore slam poetry night, with post-rock instrumentals as the foundation.
Some lyrics in this track that stood out to me were: “A slave to a substance that slowly consumes / A poisonous flower where tragedy blooms / Its suffocating grip tightens with every breath / This poison ivy noose, this harbinger of death / You’re losing yourself, little by little / And all of your loved ones / Are caught in the middle”. Fantastic lyrics that paint such a vivid image.
The EP concludes with a song that leans a little bit more into the realm of shoegaze. It feels like a song of acceptance and realism for the future, even after all of the pain endured.
Overall, this EP had me on my toes the entire way through. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for more from Lonesome Territory and hope that everyone thoroughly enjoys this EP release. You can stream their EP, “No Longer Needed” on Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Spotify starting on March 31st!
Written by Newt Fangs
