Finnish Melodic Death and Doom Metal band, Ghost Brigade, are one of the up and coming Death Metal bands as of now, even though they’ve written three absolute pounding albums since their birth in 2005. The Finnish band melds hopeful and beautiful melodies with dark and heavy instrumentation, with absolutely incredible chest rattling growls. The melded sound is unlike any metal out there, rivaling Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum in Melodic Death Metal, but remaining their own sound. What sets them apart is their resonating and trendsetting melodic clean singing from lead vocalist Manne Ikonen. The band is dark and moody, driving with subtleties and power, making for a sound that engulfs your senses from the first listen. There is something ethereal, something unexplained, something inaudibly incredible about this band’s sound. Which is why their new album IV-One With The Storm is one of my favorite albums of 2014.
Ghost Brigade’s new album IV-One With The Storm is everything I expected in a new release from them, but it exceeds so much more than my expectations. The album is as beautifully crafted and melodic as Isolation Songs and as heavy as Until Fear No Longer Defines Us. The instrumentation is melodic and gripping, with well executed fast playing and driving rhythm. It sounds like you’re the pallbearer in a mystic land, trudging your way through shin high grasses and wet stones, with this album playing as your soundtrack. It paints so many distinct visions in your head as you listen through it. Each song is an entirely different soundtrack. Ghost Brigade nailed their classic Melodic Death Metal sound with this album, and enhanced it to the best possible level.
The epic album begins with “Wretched Blues”, a fast strumming track with deathly melodic tones, making a dark and ominous sound. The over six minute long track has this darkness hanging over it, with light synth in the background. The song is haunting, slowly morphing and building with infinite layers of guitars and passion. The sound of this album slightly reminds me of what Type O Negative achieved in their music. Slower track “Departures” is a different track for Ghost Brigade, featuring mostly clean vocals and a less depressing sound. It’s a brilliantly written track, succeeding at being something new from Ghost Brigade without being a negative departure from the band. “Aurora” is an emotionally heavy track, a quality the band polished so well through the years. It builds up from Death Metal to a melodic verse, then keeps changing with different dynamics and a tempo change. I loved this track from the moment the band released it and find it fits very well on this diverse album. “Disembodied Voices” is an ominous and dark track, full of melody and emotion, keeping with the typical mood of Ghost Brigade. The song sounds of healing and hope, proving the music is just as meaningful as power ballads. The driving instrumentation of this song pulls you in with a catchy beat. The lead guitar adds subtleties with mini solos throughout the last half of the song, adding that truly haunting melodic sound Ghost Brigade is famous for. The outro also includes light synth and muted vocals, leading into the next track.
“Electra Complex” is creepy, mysterious, elusive, soundtrack that takes your breath away with its effortless and drifting vocals and instrumentation. This song almost sounds like a partner to “Soulcarvers”, with similar guitar work and slow headbanging feel. It is absolutely brilliant in its delivery. “Electra Complex” may be one of the best songs Ghost Brigade has ever put out. Yet another song on this album has left me speechless and with a sore neck. “Stones and Pillars” changes the mood up from the previous tracks, proving that this album has even heavier tracks than Isolation Songs. This track is heavy all the way through with chest rattling extreme growls, taking a break from the swaying clean vocals. Then once again the album changes with melodic beautiful track, “Anchored”, that builds back into a hardcore sound. The melodic and Death influences sound like they’re in a very heated battle on this track, as the tone switches back and forth like an argument. “The Knife” is a very rhythm driven track and heavy with all elements from Ghost Brigade. The use of high, ear piercing synth adds a new eerie and Hallows Eve touch to it. It is a very appropriate song for this time of year. The change of style throughout the song is refreshing and captivating too, making a complete new sound for the band.
“Long Way to the Graves” is a self descriptive track. It is a long dragging, influential, slow dark ballad that will move you, taking you away to a completely new state of mind. This song is beautiful, haunting, and inspiring all at the same time. Listening to this track is an indescribable experience. It is deflating and depressing, yet uplifting and inspiring with beauty. This track feels like a soundtrack for driving through the woodlands of Finland, back from a funeral and straight to a woman you love. It is an incredible track to say the least. “Elämä on tulta” is the perfect ending track for this exquisite Melodeath album. It begins slow and ominous, building into a guitar driven instrumental part, then into resonating growls and synth, continuing to place haunting music in your mind. This song is every characteristic about Ghost Brigade has ever showed on every album all put into one song. It is full of energy, unlike any track I’ve heard from the band yet. The title translates from Finnish to English “Life is a fire”, which is the absolute perfect title for such a powerful track. It leaves you satisfied, yet wanting more. Ending the moral of the album on an aggressive note, but still filled with the hopeful melodies echoing in your head.
Ghost Brigade once again creates the most unique, heavy, melodic, emotive, transcending album of Melodic Death Metal. They have raised every bar and have climbed to a new height with the flawlessness of this album. It is resonating and soaring with pure passion, tangible with conviction. They make you believe that you’re in a deep chasm of depression, but also lift you out with this beautiful sound of hope. Somehow this band creates incredible emotion filled music, describing emotions or lack of emotions with only three struck chords. Their music is unlike anything I’ve ever heard, regardless of genre. The prominent use of clean vocals on this album also makes the music extremely dynamic compared to previous albums, setting them in the center of true Melodeath. I really can’t say enough good things about this album. It is rare, but sometimes an album is just so fantastic that it becomes indescribable. I hope this very descriptive and emotion fueled review is enough to make you listen to this album, as well as check out Ghost Brigade’s entire catalog. They are the future of Melodic Death Metal.
Rating 9.6/10 This album sets the quality bar high for metal at the end of 2014, and I don’t think any other new release will top it for quite some time.
Metal Valkyrie 