The Ghost Of A Thousand : New Hopes, New Demonstrations'
The hardcore genre has always been one that is often conquered well, but very rarely exceptionally well. Following such an apparently strict formula both musically and lyrically leaves little room for individuality without crossing the border into unknown territories. The Ghost Of A Thousand come painfully close to striking that perfect balance, falling short by only the tiniest of margins. It's all there; gritty guitars, vicious screams and breakdowns that could batter through a shop window. There are also glimpses of precious individuality that, given a little more consideration, could be what sets the band apart in the future. At the moment though, New Hopes, New Demonstrations is a very near miss.
From the off the talent of the quintet is crystal clear. The instrumentation is well constructed and technically superb, with the guitars' twangy yet chunky tone flowing through the track with authority. Opener “Moved As Mountains, Dreamt Of By The Sea” in particular showcases the talents effectively, launching the album with a coarse scream that undoubtedly sets the tone. Screaming can often be a point of issue if even slightly inaccurate, however vocalist Tom Lacey makes the song his own immediately. A pulsing bass line and hammering drums create the perfect platform for the vocals and guitars, making the track a perfect beginning to the album. Their creativity is showcased further with “Knees, Toes, Teeth”, a Gallows-esque destruction of noise and probably the best track on the album. Simply irresistible guitar riffs instantly attract the attention, complemented once again by Lacey's animalistic voice growling out the verses. Throw in shout-a-long chorus and you have a track that will remain in the mind for a long time. A fairly tame solo in comparison dampens the mood somewhat, but being a few seconds long it is not enough to ruin the track.
TGOAT have managed to make a decent fist of things without becoming too crass and insincere, something that many hardcore bands fall short of. “Nobody Likes A Hero” is a slower yet equally powerful number, beginning with adept clean singing and transforming into an all out instrumental assault. The band show restraint in fading between tempos, resisting the temptation to thrash between the two and ruin a well created atmosphere. “Fed To The Ocean” takes a similar route, with clean singing and grinding guitars flowing into a much heavier verse. Unfortunately, generic riffs let the track down, turning it into a hardcore-by-numbers fair that it need not have become.
This can unfortunately be said of another few track in its entirety. “Split The Atom” begins in fairly dull fashion, simple chords giving way to uninspired vocals and dreary lyrics. The guitars fail to mature in pace or tone, remaining subdued behind almost apologetic drums. Very little is added to the track as it meanders to it's quiet conclusion, leaving a sense of confusion given the riotous nature of previous numbers. It appears to be a lazy attempt to bolster track numbers on an album that, at eleven tracks and a mere thirty four minutes long, should have been a lot longer in the first place.
Such a blip cannot ruin what is ultimately a good album. Despite it's length and occasional laziness New Hopes, New Demonstrations is a solid hardcore album bristling with aggression and poise. Though it may be somewhat generic in places, the epic, sprawling nature of closing track “Good Old Fashioned Loss” provides evidence that there is individuality brewing under the surface. Couple it's progressive guitars and epic drums with the successful earlier tracks, and there is great hope that the band can produce further albums of greater depth and creativity. For the moment, TGOAT don't reinvent the wheel, merely move parts around. But by the looks of things, they have their pens and paper ready to have a go at it next time.
Words: Dan Grose
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