Gray GhostThis Atlanta group is one of those bands, whose name keeps popping out at me here-and-there. So obviously, I'm curious as to what they bring to the table. What I was greeted with on this 12" EP was an atmospheric and dark hardcore record that kept me coming back for more over the past few weeks. The music sets the mood without delving too deep into the metal realm while breaking all of hardcore's historically limited boundaries. Gray Ghost are extremely tight in their presentation and have no unnecessary gimmicks or over-excessive breakdowns and drop-D tuning which is ridiculously prevalent in hardcore and metal these days.
Isis, Fear Before The March Of Flames and EyeHateGod all come to mind, but none in a mimicking sense. In other words you will never get Gray Ghost mixed up with the aforementioned bands but you also shouldn't have any issues hearing their similarities. I love atmospheric albums, even if the air they are creating is dark, thick and dense and the fact that this record isn't too long in running time makes it even stronger. Most bands that play atmospheric music, whether it be rooted in hardcore, metal or any other form of music…tends to be long and dragged out causing the listener to lose interest. Unfortunately that does still happen on this record at times and I think it's inevitable at least with this listener for that to happen. So if you're mind can stay intrigued by this sort of record than you can probably add an extra point to my rating below.
Rating: 3.75/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: "Siberian"; "Bed Of Snakes" & "Saints"
Synopsis: Very talented hardcore musicians that bring a brooding and depressing mood to this record. Some may call this metalcore, progressive hardcore, etc… but I think it transcends most titles and any label may negatively influence potential listeners. Check these guys out, I think most will be pleasantly surprised.