“Give Her To The River” starts out eloquently somber before transcending to a heavy hitting riffage. Much like the rest of the album, the guitars are intricate, yet catchy. They hit heavy, full of speed and brilliant melody. It crescendos with fury and then delicately returns to us the vibrations early in the song, fading us into “Barn Burner.” I fell in love with the lyrics of this one instantly. The chorus, “light your torches, just remember, you’ll be the next to burn,” followed by one of the heaviest bridges on the album. The solos on this song are stellar additions, perfectly accentuating the primary riffs. I think most guitar players will appreciate the musicianship throughout the album, even if the style of metal is not their cup of tea.
My personal favorite track at present is “Hanged Man’s Revenge.” This song is relentlessly heavy and is sure to be stuck in your head. I love the picking used throughout and it seems that each note was selected with care. Each section of the song has a heaviness to it that make it impossible not to headbang along. And I will say this more than once throughout this review: the melodies are perfection. Nate has a brilliant sense of melody across this record that not only captivates you while listening, I found myself humming parts throughout my day. Which in turn, created the need to throw the record on again… and again.
“Death Won’t Stop Me” was one of the first songs to get stuck in my head. The catchiness of the chorus has those classic 80’s metal elements with a nuanced approach to tone and less cheese than is often associated with the more glam end of 80’s metal. “I Shall Return” is the perfect choice to follow because it has a lot of the same musical elements. “If I leave, I shall return, no need to grieve I shall return, giving back my body to the earth, if I leave, I shall return,” was stuck in my head, the guitar part as much as the melody.
When it comes to the primary guitar riffs, parts of this album remind me of Electric Messiah by High on Fire. Similar speeds and dedication to note selection. It also has so many elements of the new wave of British heavy metal intertwined and I’m here for it. It’s a well-rounded heavy metal album, afterall.
“Siren of the South” is another one of my favorite tracks on the album. Some of the picking heading into the chorus sends me back to Mastodon’s Remission days. Not to sound like a broken record, but again, the catchiness of the chorus sticks with you. “She speaks to me, trying to get to you, she lives in everything we do…” This song, like much of the album, has a certain softness to it, intertwined with a bold heaviness.
Then, sadly, it’s all over. The title track, “Ghost At The Gallows” completes our journey. It mixes elements used throughout the album. It starts fairly strong and ends with a similar delicacy the record started with. In other words, you could hit play and start the album all over again and it flows perfectly.
I cannot say enough good things about this record. If I still made lists of my top ten albums of the year, this one would be on it. It would likely take the first position. I see this record in my rotation for years to come. I’m floored by the musicianship and attention to detail. It’s a perfect ride from the first track to the last.
Order Spirit Adrift’s Ghost At The Gallows
You can purchase Spirit Adrift vinyl and CDs via Century Media, here. I got the black LP, but Bone is available too. Century Media currently carries Ghost At The Gallows, Forge Your Future, and 20 Centuries Gone on their webstore. I am not affiliated with or compensated by Century Media or Spirit Adrift for this link. I just love the record.
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Full disclosure: I originally wrote this on October 12, but I didn’t have my pics or post together until November 24, so I updated the date. Also, I purposely put additional photos from my post at the bottom of the page in hopes some still read. LOL – I know some people do.
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