Recommended Aussie Tunes:Psycroptic | The new single "A Fragile Existence" | Listen

Album Reviews : Ghost Brigade – IV – One With The Storm

By on December 10, 2014

451583In general I would like to think I am a happy person, and I don’t know if it is because of that or not but I have never been drawn to the doom/depressive metal scene. Maybe it’s because in Australia shit really isn’t that bad; however after a (very) brief stint in Finland (in the middle of winter) I can totally understand where the inspiration for this type of music comes from.

Speaking of Finland, depressive rockers Ghost Brigade have just released their fourth album ‘IV – At One with the Storm’. Labelling this music as depressive rock/metal really does do this band (and maybe even genre) a disservice as this album is full of sludgy riffs that would appeal to any stoner rock fan.

Being around since 2005, Ghost Brigade has been trudging along building momentum, with each successive album bringing something new to the table. As this is album number four and having already created its own distinct sound, they are now focusing on putting out some quality metal. The latest effort comes in at around an hour and ten minutes over 10 tracks.

The average song length is around 6 minutes; I feel it is the longer tracks are the longer ones. The ‘Electra Complex’ creates such a dense atmosphere that you almost feel suffocated by the 10 minute mark (in a good way that is). That isn’t to say that some of the other songs aren’t any good, in fact the next track ‘Stones and Pillars’ is such a groovy track, with its buzz saw riff and chuggy bass. All in all every track is unique in its own right and the album contains, with the aggression of the ‘The Knife’ complemented with the melancholy of ‘Disembodied Voices’.

Vocalist Manne Ikonen has the ability to move between harsh and cleanly sung passages, with a melodic voice on par with Katatonia’s Jonas Renkse. The dual guitar attack works quite well, with lots of finger picking goodness to lounge around to in between the heavier stuff. Also of importance is the keyboard melodies, while never in the foreground, it is what creates and drives the atmosphere throughout the album.

While you may not think that this genre is for you, this music gets so intense that it’s hard not to enjoy. This is definitely an album for those lazy mid-winter days when the weather is shithouse and you just need to chill by yourself. Recommended for fans of Katatonia, Riverside, and Porcupine Tree.

Band: Ghost Brigade
Album: IV – One With The Storm
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Origin: Finland

  1. Wretched Blues
  2. Departures
  3. Aurora
  4. Disembodied Voices
  5. Electra Complex
  6. Stones and Pillars
  7. Anchored
  8. The Knife
  9. Long Way to the Graves
  10. Elämä On Tulta

About