Review Summary: We're All Slaves to the Hounds of War
My bias towards metalcore bands that originated and have played numerous shows in the area where I live cannot be overstated. I’ve lived in Western/Central Massachusetts for a majority of my life and the metalcore scene from here and surrounding areas has always produced a litany of awesome heavy acts that have commanded my attention for a long time now. I remember seeing Great American Ghost on one of the small stages at Warped Tour in Mansfield, MA almost ten years ago and they played a phenomenal, high energy set that grabbed my attention immediately. They have always been on my radar, and they’ve never disappointed me with any of their releases to date, in fact, they’ve always sort of blown away my expectations often incorporating elements and ideas to constantly evolve their sound, which leads us to ‘Tragedies of the Commons.’
As with any Great American Ghost album, you’ll find some finger-shredding riffs, thick juicy bass tones, palpitating drum patterns and ear shattering death growls. With a more pronounced focus on melody and ambience via clean vocal passages interspersed throughout and cavernous open sections, the band offers a bit more accessibility to their sound without sacrificing some of their mathy, djunty aesthetics. “Echoes of War” features a soaring melodic chorus which culminates into a spacious, massive sounding second verse with dense guitar chugs with more melodic vocals piercing that empty space. Moments like this as well as the epic ending to the first teaser track released for the record “Hymn of Decay,” offer a bit of a different approach to their songwriting structures and patterns.
There’s also the presence of other musical influences that Great American Ghost haven’t really showcased through their songwriting previously. The absolutely killer track “Ghost In Flesh” and perhaps my favorite track overall on the record begins with the most Gojira-esque riff with some of the best breakdown payoffs on the record. It just exudes confidence in their song-craft and their willingness to strategize with sounds and patterns that aren’t usually part of their palette. The same could be said regarding the chorus of the single “Lost in the Outline” which features a ¾ beat and a vocal melody which a much poppier aesthetic than anything else on the record while managing to seamlessly weave those heavier sections and breakdowns as well.
While lyrically this record is the usual fare with most metalcore acts; religion, violence, anxiety, depression, etc. I cannot with good conscious that this album inspires much in the way of abstract thought or invites me to look at the world through a different light. I can say that the lyrics fit the mold of the melodies very well and the passion with which their vocalist, Ethan Harrison spews and screams them is addictive to my ears. It is also not insanely common for vocalists of this genre to be easily understood when screaming but Harrison has noticeably clear enunciation which makes singing along and memorizing lyrics much easier.
My experience with this record has been overtly positive, scratching a particular itch for a style of music that in my life has begun to feel less interesting. Metalcore is an oversaturated hellscape filled with Bad Omens knockoffs, generic djent acts and sex offenders and over the last couple of years, my interest in this type of music has waned substantially but there are some groups that continue to offer me hope and joy and breakdowns that do warrant excitement. Great American Ghost are one of those bands for me and this record is not just more of the same band that I love; it takes that formula and adds some key pieces and ideas that help to differentiate them from the pack. If you’ve enjoyed their past work, this should be right up your alley!
