Ghost B.C. - Infestissumam
Loma Vista/Republic, 2013
6/10
Creepy and
unpredictable, Ghost B.C. sounds like the evil bastard child of Blue Öyster
Cult. The BOC comparison is especially apt with the vocal delivery, sounding
like the melodic, aloof-sounding voice of Buck Dharma. The first half of the
album rambles on with heavy use of organs and simple, bouncy guitar riffs that
wouldn’t expect from what most people refer to as a doom metal band. It’s
interesting, but the production and mix of the album Is horrendous. I love the
vocals, but the keyboards and, especially, the drums are way too loud, the
guitars too thin, and the bass is all but lost in an indistinguishable mess.
“Ghuleh/Zombie Queen” and “Year Zero”, midway through the album, are able to
finally rise above the poor sonics. Starting as an eerie ballad, “Ghuleh/Zombie
Queen” veers into psychedelic surf rock that builds into massive chords in a
Kansas kind of way that leads to a fast, epic ending. Meanwhile, “Year Zero” is
built around a cool song structure borrowed from Passage-era Samael that will have you pumping your fists while
singing “Hail Satan!” The only other song of note is “Depth Of Satan’s Eyes”,
which shows signs of life with a driven, purposeful riff. Aside from the
aforementioned songs, most of the songs left me bored, however, which is a
shame because Infestissumam holds
massive potential that is simply left hanging out to dry. I really admire the adventurous
spirit and experimental nature of the album, but I can’t get behind weak songs
hindered by a poor sound. I’ll wait and hold out hope that Ghost B.C. can get
it right on the next album.
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