ALBUM REVIEW: GastiR – Ghosts Invited – Gaahls WYRD
Gaahl is notorious in the black metal sphere. Revered for his work in GORGOROTH and GOD SEED, as well as his off stage controversies, Gaahl is one of the most iconic figures within black metal’s mirky world and now, comes a new endeavour. Recruiting a new lineup and forming a new project, GAAHLS WYRD, the band are ready to mark the next chapter of the frontman’s prolific career with debut album GastiR – Ghosts Invited. But does this new offering hold its own when compared to Gaahl‘s distinguished back catalogue?
Ek Erilar opens proceedings in familiar territory as the prolific vocalist wastes no time in dispatching his low, vicious snarls whilst guitarist Lust Kilman, bassist Eld and drummer Spektre combine to conjure a musical maelstrom that swirls to devastating effect. Sporadic chanting in the track’s latter half adds a healthy injection of atmospherics to the mix and it set the stage nicely for what follows. From The Spear throws the growing atmosphere of its predecessor on its head as flies out the gates as the tempo is ramped up to the max. Riffs and drums become more frantic, with a delicious leading guitar line becoming an instant earworm, and Gaahl‘s vocal deliveries become more twisted and pained, opting for a triumphant shout as opposed to the measured snarls we heard earlier. Already, GastiR – Ghosts Invited is demonstrating that this is a dynamic album, one in which keeps you guessing throughout.
Enforcing this guessing game is the variety of vocal pitches, techniques and tones that the frontman delivers across the record. Although Gaahl made his name known thanks to his recognisable snarl of bite and aggression in his GORGOROTH days, GastiR – Ghosts Invited shows that the range at his disposal is far greater than some may have presumed. The double-whammy epics of Carving The Voices and Veiztu Hve (the two longest songs on the record) demonstrate versatile, dynamic and downright haunting vocal deliveries. On these two tracks in particular, spine-tingling chanting blend seamlessly with leading lines and Gaahl‘s signature snarls as a rumbling riffs and drumming plough ahead at a mid-tempo pace. It’s incredibly immersive and they both stand as the glistening highlights of the record.
Even as the record enters its final third, GAAHLS WYRD continue to maintain both the intensity and atmosphere that made the earlier moments so intoxicating. The Speech and the Self boasts a tremendous display of typical black metal-esque tremolo riffing whilst Gaahl‘s vocals switch from sinister snarls to haunting cleans with utmost ease whereas Through And Past And Past‘s opening is terrifically bombastic as a blistering execution of guitars and drums combine with Gaahl‘s vocals to create a stunningly chilling atmosphere. Final track Within The Voice of Existence sacrifices a lot of the metallic elements we’ve heard previously to conjure an eerie finale whereby the limited musicality and a whisper from Gaahl give you one last hair-raising moment. It’s an intriguing yet mystical way to bring proceedings to a close.
Those going into GastiR – Ghosts Invited expecting a radical departure from the extreme metal world will obviously be disappointed, as will those expecting a similar bout of trademark Norwegian black metal that Gaahl is most revered for. Although this debut album clearly cements itself in the world of metal, the transcending scope and multitude of soundscapes explored throughout its runtime broadens the horizons of being shackled into one particular style. This is what is so interesting, intriguing and gripping about GastiR – Ghosts Invited. This is far from a one dimensional bout of musical extremity. This is an organic, breathing monster that pulls from a multitude of varying moods and feelings to conjure an suffocating atmosphere and it’s bloody brilliant.
Rating: 9/10
GastiR – Ghosts Invited is out now via Season of Mist.
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