ALBUM REVIEW: Comatose – Ghost Iris
GHOST IRIS have been simmering away as one of northern Europe’s more promising metalcore acts for quite some time now, and their latest offering Comatose is surely likely to grab any remaining naysayers by the shoulders and give them a good hard shake. Having worked tirelessly and toured relentlessly (when the world allowed it of course) the Danes have placed themselves in pole position to be the next heavy act to break through the sound barrier and take the scene’s upper echelons by storm.
Comatose is an auditory assault. This is hardly groundbreaking news given what we already know about the band’s discography but right from the off, the introductory track (3815935) builds broodingly, before Desert Dread reassures us that they haven’t lost their taste for writing towering metalcore juggernauts. From the outset, slaughtering riffs cascade, tumbling and battering relentlessly towards anthemic choruses and a barrage of metalcore-isms. There seems to be more care taken than ever towards melodicism, which ironically makes the heavier album parts feel bigger than ever.
Take the demonic start to Paper Tiger for example, a track that kicks off like a death metal freight train, featuring distorted howls and double kicks that will shake your sound system of choice into oblivion. It’s a properly heavy song, one that leaves us aching for live venues to reopen and be fully experienced in an organic setting. GHOST IRIS tend to explore different aspects of the genre in order to bring out different emotions. Some tracks are pure anger, spitting brutality and hardcore aggression, whereas others approach much more melodic territory, unlocking a slightly more idyllic sentiment.
Cult is the first track to properly take this approach. It’s still heavy, but the intro is much more tuneful, and evokes a brighter spirit, similar to that of bands like NOVELISTS. This balance can switch in an instant throughout tracks, and offers a sense of instability that leaves us never quite sure what’s around the next bend. This unpredictable trend continues through tracks like Former Self and Ebb//Flow, which bookmark one of the album’s heavier tracks, Coda. Quite probably an album standout, this is a blistering track that showcases the best of GHOST IRIS‘s ability to mix it with the very best heavy bands out there.
The rest of the album plays out in very similar fashion, becoming an enjoyable amalgam of sing-a-long moments, bone crushing heaviness and lush melody. The clean vocals are also a nice angle, working well against the brashness of the heavies and adding colour to the record where needed. Comatose is a record that will satisfy all those that were anticipating it, but it’s also the kind of album with the potential to drive the band forwards. We wouldn’t expect them to be dropping off anyone’s radar any time soon!
Rating: 8/10
Comatose is out now via Long Branch Records.
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