ALBUM REVIEW: Ghostwound – Ghostwound
Since their initial formation in 2020, Milan’s GHOSTWOUND have very quickly risen to become one of European rock’s most promising new acts. With each of its four members having played extensively within the Milanese underground for years prior to their inception, the band were well placed creatively to approach their music in an interesting and adventurous ways, with their core sound being firmly rooted in 60s psychedelic rock and liberal doses of 70s funk and space rock cementing them as a powerful live presence. The band’s debut record, Ghostwound, as a result, possesses the kind of inviting, nostalgic sound that makes this music, at first glance, seem instantly familiar, but upon further scrutiny, embraces a far more nuanced and eclectic sound than many bands this early into their musical journey.
Funky Robot is a great, punchy way to kick things off, with warm, dancing guitars, bubbling bass lines and loose, hypnotic drums developing a robust, hazy foundation upon which delicate, crystalline guitars and heady synths are imposed, creating a catchy sound that’s indebted just as much to funk as it is to psych rock, setting an imaginative and powerful tone for the rest of the album immediately. Ghostwound opts for an expansive sound that sees the guitars take on a sharper, cleaner element whilst the drums and bass embrace a chunkier feel, allowing the vast, spacey synths to play a significant role in this song and shifting towards an immersive and ethereal sound that is easy to get drawn into.
Smoke, a juddering, adventurous piece of psychedelic rock, manages to take the animated musicianship of the opener and pair it with the engrossing qualities of its predecessor, creating something that possesses lots of energy and lots of progressive leanings not unlike the closing moments of Ghostwound, with a generous groove giving it some depth. Gimcana Spiralis strips away the denser distortion in favour of a slicker, reverb-drenched edge, adapting to this more spartan approach by providing lots of intricate and grandiose moments throughout, with the technicality on display crafting a sound that is every bit as impenetrable and thick as earlier offerings, but in its own distinct manner. Dive Into The Mirror sees a continuation of this tighter sound, with the excellent, stop-start riffs and punctuating bass fills allowing for a sound that’s firmly rooted within 60s and 70s rock and funk, with only the electronic swirls of the synths keeping this anchored to the albums over-arching space/psych-rock core.
Five Ave Marias, with its slower, sombre sound and touches of discordance, notably in the guitars and bass, along with the droning, weighty keys, marks a gradual shift away from the joyous aspects that defined the first half, with the angelic vocals alone adding a sense of light in this brooding and ponderous take on the band’s music. Lycantropus sees the fuzzy tone of earlier tracks begin to return in force, with the massive, sludgy bass hooks and expert, swinging drums being a particular highlight, with the guitar and synths vying for the listeners attention, contributing to an anthemic, experimental feel that makes it so much more impactful. Rojava is mesmerising and crisp on all fronts, with the music slowly but surely morphing into a dirtier, proggy juggernaut that feels as informed by garage rock as it is virtuosic musicality, lending it a muscular and inventive dimension.
Azimuth once again incorporates the jarring flourishes that were present on Five Ave Marias, but thoroughly explores this darker aspect, with lively, melodic guitars and enthralling synths being brilliantly interwoven around these harder passages, ebbing and flowing from one great idea to the next quite seamlessly, covering almost the full gamut of the band’s influences, illustrating just how versatile their music is. Coffee Grounds Revelations, perhaps the most funk orientated piece of music on the whole album, with its swampy guitars and simmering bass showcasing GHOSTWOUND‘s appreciation for this style, and pairing it with cavernous space rock, crucially from the gargantuan synths and entrancing, pattering drums, with this noxious brew being capped off by soaring, clear vocals carving through the music and providing a sharper, haunting layer to this fantastic climactic number.
Even considering the members’ long tenure in the Milanese underground, Ghostwound boasts a stunning amount of creativity and musical chemistry in its ten tracks. As a debut album by a relatively new band, it could have been extremely easy for the band to slot into a tried and tested style to create a serviceable record, but GHOSTWOUND have crafted an incredibly varied and imaginative blend of influences, from psych and space rock through to funk and hints of garage rock, showcasing an impressive degree of technicality and genuine atmosphere that makes it really easy to get drawn into this album.
Coupling these established styles and sounds with a polished production allows even the subtlest elements to get a hearing, lending these brands of music, synonymous with the 60s and 70s, a modern sheen that helps to make it evident just how effective GHOSTWOUND are as a group, laying not just sturdy foundation for their musical future, but undeniably strong ones.
Rating: 8/10
Ghostwound is out now via Go Down Records.
Like GHOSTWOUND on Facebook.