ALBUM REVIEW: Power Through Terror – Great American Ghost
For all the bands that disprove the point, metalcore as a genre will always boil down to metal bands trying to be hardcore bands. When bands are able to line up their shot well enough, this genre can be utterly captivating whilst also being punishing, heavy, and technically sound. Unfortunately the formula is also one that can go hideously wrong if you’re not careful, resulting in some of the most creatively void and grating music ever produced. Thankfully then, it’s good to see GREAT AMERICAN GHOST honing their sound to stay as far removed from the aforementioned worst case scenario as they can.
Coming out of Boston, New York brings with it a certain penchant for the violent and the confrontational, given the city birthed a militant straight edge scene in the 80’s. As such, it shouldn’t surprise anyone with just how spectacularly aggressive GREAT AMERICAN GHOST are. And it is especially prevalent on Power Through Terror, with even the album title alluding to something far more sinister afoot. The title track itself is a chugging monster driven by thunderous drums and a passionate chorus that builds the song to serve as a stand out track amongst a collection of the bands most pinpointed material to date.
Where Hatred Stems From The Seed felt like a band with a lot to say still trying to find their footing, Power Through Terror is the band taking off on their best foot first. Altar of Snakes punches with it’s full weight thanks to a rock-steady beat that allows the riffs to swing with full power whereas Rivers of Blood takes a far more frantic and violent approach, bolstered by rapturous double bass that gives the song a real sense of urgency. Followed on by the socially charged Socialised Animals and it seems as if GREAT AMERICAN GHOST are really trying to push themselves into the mainstream leagues that has been getting so much attention thanks to bands like KNOCKED LOOSE. It’s apparent that GREAT AMERICAN GHOST have had their finger on the pulse thanks to the same seeds being present here that are on VEIN’s Errorzone, or on A Different Shade of Blue.
GREAT AMERICAN GHOST have clearly come on leaps and bounds from their initial inception half way through the last decade. And whilst metalcore and hardcore are experiencing a well deserved zenith at the moment with every dude and his mate starting a project, it’s important to really stand out from the rest of the scene in order to become genuine standard bearers. GREAT AMERICAN GHOST have done a decent job this time round on carving out a more recognisable identity, as grooves that open songs like Black Winter bleed into the bands more typical riffs, creating a sounds that wouldn’t sound removed from a KUBLAI KHAN record. There is a real sense that GREAT AMERICAN GHOST are an amalgamation of the current creative explosion happening, and it’s working well for them.
With so many influences coming together into a melting pot of anger and intensity, GREAT AMERICAN GHOST have written their defining record. Vitriol flows freely through Power Through Terror, and the temperature only increases with each passing listen as the band reveal more about their violence each time round. Whilst not as immediately grabbing as the standard bearers of the genre, if you give GREAT AMERICAN GHOST the time then they will prove why they have built such a dedicated fan base over their short life span. Power Through Terror is angry, heavy, and wholly worth the time of any ‘core fan.
Rating: 8/10
Power Through Terror is out now via eOne.
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