EP REVIEW: 1954 – Ghostwreck

New York metalcore group GHOSTWRECK only released their debut EP The City Is Gone 18 months ago, yet they are back to rock our world once again. Managing to successfully combine post-rock influences with a memorable modern metalcore sound, it is safe to say that GHOSTWRECK are definitely a band to watch. As a follow up, the band are set to release their second body of work 1954 and it is evident that they have a lot to live up to. The lead track from their debut, Disaster With A Capital D, has surpassed over 100,000 streams on Spotify, so they have a lot of work to do.

With 1954, GHOSTWRECK have evolved further by adding more hardcore elements into their material this time round, proving that their influences are endless and constantly changing with the times. The first track is 215th Place, which starts off rather solemnly before leaping right in with a metalcore style opening riff. It changes into almost a pop style melody with a rocky chorus which is very difficult to forget. The EP is most certainly off to a fantastic start with this opening song. Poison is a lot heavier in nature, beginning with a mosh ready metal riff as well as the introduction of grittier, unclean vocal lines. Instantly reminiscent of bands such as BURY TOMORROW and MALEVOLENCE, Poison well and truly puts GHOSTWRECK on the map – we guarantee that you will be singing along by the end.

Wreck It almost leans into the pop-punk genre, with a fast-paced, guitar-heavy riff at the helm. Even the vocalist’s vocal style seems to have adjusted to fit in, ultimately proving how adaptable of a musician he is. The chorus is catchy and complete with an equally fantastic bridge breakdown. Wreck It is given proof of how GHOSTWRECK can change things up with complete ease. Saint continues on with another pop-punk inspired introduction, constantly evolving to feature an effortless variety of clean and unclean vocals throughout. It has to be said that the verses are more impactful than the chorus, which is something you don’t witness very often – it’s certainly another sure-fire highlight on the EP.

The title track is the fifth song on the release and here GHOSTWRECK lean back into the metalcore style sound that just works so well for them. Typical of the genre, there’s a clean vocal chorus, whilst the vocalist’s striking unclean vocals thunder through the verses, again highlighting how talented and versatile they really are. The final track is Old Fashion Murder, which immediately grabs the listener’s attention with a high-energy metal riff. This carries on as the track continues, progressing in ways you wouldn’t necessarily expect. They really manage to nail the pop-punk, metalcore and metal genres here all in one track – and it shows.

It is such a shock that this is only GHOSTWRECK‘s second EP release. 1954 is a strikingly diverse body of work, incorporating multiple musical genres that you wouldn’t think would work well together, yet here we have GHOSTWRECK proving to us that they definitely do. The majority of the songs are sure to get stuck in your head, with the combination of genres just to die for. We honestly can’t wait to see what GHOSTWRECK do next – they are most certainly a band to watch in the future.

Rating: 9/10

1954 is set for release on December 9th via self-release. 

Like GHOSTWRECK on Facebook.