Ghost Bath – Starmourner (2017)

cover

Continuing with their impressive momentum after the release of “Moonlover”, Ghost Bath returns on a bigger label and with a more expansive sound in “Starmourner”. Delivering over 70 minutes of soul crushing music, the band continues to evolve with a richer and more diverse sound. Equally pleasing for older and new fans, this release is a perfect continuation of the band’s path.

After the mood setting intro track, the band gets down to business with the incisive lead guitars of “Seraphic” a highly emotional and ravaging track. The onslaught continues with the sheer brutality of the opening of “Ambrosial”. Here we have the traditional shrieks being outlined by pummeling drums, and before you know it the song turns highly melodic and hypnotic with some truly outstanding passages.

The album’s more experimental nature comes alive in the Post-Rock/Metal-ish tracks “Ethereal” and “Celestial”. Both songs still maintain the band’s essence but feel a bit more free-form and exploratory, in particular the completely epic melodies of the later track. A personal favorite is the piercing “Luminescence”, a very moody and yet lively song perfectly delivers feelings of both despair and hope in a very unique way.

While experimenting with their sound, Ghost Bath still has the same energy and intensity as in the past, and tracks like “Thrones”, “Elysian”, and “Cherubim” are very good examples of this. The album’s guitar work feels a bit more diverse than in the past and you can instantly see from tracks like the dense “Principalities.

Closing with the minimalist track “Ode”, Ghost Bath has managed to release a very impressive album that is quite up to par with their previous offerings. The band’s music has evolved to be more mature and better directed, allowing the aural experience of the listener to be pure magic. If you like the band’s previous work and bands like Heretoir, Alcest, Deafheaven, then you will definitely love “Starmourner”.

Band: Ghost Bath Album: Starmourner

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: April 21st, 2017

Official Site Social Media

Genre: Atmospheric/Depressive/Post Black Metal

Country: USA

Rating: 92/100
Year: 

Recent Image Galleries