Beyond the Shore: Ghostwatcher

I really like the title of this album: Ghostwatcher. It brings to mind supernatural stories in which one character can see ghosts while other people cannot. The cover is also pretty cool. It shows a large ocean scene, floating on top of which is a giant eyeball peering through a large triangle; I don't know what it means, but it suggests something like seeing into the depths of things, looking into keyholes that reveal much more than the interiors of common rooms.

This is Beyond the Shore's first full-length release. They started out in 2008 while all the members were still in High School. Since then, they've been working hard to establish themselves as a legitimate presence. I admire their commitment and hope they find an admiring audience.

Their music is mostly a mixture of the usual metalcore tropes—heavy riffs, aggressive drumming, and shrieking lyrics—but it sounds pretty great over all. I often weary of this style, usually because it never seems to vary its most basic patterns. There's some of that repetition here, but the album generally doesn't get lost in it. Instead, it rises above them, somehow creating something new out of what's becoming old. I'm not exactly sure how they did it; my sense is that it's a combination of the bright and melodic lead guitar parts and the somewhat more upbeat lyrical content. Unlike other albums of this sort, Ghostwatcher isn't trying to establish itself as another really angry piece of music. I don't have the lyrics in front of me, but I don't hear the usual diatribes here against, well, everything.

I'd recommend this album for fans of metalcore that want to hear what a young band is doing with the sound. For the stronger songs on this album, check out "Homewrecker," "#Dreamkiller," and the title track "Ghostwatcher," probably the best of the bunch. It has a killer bass line.

Track Listing:
1. Dividers
2. Half Lived
3. Transitions
4. Homewrecker
5. Glass Houses
6. Milestone
7. #Dreamkiller
8. Visions
9. Breathe on Ice
10. Ghostwatcher

Added: May 24th 2013
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1860
Language: english

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