If you like your music heavy, proggy and with an emotive atmosphere, then may I introduce you to Ghost on Mars.
They are an Italian outfit whose debut album, Out Of Time And Space (Willowtip Records) is a melodramatic serving of Prog Metal with an intense melancholy; clean and harsh vocals; and some dextrous fretwork.
“Beyond The Mist” is an emphatic choice of an album opener, a seven-minute-plus epic ballad with soul-baring lyrics, attention-grabbing melodies and a sparky guitar solo. It is quite the statement of intent for the first song on your debut, and the heavy atmosphere, metallic heft, and progressive touches colour the rest of the album.
Their keen sense of melodrama is present throughout, especially in the intense melodies and brooding, slow burning chorus of “Nocturnal”, with its short but sweet solo – guitarists Fabio Valentini and Andrea Mataloni certainly put their best foot forward on this LP. The Emo-influenced “Under A Crescent Moon” is a passionate track with a driving rhythm and sense of momentum. “They” starts off soft and mournful, but steadily grows in venom and volume – ably aided throughout by the swirling drums of Andrea Alberati.
The dark mood and inflamed passions, whilst very meticulously put together and delivered with zeal, become a bit oppressive by the end and the record feels a bit uneven as a result.
The heavier, lesser ballad-esque tracks like “Quarantine”, a riffy number with clean and gruff vocals, redress the balance somewhat. “The Time I Saw The Moon” has some extra heft as well, with a potent energy and heavy thud to go with Moreno Sangermano’s impassioned vocals and Sci-Fi lyrics. But they are in the minority and by the time the fire and brimstone of “Back To Life” and “Lost Signal” come round your senses are numbed by the barrage of big sound and bigger tension.
Out Of Time And Space is a promising, if slightly top heavy, debut of passionate Prog Metal by this up-and-coming Italian group.
Buy the album here:
https://ghostonmars.bandcamp.com/album/out-of-time-and-space
6 / 10
THOMAS THROWER