Twenty years into their existence, Metalcore prize fighters The Ghost Inside look, feel, and sound as good as they ever have. Searching For Solace (Epitaph Records) the sixth installment in the band’s catalog, is not only a de facto extension of the emotionally driven self-titled album; it’s purposeful, tight, and as good a case as any that TGI are (still) at the height of their career.

The tried and true accouterments are all there: formulaic structure, grainy guitar tones, and enough breakdowns to outmatch a freshman entering high school. 

But also, the band leans into clean vocals more so than in the past. Instead of diluting the outcome, it instead bolsters the reach and approachability of an already consumable group. There are “radio-friendly” moments, arena-rock choruses for live singalongs, and a ballad for all the lighter wavers in the crowd. The production is characteristically clean and crisp. There are no wasted motions, no signs of uncertainty, no second elapsed without a purpose.

“Wrath” is true to its name, bursting onto the scene in what becomes a thumping hum-dinger. The drums on “Solace” thrive and pop, especially on “Reckoning”. “Earn It” proclaims “the things that give us hope can also take it away” in textbook rough-around-the-edges fashion. 

The aforementioned “Wrath” posits “the only way to heal is to hurt more.”

For this to be the output from a band entering its third decade into it is nothing to sneeze at. And it’s not like TGI came out of nowhere with this.

All of this is before the lyrics are even remotely mentioned, and that’s saying something because The Ghost Inside has always been a beacon for exceptional songwriting.

They’ve been Metalcore mainstays, truly getting better and better with each record. They’ve long found their niche, and by God, nobody does it quite like them. And Searching For Solace is proof positive there’s so much to be excited for moving forward.

Buy the album here:
https://theghostinside.ffm.to/searchingforsolace

9 / 10
MATT COOK