For Whom The Bell Tolls
"I've been here one time, two times, now three times before", hollers frontman Jonathan Vigil as The Ghost Inside begin their fourth outing into the realms of boisterous and riff-heavy melodic hardcore. Their second album to be released on indie punk giants Epitaph records, it also happens to be the band's second collaboration with producers Andrew Wade and A Day to Remember's Jeremy McKinnon, whose efforts on 2012's Get What You Give provided a well-deserved boost. The argument against such a polished sound however is that adding gloss where it is not necessarily needed (or indeed welcome) can detract from the overall impact of an album, and here the songs feel drowned at times; the well-defined edges that can be heard within the band's previous work becoming lost here altogether. Either way (and granted, it suits the band's personal style in 2014 down to a tee), it makes for some impressive listening.
From the off it's obvious that Dear Youth isn't a game-changer, yet as Avalanche erupts in a whirlwind of riff-caked melody and ferocious hardcore punk it's equally as obvious that this is going to be a hugely enjoyable ride all the same. Brought to the table are huge choruses (Out of Control), all-out anthems (Dear Youth (Day 52)), and leviathan breakdowns (Mercy); it may have been done countless times before, but when it's done right and it's done well, it's satisfied grins all round.
There are certainly pop sensibilities that play a dominant part in the band's music, yet this neither detracts from nor waters down what The Ghost Inside set out to deliver. The aforementioned production is in fact the perfect conduit for their vision, bringing to life the buckets of hardcore determination that are thrown mercilessly into the mixer and accentuating every instrument, not least Jonathan Vigil's throaty hollering that so naturally dominates the band's sound.
The added good news is that there is variety to be had here - the dreamy drawl of Phoenix Flame brings respite as well as heightening the album's conceptual destination - Vigil's present day self writing to his younger self about deep and life-affirming things. Wide Eyed sees Letlive's Jason Butler adding his trademark vocals to the fray, whist album highlight My Endnote finds that edge that we all know the band are fully capable of.
It's something of a rarity for a lyric sheet to accompany a promotional copy of an album, but that very act speaks volumes here about how The Ghost Inside view themselves, and how they wish to be conveyed as a band. Hardcore is clearly more than a just a genre tag, and this gesture of openness and honesty provides not only an interesting insight into the singular concept behind this album, but acts also as a display of the belief the band have in their music and the message they wish to share.
The Ghost Inside don't quite manage to fully shake off their rather generic modern melodic hardcore sound, yet Dear Youth is delivered with such unbridled passion that it manages to stand tall and proud in its own right. The solidarity is so ingrained within the music after four albums that it is practically taken for granted; a gargantuan wall of metallic fury, complete with riffs and breakdowns that more than match up to the best the scene has to offer.