Stake's through the heart anyone?
Apparently, this is for fans of AFI, Aiden, HIM & Avenged Sevenfold. Well, not to be swayed by corporate propaganda, I would have to say that although, there are similarities, "I Am Ghost" certainly have their own flavour. Not quite sleazy-rockers like Avenged Sevenfold. Not as stupidly Emo and demographic pandering as Aiden. No, I think the best way to describe this album as modest metal meets mixed emo vocals and gets married to a pack of vampires.
Yup, I said Vampires. Rather than go for the emo angle exclusively, I am Ghost are trying for the vampire, gothic metal scene. Some of the lyrics, especially in the song 'Pretty People Never Lie, Vampires Never Really Die' are quite amusing and verge on embarrassing. With phrases like "We'll never turn to dust" on the back cover of the album, I'm beginning to wonder about the seriousness of this band.
However, despite the initial impact of the lead singers voice (which is set slap bang in the American-Emo style), I'm finding myself liking this album. Certain points remind me of "Walls of Jericho"; the female singer being quite shouty at some points, though generally only as a backing vocalist. Still, these points of dual vocals really give a sense of depth and round off the sound quite well.
Both the beginning and the end of the album start with some choir music, performed by the band, enforcing the "Gothic Vampire nature" of the album. Still, it is genuinely quite pleasing and a nice addition. 'Our Friend Lazarus Sleeps' starts the album off with the Emo feeling. The vocals initially annoy since they are a tad similar to My Chemical Romance, Aiden and similar. No new ground is really broken here. 'Killer Likes Candy' is very similar though it introduces more of the female backing singer. So far it's nothing too interesting.
'Dark Carnival of the Immaculate' grabs my attention. The tune is catchy and there is some great counterpoints with the dual vocals being both clean and shouty. Sure, it's overly vampire related (again!) but it sounds raw, fast, and much more metal than the previous two tracks. We are treated to a fast guitar solo towards the end, proving that this band can play.
'Pretty People Never Lie. Vampires Never Really Die' does little for me, save the clean female vocals 3 minutes in. It's here where we can really hear the range and power of Miss Kerith Telestai. This continues through to 'Of Masques and Martyrs' which sounds very reminiscent of My Chemical Romance in places. 'Lovers Requiem' seems to perpetuate the pattern, with good female vocals but sticking doggedly to the same style.
'The Ship of Pills And Needed Things' starts off a bit slower than the rest, but quickly builds back into the style yet again. It's at this point I'm hoping they pull something out of the bag to surprise me. Fortunately they do. The presence of a violin, a slow choir start and softer, slower guitar work build together to make quite a moving piece. You can see why they added it, but it is still an enjoyable song in it's own right.
'This Is home' is probably the slow anthem of the album. It's certainly a candidate for a big Hollywood film score. You know? The bit where maybe the hero has to hold his dying bride in his arms or talk a long walk off into the sunset. It's somewhat too dramatic to be really sobering but nonetheless, it's a track with a certain something.
'Beyond The Hour Glass" seems more like a song by Lacuna Coil. There is less of the "My Chemical Romance" sound, as it is tempered by the addition of more female vocals. Again, we are treated to some more choir music to finish off. So ok, despite the obvious picture this "almost-emo" band is trying to present, this feels like a solid album. Sure, Emo kids will like it the most, and I suspect serious Goth and Vampire types will hate it. If you like a bit of metal mixed into your gothic-emo sound then this is for you.