Completing this weeks look at a couple of Golfs second half of the year releases is California’s Ghostride. Another band formed from the remains of others (Will Haven, Oddman, Tinfed) the music could plainly be described as a hybrid of the lighter end of the metal chain with that distinct sprinkle of dirty yet respectable musicianship to give them some much needed punk familiarity. While the style of music can be firmly planted in the hardcore field, it varies between some often-impressive melodic areas and disappointing bland moments a little to often.
All the tracks are well structured enough but as repeat listens are administered there are few tracks that are deemed worthy enough to not skip. This isn’t the fault of tracks being bad, just not having that certain edge to maintain your interest for long. ‘3am Cobra’ begins the album slowly and doesn’t incite to much enthusiasm for the remaining 45 minutes but the first sign of the bands melodic side shines through with the promising ‘Rotten Pig Iron’. This is a trend that struggles to catch on as the opening half of the album simply acts as a pre-cursor to some stunning efforts in the second half.
It begins with the kind of track that would make the most talented music writer cream his under garments as one of the most talismanic riffs of the year floods ‘Spearmint Whino’ and finally shoves the album in forward motion. This is complemented with the equally resounding ‘10lb Blowgun’ which is reminiscent of old school Metallica and opens your eyes to what the band are really capable of. The trio of outstanding efforts is concluded with ‘Fire Shop’ and closes the twelve tracks nicely leaving you to wonder why the tight and tardy end of the album couldn’t be completed throughout.
What Ghostride have managed with ‘Cobra Sunrise’ is to create one of the most frustrating efforts of the year. Veering between the sublime and the mundane in a matter of minutes is a task they excel in and if they took a little longer in preparing the opening half of the album it would of proved one of the surprises of the year. As it stands though, it is simply a case of the good, the bad and the downright frustrating.
Jay
www.ghostrideband.com
Golf Records