ASPHYXIUM ZINE

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Band Review: GHOST B.C. by M Teresa Clayton

Ghost B.C. has quietly tip-toed into the world of dark metal lovers everywhere. Now the question is being asked, where have they been all this time?
It isn’t that they have not been around for quite a while, it is just a fact that the United States is always lagging behind when new acts are formed and are playing to huge crowds all over Europe and beyond.
The lyrics are written by two of the ghouls in the band and vocalized with purpose and emotional precision by the frontman – Papa Emeritis. PE not only delivers the message with a masterful performance, but he also shows a us a bit of humor, which humanizes and brings his followers a little closer to him. There may be a purpose. It seems to me that he gently pulls his audience in just before delivering another lyrical spell.
As a synesthete, it is remarkable to listen to the instrumentals that fill each song with flawless excellence. The rhythm guitar, played by the ghoul that represents the Ethereal (also known as Omega) can be heard being played with as much passion as the lead guitarist, Fire (also known as Alpha). The talented lead guitarist mixes well with the rhythm section while still executing some of the most profound depth and clarity of our time.
The keyboardist, known as Wind, weaves his magic around all the other instrumentals and vocals, with an amazing intuitiveness and sensitivity to the whole of the performance at hand. It is fitting that they refer to him as Wind – he can be as subtle as a breeze and then turn everything on its head with a storm of musical depth.
Now, for my favorite sound. I am truly enamored with the shrewd divergence with his playing. I am always taken to a higher visual experience, synesthetically, by a bassist playing both rhythm, supporting the drum beat, and offering a range of melodic characteristics. The ghoul, known as Water, plays the bass as if it were a magical tool, using it to call the throngs of believers to stand at the ready, awaiting some otherworldly command. This talented ghoul combines his magic with that of the drummer, known as Earth, creating a rhythm section that I have not had the pleasure of hearing for quite some time. Such unison is truly amazing and difficult for most bands to perfect. Beating out his own subtle message to the ears of the listener, this drummer comprehends his unique offerings to the band as a whole, and ties it up nicely into one astute, divergent listening experience.
At the age of 60, and having listened to some of the best in the genre of dark metal bands, I must say that it is refreshing to hear, and see, the contrasts as they come together with apt precision and gives us something clever and competent to listen to, while leaving us with an acute awareness that something has touched us with a consequential aptitude, a craft played out with amazing efficiency and a haunting cleverness to both capture our attention and hold it, but to also command the listener to accept and offer their own personal allegiance to their brilliance as both a visual phenomenon and, more importantly, esteemed admiration for their music. All of this carries an enigmatic predication from throngs of followers on every continent, and I am one of those ardent, zealous devotees that will be talking about this resonant and profoundly talented band. -M Teresa Clayton

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