Ghost Iris

Blind World

Written by: PP on 22/04/2017 00:46:57

Two years ago, Ghost Iris released what is arguably the finest debut album Danish metal has seen in at least a decade, if not longer. "Anecdotes Of Science & Soul" was a brilliant concoction of djent, technical metalcore, and post-hardcore that catapulted the band into international recognition and spots at the acclaimed Euroblast and UK Tech-Fest lineups, thanks to its tight, top-of-the-line production and genre-loyalist, sublime songwriting. The latter was on its best display with "Magenta Pt. 2", which has to date seen more than 750.000 streams on Spotify alone, underlining the potential Ghost Iris have as the flagship of modern metal in Denmark. That's why the difficult second album "Blind World" was such an important one to get right. On the verge of a real international breakthrough, the correct approach would be to merely refine the elements that made the debut album great. That's exactly what Ghost Iris have done on "Blind World" and the result is another breathtaking djent record that should salivate the mouths of any fans of bands like TesseracT, The Contortionist, The Safety Fire, et al.

Just like its predecessor, the record balances on a razor-thin line between cacophonous brutality and emotionally charged melodies. Djent, progressive metalcore (think Misery Signals), and post-hardcore elements blend together seamlessly to forge an expression that's exactly as trendy and futuristic as the genre requires, but with the added brutal edge and contrasting infectious melodies that allow the record to compete on even footing when compared to the top of the class international bands in the genre.

The range of vocalist Jesper Vicencio never ceases to impress: from powerful and deep growls to high-pitch screeching cleans, his delivery is spot on. Together with the technical lead guitar wizardry of Nicklas Thomsen, Ghost Iris arrive at a soundscape that is awe-inspiring for its ultra-modern instrumental prowess, but also instantly catchy on select songs that seem surefire to boost the band into the next level internationally once the world takes notice. "Pinnacle", for instance, kicks off with hair-raising technical melodies that aggressively scale down from sky high octaves down to a harmonious melody explosion whilst Jesper's Anthony Green-inspired clean vocals are sure to draw in the post-hardcore crowds.

Similarly, "Save Yourself" starts off with an explosive, emotionally-charged clean vocal segment that records itself to your memory the very instant you hear it. The rest of the song is tight and brutal but never forgets to counterbalance that with the clean choruses that demonstrate Ghost Iris have nailed down the exact ingredients required to succeed in djent and metalcore on the international stage.

In that sense they have learned a lesson most Danish metal bands are struggling to understand: brutality alone results in monotony, it's the contrasting elements that define the expression. On "Blind World", tranquil moments contrast ravaging technical metalcore segments that echo Between The Buried And Me or The Contortionist, infectious post-hardcore choruses and intricate guitar melodies contrast otherwise brutalized growls and down-tuned one-chord chugging. In short, the songwriting is demonstrably at the highest level among djent bands and easily on par with the best bands in the genre. Ghost Iris has shown on sophomore album "Blind World" that they are no one-trick pony: they are ready to conquer the world.

8

Download: Pinnacle, Save Yourself, The Flower Of Life, The Silhouette, No Way Out, After The Sun Sets
For the fans of: The Contortionist, The Safety Fire, Periphery, TesseracT
Listen: Facebook

Release date 17.02.2017
Long Branch Records / Prime Collective

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