Ghost Brigade
Isolation Songs

The year was 2005, when the Sentenced, with their mournful last album, annihilated the metal universe for their both foreseen and unexpected departure. Finland thus lost one of the major personalities of the so-called “suicide,” a musical trend entirely played on sad and melancholic moods. Since then, we've had few heavyweight compatriots, and among them, I dare to mention -worthy of such a comparison- only the more experimental and less restless Amorphis. Fortunately, in a short span, a new and dark star began to shine with its own light, Finnish by tradition, and thus in some ways traceable back to the aforementioned bands, but attentive to foreign influences. I am obviously referring to Ghost Brigade, one of the most interesting realities that the metal scene has produced in recent times.
Except for the artwork—very similar to that of The Funeral Album—our protagonists, for better or worse, do not merely emulate the feats of their cousins Sentenced and Amorphis. Certainly, there are several points of contact, but frankly, these are not the details that make the difference. Let us focus on this aspect: the core of Isolation Songs, and more generally of their sound, is an original and sufficiently accessible melodic death, enriched by a series of elements anything but easy to assimilate. The melodies are engaging and well-crafted (Architect Of New Beginning), yet there are episodes where you hold your breath thanks to a slow instrumental progression (22:22 – Nihil). Particles that evidently orbit in the sludge dimension, demonstrating how well this inflection is rooted in the structure of the album. If that were not enough, we notice nu-metal flavored attacks (My Heart Is A Tomb), all seasoned with that melancholic and discreet aftertaste that only those with class can offer with such skill and ease. We mentioned sludge: it is important to emphasize that this is not a mere side dish, but rather an active component, ready to emerge insistently at the first occurrence. Birth, to be listened to in strict silence and with utmost concentration, is probably the highest expression of the sextet’s musical and communicative power. Needless to say, the album is completed with a batch of songs up to the task, enclosed in a cold embrace of melodies and gritty riffs that paint an endless calm and silent infinity, as only the slow and inexorable Nordic dusk can be.
The sound department is certainly the second strength of the work, after the inspired songwriting. This consists of technical passages that are not very complicated and are fully devoted to the genre, yet they never end up being inappropriate or boring. The guitars, massive in sound and never too sudden in speed, work in unison in a winning ensemble core. No less noteworthy is the rhythm section, with Suihkonen on the shields, characterized by beats never overly fast or excessively paced. Ultimately, praise must also be given to Julin and Munter, who with their velvet touches soften and enchant a full-bodied structure until it becomes unbelievably magical in its varied passages. All this enriched by enchanting production, especially concerning the atmospheres, always captivating and magically dark, thus shaping a kind of invisible mantra. Unfortunately, not everything that glitters is gold, thus I reserve the right to bring to attention a significant flaw. In particular, Ikonen’s voice, although improved compared to the previous work and now decent both in cleaning and growl, eventually remains flat and monotonous, especially over a long distance, proving to be the band’s weak link. Ultimately, Isolation Songs is an exciting work but not yet exceptional. It is certainly more particular and elaborate than the debut Guided By Fire, but perhaps still a bit raw. I would dare to say it lacks that artistic leap that would make Ghost Brigade unique, although I believe the path taken, with great confidence, to be good and interesting. With a touch more boldness in songwriting, a more varied singing style, and a more stimulating progressive vein from a technical standpoint, our subjects could not only take flight but also…