GhostRide
Cobra Sunrise

The GhostRide rise from the ashes of Will Haven, one of the most aggressive and original post-core bands that have appeared in recent years, who unfortunately didn't have much luck nor good distribution for their records. "Cobra Sunrise" is not a masterpiece, and A Perfect Circle has nothing to do with their music, as I've read in some absurd and extremely ignorant reviews online.

Their offering is an alternative/hard rock, where a mix of new wave and post-core (a little) is inserted: they don't seem very original (some tracks, like "Rotten Pig Iron" and especially "Diamondhawk," greatly resemble Queens of the Stone Age), and the main riff of "Diamondhawk" can even seem a plagiarism of "Rated R." In fact, it's not even difficult to sense some songs with a flavor and approach close to "stoner" sounds on the album: the explosive pair "10 Lb Blowgun" and indeed "DiamondHawk" are proof of that.
The main merit of GhostRide is not originality in itself, but how the songs develop and the form they take: the band's personality is there. Among their influences, you can also notice Deftones, Helmet, and of course, the late Will Haven (from which 3 members come).

Overall, the album is quite interesting and engaging, although for now the excessive influences in their sound don't create continuity between the tracks but rather unsettle, precisely because of the many facets their music has, and which still don’t manage to blend perfectly together. You travel between songs with a more "classic" line and structure, to those with a more "new school" style. The heaviest ones to note are: "3 am cobra" and "Fire Shop," the latter truly violent with killer riffs. Other different yet equally valid tracks are "Spearment Whino," which manages to create boundless spaces with its mood, "Beartrap," "10 Lb Blowgun," and "White Wings of Death," the latter another very beautiful song. Also noteworthy is the splendid "Snowflakes That Kill," a song with a dilated, bitter, and melancholic aspect, the song that most resembles the music from which this band, Will Haven, originates.

In short, I think Ghostride has multiple interesting cues and something to say in their music, and by giving them a bit of time to mature their sound, they can also manage to create something truly good. I recommend giving them a chance to listen, as they may offer various surprises and for this reason, deserve support, not only from those, like me, who loved Will Haven (also because, as already explained before, not much of Will Haven remains in this band). Intriguing.