I Am Ghost
Lovers' Requiem

THE REVIEW

The polychromy of sound is always useful for enriching and giving more nuances to the musical fabric, in a context where there is already an overabundance of certain youthful genres: the I Am Ghost must have understood this, and although they may not be remembered by posterity for revolutionizing music, they have an approach to post-hardcore/emocore that is slightly fresher than average.

"Lovers' Requiem" is the debut album of the Californians, following the EP "We're Always Searching" from the previous year. However, it's not surprising, like many of their peers, that this is a newly formed band with a very recent discographic past.

Produced by Epitaph (wasn't it the label for melodic hardcore? It seems to have updated to new trends based on the catalog…), the work consists of 12 tracks (10 excluding the intro and the semi-instrumental decadent intermission of "The Denoument"), where various styles and influences mix and come into contact.

Where a base of hardcore meets structures, metallic solos and riffs, surrounded by gothic atmospheres and where the sweet sound of a violin and the alternation of two voices, one predominantly male by Steven Juliano and the other female (by Kerith Telestai), provide the final touches to the picture.

It's precisely the violin played by Kerith that is the key to the sound's evolution, bringing epic textures and new colors to the overall palette. Meanwhile, the backing vocals and the temporary use of keyboards are handled by Brian Telestai.

What certainly strikes about I Am Ghost is their search for sometimes sacred atmospheres, sometimes darker ones, without ever slipping into sappy gothic-rock tunes or AFI-style catchiness, but rather maintaining a certain balance among the various elements.

Despite some inevitable dips in tension, "Lovers' Requiem" emerges with a rather multifaceted and inspired songwriting, and the five demonstrate having more than one song format at their disposal, as certified by the single "Our Friends Lazarus Sleeps" and "Pretty People, Never Lie", the best episodes for their quality, and an excellent calling card for the band.

Direct and aggressive with strong new-school hardcore hues, and with an impeccable chorus, the former, although not inclined to reveal all the colors of the IAG-sound, as the ultra-fast rhythms of this composition will then be used sparingly along the way.

Meanwhile, "Pretty People, Never Lie" possibly has an even more inspired structure, as well as being the focal point of the platter, where on a more metallic structure, gothic nuances peek out in a long bridge halfway through the song, entrusted to Kerith's angelic voice, before a quick screamed break and a distorted solo bring back the initial motif.

Another journey into the enigmatic world of ghosts is "We're Always Searching" with its more carefree refrain (retrieved from the EP) and the more melodic "Killers Like Candy", which at once hints at the themes of the songs, also reviving that epic atmosphere.

"This Is Home" deserves a mention, in which it is the female voice that takes over, and the final mini-suite "Beyond The Hourglass" which concludes in a grand manner with guitar solos, solo violin interludes, and beautiful lyrical and solemn choirs in Latin, closing a work with certainly positive results.

Finally, in the interest of fairness, it should be noted that after this work, the combo will undergo significant lineup changes, which will see the Telestai couple leave the band due to differences, and subsequently, with half the lineup changed, record the second album, which then came out at the end of 2008.