Reviews

If you are even the least bit familiar with alternative music I don't need to tell you what I am Ghost sounds like. Their name has done it better than I ever could. I am Ghost should say to you: overblown, cheesy, "emotional" and for the most part of punk fans shitty. The album begins with operatic almost choir like vocals on "crossing the river Styx". The singing could almost be considered pretty, that is if you don't focus on the bullsht ideals that come along with it. It is no secret that prog-rock and metal have come back in vogue, thanks to bands like Coheed and Cambria, Thrice and The Mars Volta. Along with the return of prog-rock comes it's oldest friend the concept or rock opera album. According to singer Steven Juiliano Lovers' Requiem is "essentially a rock opera, but for hardcore and goth kids" is just one of those. Not that it really matters but I couldn't follow the concept of this record. I'll just assume that is about some effeminate guy who runs away from home and finds out through he really is while meeting vampires, punk rockers and other strange night time creatures.   
 
I am Ghost is a six piece made up of the 'outcast" kids you knew in high school. They dress in all black, fishnets, eyeliner and are constantly flipping their hair out of their eyes while they tell you about how they stayed up all night reading Edgar Allen Poe last night and that's why they missed class.  
 
Lovers Requiem is an album that Thrice could have written during their "goth phase". Tracks like 'Our Friend Lazarus sleeps" and "Killer Likes Candy" are full of Thrice's melodic 80's metal guitars and the oh so "interesting" dichotomy between sweetly sung vocals and screams. The only minorly interesting thing the band adds to the formula is a female backing vocalist and a violin player.  But those minor changes aren't able to hold your attention very long. Although there is some nice sounding dual male and female vocals, pretty much every song does not deviate too sharply from the one that came before it. The only exception is the  predictable  slow song at the end of a concept record where the main character arrives home or finds peace within him or herself. Lovers Requiem' song is called simply "This is Home".  
 
Oh and of course because this is a "goth" album you got to have a song about vampires, which don't worry I am ghost provides you with two such songs "Pretty people never lie, and vampires never really die" and "We are searching". If  you are looking for a goth song about vampires look up Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi's dead" or Bad Brains 'FVK(Fearless Vampire Killers)" For the most part the vampire is a really over used concept for records that are trying oh so hard to exude darkness which have little substance to them. If you are 13 or 14 this should be a home run for you but more experienced listeners will quickly pick out the records flaws and set it down well before they album gets a complete spin.      
 
Lets be clear here, I love Brett Gurewitz. Brett is clearly a genius and doesn't need my commentary on anything he does but for the sake of you the readers I am going to give it. There is no reason this band should be signed to Epitaph, unless Greg in all of his foresight sees that this whole faux 'goth-metal, goth-hardcore" trend is going to continue on for a while and he might as well make some money, which could explain why he also signed Escape The Fate as well. Maybe he will throw that cash Tom Waits or The Coup's way and they can make another outstanding record. So, never fear true believers Mr. Brett has his hands firmly at the wheel.