Single Slam – Thrones by Ghost Bath (Starmourner)

American Black metal band Ghost Bath have released a new single called Thrones. Thrones is released along with the announcement that a new album will be released on April 21st. That new album is called Starmourner and will be released via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

The single, Thrones is just under 6 and a half minutes long. It starts with big atmospheric guitars, though they have a fuzzy sort of sound to them. As they build, the fuzziness works its way into your mind and then, with explosive impact the drums erupt into life. It’s heavy, it’s fast and it’s atmospheric. It’s very Ghost Bath to be fair.

A guttural growl raises the stakes further as the heaviness of the intro is made to look like a Celine Dion ballad in comparison. Frenetic drums, big guitars lines and roars, screams and growls from the nameless leader rock you to the core.

It’s very heavy and it’s very good. It’s very much exactly what you expect, well, so far. Things take a huge turn about a third of the way through with the introduction of some virtuoso guitar leads. The vocals turn to almost wails and the drums are still furiously quick but the guitars are in charge now. The guitars are epic, they sound absolutely huge over the wailing vocals.

I don’t know why but the guitar solo really reminds me of a video game. Not a specific one, but just of the sort of music you might have got in a big boss fight in Bayonetta or a final zone battle in Sonic. I really don’t mean that as an insult, that is just what keeps popping in my head while listening to it.

The lead guitars switch back to black metal styled riffing over roars and shouts and then back to the almost metalcore sounding leads until the last minute or two of the song. Starting with the blackest of black metal sounds it suddenly stops and turns into something else.

It’s hard to explain. There is an acoustic sounding guitar, or muted at least that is gently played. It is fuzzy and is accompanied by what sounds like a keyboard playing a simple ascending and then descending pattern. There are no vocals or drums here and eventually it fades out.

What a journey. It starts of depressing, creepy and aggressive but then you get this shining light in the form of guitars. They weave a pattern of hope and almost joy but the undercurrent of warning is still there from the drums and vocals. The light fades and the fear and worry return in an explosion of black metal before the gentle, but unhappy sounding ending. I love it.

Vocalist Nameless had the following to say about the new album – “The stories, or parables, look into Jewish angelology and the hierarchy of angels as found in the bible and other religious texts. Although the album has a definitive joyful and hopeful feel, it is still drenched in depression and sorry, as any true Ghost Bath record should be.”

An amazing piece of music. The images it puts in your mind make it seem like a theatrical work rather than just a song. It is big, powerful and emotional. I hope they make a video for this song. The guitar switch in the middle made it for me. It may not be for everyone as it is quite a switch but I love it. That nervous happiness surrounded by gloom and aggression on either side is perfect.

Check out this amazing song for yourself here. Tale a look at Ghost Bath on Bandcamp for more music, more info and some merch. Give them a like or follow over on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too.

To preorder the new album visit Nuclear Blast Records.