Album Review: 3.6.2.4 by Ghosts of Atlantis (Black Lion Records)

UK symphonic/progressive metallers, Ghosts of Atlantis, will release their debut album titled 3.6.2.4 on the 26th of March via Black Lion Records.

The Suffolk based orchestral metal outfit combine Greek mythology and fantastical lusciousness with epic instrumentation to create a grand and immersive soundscape. While 3.6.2.4 is their debut, the band is jam packed with experience and talent led by Colin Parks. Parks, who is on guitars and vocals is the band’s founder and is best known for his tenure in Dani Filth’s band, Devilment.

Joining Colin Parks we have Phil Primmer on vocals, Dex Jezierski on guitars, Al Todd on bass and Rob Garner on drums. 3.6.2.4 was recorded and produced by Colin Parks at Devilmind Studios and mastered by James Stephenson at Stymphalian Productions.

Like both Cradle of Filth and Devilment before them, Ghosts of Atlantis look to continue on that famed Witch County sound with 8 tracks of dark, fantastical, macabre tracks deeply rooted in ancient mysticism. So let’s get to it.

Any questions over the size and grandiosity of the album are quenched within 20 seconds of the excellent album opener, The Third Pillar. Any doubts over the heaviness of their sound are quenched within an additional 20 seconds. A gentle orchestral building sound has a touch of the foreboding about it, especially with the creepy backing whispers. A crunch of life is injected with a blast of drums, choir like vocals and a bruising guitar tone.

That switches suddenly into a violent and fulfilling riff with blackened vocals ripping through. Backing female vocals add a nice touch of almost folkish stylings before a catchy chorus mixes cleans and rough vocals wonderfully. Its a big mixing pot of brilliance, or more aptly, a cauldron. Perfectly bringing to life the ancient theme mixed within a modern symphonic black metal frame.

False Prophet has an interesting melody in it’s start. It is partially soothing, partially foreboding before it mesmerises with a switch to a scratchy riff. The pace is ferocious now with gravelly vocals attacking in frenzied form. The chorus brings a huge uplifting power vibe with insane vocals that mix nicely between cleans and harsh and furious drumming patterns. I adore the slightly stop start nature of the verses with tiny gaps filled by violins. A huge, grand and macabre number and the third track in a row to become my new favourite track on 3.6.2.4.

The Curse of Man follows and by this point I expect nothing but greatness. Once again,. that us exactly what Ghosts of Atlantis deliver. We have a slightly softer start with full sounding guitars before the peace is shattered with a venomous roar. From this point on, relaxing is out of the window. This is music to get on your feet to and let loose. It’s fast., it’s heavy and more on the extreme side of death metal were it not for the undercurrent of symphony that peeps out every now and then. So varied is the music that the drop down to a cleaner chorus doesn’t sit out of place at all, when it should on paper. A vicious metal track that leaves you feeling assaulted but grateful for it.

When Tridents Fail comes next and if you need a breather after The Curse of Man, you are not getting one. The operatic intro soon gives way to a ravenous beast of a song with insane drum speed, meticulously placed orchestral elements and vocals that give 100%. A chorus comes cleaner but with plenty of power and plenty of layers. The guitars are driven hard mixing up all sorts of styles from slamming groove to thrash speed to little scratches and squeals. Its a busy sound but one that delivers like a game of pass the parcel with so many wonderful layers to unwrap.

Poseidon’s Bow follows with another ripper. It’s a little shorter a song and under 3 and a half minutes but Ghosts of Atlantis manage to squeeze every last millisecond out of it. The main rhythm hits hard but not quite at ridiculous speed. There is a touch more groove coming through with a punchy drum rhythm and steady vocal delivery. It leads into a chorus with vocals and guitars that play off each other wonderfully. It’s a proper head banger of a track and it has a banging solo.

The penultimate track on 3.6.2.4 is called Gardens of Athena. It all gets under way with a luscious symphony with layers of instruments guided by what I think is a flute. The melody that forms explodes into life with a crash of drums and electric guitars but they cleverly don’t swamp the symphony, instead forming a partnership that works so well. The heaviness comes soon with a brief assault, followed by a stop, then back to the attack.

Fast, aggressive and engulfing, the song seems to offer no respite as even the violins are playing at 100 mph. It’s mesmerising stuff so heavy, so dark, so beautiful, so intricate – all thoughts that come to mind as it drops the heaviness to return to the symphony briefly before coming back at you with full force.

Well my mind is blown as we reach the final track of the album, The Lost Compass. A nice clean acoustic guitar starts us off but I’m not falling for it this time. I am geared up and ready for it. Bang, I was right – here comes the fire. It hits hard, almost in the core environment as it settles from chaos to, well, organised chaos. There is a moment at the 43rd second that is perfection. Genius often comes in small moments and that there is one.  The sudden stop followed by a “crunch crunch” of drums is genius.

It does repeat in the song again and never gets old, constantly making me grin. The chorus is sung beautifully and the mix of vocal styles is exciting and over delivers. The drums, impressive throughout, really own large portions of this song but you couldn’t really single out anything as it is the package that really works. Listen to the roared vocals over pure symphony nearing the end, joined by female choir vocals and then suddenly the crunch of guitars and drums, then clean and harsh vocals harmonising. It all takes place in a matter of seconds but leaves a lasting impression.

And so 3.6.2.4 closes and I am in awe of what Ghosts of Atlantis have created here. This album is amazing. An utter joy to listen to from the very first note, to the last. The whole album drips in emotion and passion but delivers that powerful message in brutal fashion. There is a lot going on here with so many different components adding to the story and structure of each song but my god does it work. Grand, epic, dark, fiery, brutal – 3.6.2.4 has it all in an album that will grab your attention and hold it for the long term.

Grab a copy of this beast right away from Ghosts of Atlantis at their Bandcamp page or from Black Lion Records. If you can’t get a physical copy, and you really should, then presave it with your preferred digital service here.

Ghosts of Atlantis Links

Website – Facebook – Instagram – YouTube – Black Lion Records – Black Lion EU Store – Black Lion US Store