If I was to tell you that Ghost Brigade were from Finland and that Isolation Songs is the band's second album which contains precision riffs and long sections of melodic clean guitars which run against Manne Ikonen's sometimes beautifully fragile, sometimes ragingly growled vocal delivery, then you would presume that this is another band desperately trying to follow in the footsteps of their fellow Scandinavian cousins Opeth. In a way that presumption would actually be true, however it only tells part of the story.
Whilst Ghost Brigade do in many places remind you of Opeth, they also bring a Paradise Lost like gothic desperation into their sound. Mixed into that is the brutality of a band like Disturbed and a slight sprinkling of the accessible sensibilities of Nickleback. Now don't let that last reference send you to the hills to take cover, as in no way does Isolation Songs actually sound like Nickleback, it's just that occasionally there is the odd moment where you think if it wasn't for the crushing riffs and uncompromising snarling, then the US masses could get to quite like this bunch.
Epic track "Birth" is a good indicator of the overall sound of the whole album. With its razor throated vocals, uncompromising wall of guitars and pile driving drums, which then at a moment's notice segues into plaintive piano giving the aura of isolation referred to in the album's title. I was strongly reminded of the band Ivy in the way that you can almost feel the pain of loneliness as the track washes over you. At just over nine minutes it's quite a ride, however as the closing sequence blends the fragility and force that have gone before, it's a fulfilling voyage.
"Concealed Revulsions" where Ikonen is really allowed to utilise his full range as he snarls you into a corner before calming you with his rich, deep, almost sleepy tones and then finally opening up to a soaring melodic howl, also manages to show how well Ghost Brigade can crush one minute and gently seduce the next. That however also highlights the problem that Isolation Songs suffers from, which is that by the time you have worked your way through three quarters of the album you begin to feel like you've heard it all before. There really isn't a track that is less than interesting, however too many follow the same pattern and I can't help but feel that for album number three a slightly more expansive sound would make a huge difference.
That's not to say that Isolation Songs doesn't branch out on the odd occasion as instrumental "22:22 Nihil" brings an atmospheric and engaging desolation to proceedings without falling into the same trappings shown in almost all the other tracks.
Ghost Brigade certainly show enough song writing skills and have enough punch and subtly in their armoury to convince that they have the ability to put together a truly stunning album, however Isolation Songs hasn't quite taken them there.......yet!
Track list:
1. Suffocated
2. My Heart is a Tomb
3. Into the Black Light
4. Lost in a Loop
5. 22.22 Nihil
6. Architect of New Beginnings
7. Birth
8. Concealed Revulsions
9. Secrets of the Earth
10. A Storm Inside
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