Ghost Iris – Blind World


It is safe to say that tech metal is currently thriving, both in terms of numbers and wealth of talent. With festivals completely dedicated to such artists, including the world-famous Euroblast, there are no shortage of acts to delve into. Of course, this means a risk of over-saturation, which is arguably already a problem. Now whilst Danes Ghost Iris are far from reinventing the wheel, they at least offer a somewhat alternate outlook on the Djent sound when it comes to song structure, and latest album Blind World (Long Branch/SPV) should rightfully make some waves in the scene.

Whilst many of their peers offer sheer technicality, Ghost Iris instead claim to push for more “song” based structures, and whilst this is almost a new cliché for such bands to say, here they do back such claims up. Songs are more succinct than many of their peers and whilst the palm-muted riffs and complexity are still present, they are far from daunting and still have plenty of substance. Otherwise, there is little innovation here at all, from the familiar growl to clean vocal alternations, carbon copy tones and even the occasional, near post-rock atmospheric passages that TesseracT are masters of (e.g, the closing of ‘Pinnacle’).

What Blind World lacks in originality however, it certainly makes up for in being anthemic and memorable. After a fairly reserved start, the album improves with its song quality, sitting somewhere between Texture’s sharp yet complex nature and Heart Of A Coward’s muscle. The real highlight comes at the end, with ‘Detached’ which still maintains their catchy formula but also sees them a little more unshackled and in an experimental mode. With added emphasis on atmosphere, additional female vocals which give an extra dimension and a drawn out duration; ‘Detached’ shows that Ghost Iris aren’t afraid of a little experimentation; as a blissful piano passage gives an off-kilter close in comparison to the rest of the album.

Blind World is not an album to turn the style on its head – it certainly doesn’t offer any new creative avenue per se – but it does offer a very strong take on the genre and gives more impactful songs than many of their peers. By fine tuning the traits of the scene, Ghost Iris prove themselves as a future standout in the scene, with the ability to achieve greater things.

7.0/10

CHRIS TIPPELL