Release
date: October 14th 2016. Label: Relapse Records. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
Only
Ghosts – Tracklisting
1.Flies
03:37
2.Cut
it Short 04:11
3.Flames
01:30
4.No
Air 04:52
5.Shadows
03:11 video
6.Not
for You 03:19
7.The
Smell of the Sound 05:23
8.The
Deep 04:27
9.I
Am a Ghost 04:08
10.Living
in Lye 06:19
Band
Members:
Bryan
Giles - Guitar/Vocals
Aaron
Beam - Bass/Vocals
David
Sullivan - Guitar
John
Sherman - Drums
Review:
Greetings
all,
Red
Fang has unleashed their fourth full length, Only Ghosts, and it is a
dark, blazing, riff laden romp that is catchy as hell from beginning
to end. This album rips. Only Ghosts is the bands third album for
Relapse (who, by the way, have been having a killer year). As noted,
the record is dark, not black metal dark, but death, hauntings and
spirits permeate almost every track on the record.
Red
Fang is in top form, and at the top of the heap in the somewhat hard
to label, metal/rock genre. Right there with the likes of Torche and
Baroness. On Only Ghosts, Red Fang remind me a lot of Weezer. If
Weezer, were a bunch of bad asses that drank alot. With the big
riffs, there are a lot of other influences, I may hear a bit of
Weezer based on the almost 90's alternative rock vibe that makes its
way onto the album. As noted, this album is catchy as hell, I found
myself humming different parts for days after a ton of repeated
listens.
The
album kicks you in the teeth right from the get go. The opening track
Flies
will be stuck in your craw for some time. It then goes in to the next
track, Cut
It Short,
which explodes with quite a riffy hook that may replace the first
song as your newest ear worm. Flames
is a brief little instrumental interlude that leads you in to No
Air,
a pounding bass intro that leads into a heavy stomp that is trademark
Red Fang. Shadows
and Not
For You both
show a bit of the 90's alternative rock influence that keeps these
songs in your head. The
Smell of Sound is
a slow burner that crushes you, then steers you headfirst into The
Deep,
another rager that pounds you into submission. I
Am A Ghost is
the quintessential Red Fang track. Catchy, heavy, dark, but with the
most singy-songy of choruses. Living
in Lye is
the final track that blazes your ears and snatches your soul
You
can't help but give your head and your soul to Red Fang. There is
not a bad track on this album. If you already know and love Red Fang,
you will grab this and love every minute of it. If you are new to the
Fang, this is the absolute jumping on point. I expect to see Only
Ghosts on many a top ten list at the end of the year. Check this out,
you will love it, and if you don't, there is something clearly wrong
with you.
Words
by Todd Stealey
Thanks
to Dave Palmer at Division PR and Monica at Speakeasy PR for the
promo. Only Ghosts is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Relapse
Records.