Long before Tobias Forge and his gang of masked ghouls rose to infamy under the moniker Ghost, there were many other bands of the same name playing different styles of music. One such band hailed from Norway. But as Papa Emeritus’s black reign swept the globe, the Norwegian Ghost rechristened themselves Ghost Avenue. I wasn’t aware of this self proclaimed melodic metal five piece prior to an email that came my way last week. However, if you’ve been following this site since its inception, you know I’m always open to making new discoveries.
Like many bands today, Ghost Avenue draws inspiration from the golden days of hard rock and heavy metal, better known as the 1980s. The songs on their latest full length, Even Angels Fail, tend to lean individually on hard rock or heavy metal, though seldom a combination of both. For example, tracks such as “Best of the Best”, “Wasted Generation”, and “Still Craving” have that punchy, anthemic hard rock feel made popular by Dokken and Scorpions. Singer Kim Sandvik is very Klaus Meine-esque in terms of tone and delivery, which is always a welcome trait.
Meanwhile, tracks like “The Fallen”, “Take Cover”, and “Northman” are molten metal affairs. We’ve got those Priest/Maiden guitars which have become all but the norm for old school throwback acts. There’s even shades of Dio inspired epicness on “Northman”. While I enjoy these songs, they don’t resonate with me the way the light hearted hard rockers do. The only tracks that rub me the wrong way are “Breakdown” and “A Violent Disturbance of the Peace”. Perhaps it’s just my ears, but the riffs and production on these two sound far too modern for an 80s worship album.
Other than a couple missteps, Even Angels Fail is certainly worth a listen if you like your metal leather studded and hard n’ heavy. In search of the past glory of the Sunset Strip? Make your way over to Ghost Avenue.
6 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Scorpions, Dokken, Judas Priest