“The rite, the knife, the flesh.“
During the peak of synthwave and darkwave, Gost had a place as a mainstay of the genre alongside the likes of Perturbator, Dan Terminus, Carpenter Brut and The Black Queen. As many of these artists did, Gost was faced with the challenge of ‘What next?‘ after mastering their sound on record Non Paradisi. What followed saw Gost intoduce metal elements on Possessor to much success, while Rites Of Love And Reverence unfortunately failed to impressed. Now the solo artist also known as James Lollar looks to go again on their latest record, Prophecy.
As intro track “Judgement” makes way for title track “Prophecy“, booming and darting synths forcefully command the track in an industrial manner. It seems some what reminiscent of the heavier cuts that Power Glove pulled on the Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon soundtrack, without the ooze of retro influences. It doesn’t take too long for the most metal influences too return, as “Death in Bloom” resurrects the harsh vocals. However, this it is where the weaker elements of past records return, the main gripe being around the digital blast beats which simply do not sound great on pretty much any track.
“Deceiver” delves into the horror elements that have been ever-present in Gost‘s discography, represented musically with menacing, slasher-style synths that dance around the ear. As the record begins to arrive into its midpoint tracks “Obituary” and “Temple of Tears“, Prophecy’s forcefulness begins to wear away. And even as later tracks such as “Shelter” share, it does feel the 13-track record could have been further refined into something more compact.
“Widow Song” and “Golgotha” would be decent enough tracks in isolation, but the formulaic element of Prophecy has set in by this point, especially in the wider context of Gost‘s discography. And while the catchy synth work still abounds on the later tracks and closer “Leviathan“, the mixed feelings about the record remain.
The well refined sound that Gost has pieced together over the years of their craft has allowed them to write records that deliver on their promise of a bombastic and intense sound, yet there’s a lack of the expansiveness and excitement that surrounded previous records such as Behemoth. There will be a space for Prophecy to provide something to an audience of already converted listeners. Hopefully this is a stepping stone for Gost on the way toward their next sonic evolution.
5/10
Prophecy will release March 8th via Metal Blade Records and can be pre-ordered here.