Ghost Ship

Reviews For "Ghost Ship"

I heard a GHOST...
by tombie on 10/17/2016

This is the fourth full length album by the band and they just get better and better. Ghost Ship is ten songs of power metal awesomeness... Now, just to be honest, power metal is not one of my favorite genres, but as with every style of music, there are those that rise above the rest and I actually do listen to them. Theocracy has always been enjoyable to listen to and Matt Smith and company have delivered another stellar album!

The album was recorded in Matt's own recording studio in Athens, GA as well as produced by Smith. Although the album has an underlying theme, it is not a concept album. "So many kids were coming up to us after shows and telling us their stories," says Theocracy vocalist Matt Smith. "A lot of them were searching for purpose and a place to fit in, and having grown up as an awkward and unpopular kid myself, their words really stuck with me. I started thinking about what a band of misfits Jesus' disciples were: fishermen, tax collectors, and people of little consequence in the eyes of the world. Sometimes the ones most people don't see, or choose to look straight through—the ghosts of society, as it were, dead to the world—end up having the biggest impact. That's where the title and idea for Ghost Ship came from: all the misfits, the uncool, the outcasts, there is a place where you do fit in. Although Ghost Ship is not a concept album, this is a recurring theme, particularly in the title track and 'Castaway'."

So the album starts off with the song 'Paper Tiger'. The song starts off fast and furious right out of the gate. This song seems to be speaking to the American Christians and how we basically need to stop whining about how bad we think we have it here as Christians. "Fear And Paranoia Bring A False Sense Of Entitlement. Pretend We're Persecuted, Love The Sound Of Our Voice. Media Fearrnongering Is Just A Paper Tiger. Because Don't You Know That Misery Is Oftentimes A Choice? Caught Up In Our Drama, We Pretend That We Have Problems. While The World Our Brothers Are Beheaded In The Streets. Malcontents And Dissonance Uncover Our Indifference. Wolf's Cry Obsolete." The song is petal to the metal all the way through.

The title song is next and one of my favorites. It starts off with a really cool riff and is a bit slower than the opening track but ROCKS! The song has a driving beat with a few tempo changes mixed in. As stated by Matt, this song hits on misfits; "Pay The Piper, Here We Go. Got A Ticket For A One-Way Journey. Slay The Viper, Come Follow, Even If You're Ordinary. There's A Place For You Here. Raise The Anchor, All Aboard As The Captain Calls His Misfits. This Ghost Ship Sets Off To Shake The World - Let's Go!".

'The Wonder Of It All' is the third track. This song ROCKS!! It starts off with a cool riff before exploding into double bass pounding fury... It has a thrash feel to it. OK, this is my fav. Hold on while I hit replay a few times..... alright, I'm back. This is a really cool song and I love the different elements it brings forth. Not only does it bring my favorite genre, thrash, it has nice subtle tempo changes and great musicianship.

The next track is 'Wishing Well'. This is another mid-tempo tune and another favorite of mine. It has a nice chorus with full harmonies and great guitar work here. Theocracy's musicianship has always been top-notch.

Next is 'Around The World And Back'. This song starts off pretty mellow and sounds really nice. But fret not, it kick in in true Theocracy fashion. It is a mid-tempo rocker with some cool riffs placed in and a nice chorus.

The next track is my second favorite. It has a cool driving beat and Matt's voice starts off with a nice raspy tone before it kicks in and he belts it out with his signature high pitched smooth rockness. This song jams with some nice double petal "in your face" metal. This song speaks so true to many Christians today and how we have lost our fire; "A Supernatural Visitation Of The Highest Order. Reanimation Of The Flame Once Blazing. Somewhere Along The Way We Lost The Spark Of Passion To Replacement. Complacent. Amazing." Great song, great lyrics.

'A Call To Arms' is the next song. This is definately an anthem. "This Is A Revolution, This Is A Call To Arms. So Put Your Warpaint On, It's Time To Sound The Fight Song. The Saints Of Absolution. Heed The Call, Give It All, Make War. So Fall In Line This Time, 'cause This Is What We Came For." The song is a mid-tempo rocker with a nice beat and some cool soloing. I love the chorus and the message.

The next track is 'Currency In A Bankrupt World'. This is yet another nice mid-tempo tune with some slower parts mixed in making it almost balladic. This is another great song.

'Castaway' is another full on rocker at full speed. This is power metal goodness at it's finest. It has some nice tempo changes mixed in and then back to the redline peaking onslaught.

Last but not least, it's 'Easter'. This song clocks in at over ten minutes and tells the story of Easter, the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This song flows nicely both musically and lyrically. One thing I have always loved about Theocracy is their thought provoking lyrics.

Overall, this album is amazing and probably my favorite release by the band. It is full of great rockers that do not just go for speed but have many nice elements making it very good and enjoyable. The band has always had a good following and I know that this album has been very anticipated and well worth the wait. Crank it up over and over and over and....