Northern Ghost – Happy: Sad: Depressed: Suicidal Debut Album Review [2017]

Hey guys, it’s been a long time, but I’m back with a review, and this one is for quite an astounding band. To give a background on this band, they are a five-piece metalcore band consisting of Tony McVaney on Vocals, Alan Bryan and Nolan O’Renic on Guitar, Kenny Pohorence on Bass, and Michael Mazzoli on Drums. Northern Ghost is signed under Tragic Hero records, which is home to bands like I Set My Friends on Fire, Dead Rabbits, and more. They also have released as of July 7, 2017 their debut album Happy: Sad: Depressed: Suicidal, and this very album is what I’m going to discuss and go through in this article. A little fun fact, I saw Northern Ghost on the same day the album debut at our local venue and I can tell you this much: they have a stellar amount of energy live. Thus, because I enjoyed their music live, and they just released their first album, I had to buy it, because first weeks sales matter a lot for debuting bands.

Moving on into the Happy: Sad: Depressed: Suicidal, let’s start with the atmosphere of the album. As suggested by the name of the album, there can be some expected tones coinciding with the title, such as depression, suicidal thoughts, what all can go on in an anxious mind, the list can drag on. In essence, it seems to be aiming to go into a more grey area of life, the more mundane yet frightening issues of life if you will. Lyrically, Happy: Sad: Depressed: Suicidal matches up with that atmosphere and gives you a real sense of immersion on the subjects talked about. The vocals on this album make for a great pushing force for the flow of the music and the messages within each track. Nice melodious singing met with harsh mid pitched screams that add just the right punch for the mix. The production on the album is very well done. Nothing really sticks out too much over anything else and it’s all balanced out nicely and is very pleasant to hear.

Two things that I definitely enjoy from this Happy: Sad: Depressed: Suicidal that I think a lot of bands, new and old, can be found struggling with is, for one , the fact the enunciation is very crisp. There are a lot of bands that I can listen to and really get into, but unfortunately because the enunciation is lacking, the power of the tracks can suffer, and it is pleasing to say that’s not a case with this album. Northern Ghost did a very good job making themselves, vocally, understandable. It allows the listener to follow through with everything that is going on in the track, instrumentally and lyrically. They are able to identify the flow of the track as it was meant to be interpreted.

The second thing that really strikes as a pro with this album, is that is handled in a very creative manner. Meaning that, in not only every track, but as an entire album as a whole, they take a concept and give it a voice in a very superb and creative and original way. The instrumentals all play and mesh together so well with tracks individually, but yet also can tie up one track with another as you go through the album.

At the end of the day, Happy: Sad: Depressed: Suicidal is solid. If Northern Ghost keeps following up in later albums with this much intensity and vigor, then it looks like they have a bright career ahead of them in their industry. As stated earlier in the article, they just released Happy: Sad: Depressed: Suicidal, so once you have read this, you should check them out as well as this new album. Northern Ghost is definitely worth investing in, and also, it is their first week of sales, so show some support! This is one of many bands just starting to make a name for themselves in the industry, and they can’t do it without you, the listeners and fans!

Thank you for reading the article, and thank you Northern Ghost for catching my attention with your great set at 89th Street Collective.

Find Northern Ghost on Spotify and iTunes!

 

Score: 9/10

Favorited Tracks: Not The Real Me, False Paradise, Terminal, and The Donors.