Could Not Have Done This Without You, An Album By Ghost Writer, A Review

 

Could Not Have Done This Without You

Ghost Writer

So a little background origin story. Ghost Writer aka Phillip J. Mellen and I are old college buddies from the 90's. He's had a hand in so many different projects over the years. His poetry has always been a source of inspiration for me. I first met Phillip in my second semester at a local community college where we were both Art Majors. We shared several classes including a very avante garde sculpture class with a very avante garde (aka pain in the ass) professor. Tasked with creating an installation with few limitations or boundaries, Phillip came up with this amazing piece of art that included a briefcase and a molotov cocktail. The molotov cocktail may have ruffled some feathers.

Phillip J. Mellen aka Ghost Writer and Collaborators

Post college, Phillip and I have reconnected several times. First both being participants in a small local gallery show and then a few years later as a guest on his podcast, Ahtcast. Phillip has never shied away from talking about mental illness in his poetry, art collages and music. Much of his subject matter deals with the beauty and sadness of close relationships. Phillip's work reflects that sensitivity, empathy and intimacy. "Could Not Have Done This Without You" is a collaboration of Phillip's writings and the many friendships he's developed in his local scene. 

The graphics on the album's packaging were created by Phillip and many of the lyrics/poetry are straight from Phillip's own writings. Phillip has enlisted many of his friends from the local Southeastern Massachusetts music scene to interpret his work in fantastic ways. This is not a metal album. This is art.

Album Cover by PJM

1. From The Top - Vocals By Kevin Grant (Wire Lines, Gaskill, The Hidden), Yelling/Music by Dug McCormack, Lyrics By Phillip J. Mellen

Grant's delivery reminds me of a warning message sent over radio air waves during the intro to a dystopian movie. I mentioned to Phillip that this album's vibe reminds me in a way of Bowie's "Outside" Album which is my favorite in his catalogue. This track is a perfect example of setting the table for what's to come.

2. Contact - Music by Ethan Weiss with an assist by Mark Arruda, Lyrics by Phillip J. Mellen

This is a track that's got a Meat Beat Manifesto vibe. Dream like with a great beat throughout. Phillip's echoey delivery sends your brain through space. 

3. Sundress - Vocals by Dena Haden, Samples and Lyrics by Phillip J Mellen

This is a departure into a very quaint and beautiful short poem. The samples of a spring day really compliment the lyrics.

4. Palpitations - Music and vocals by Mark Arruda, Lyrics by Phillip J. Mellen

Palpitations is a radio ready pop song that is both catchy and replayable. 

5. Pace Yourself - Music by Kat Knutsen, Vocals and lyrics by Phillip J. Mellen

Fine piece of piano work over an intimate glimpse into Phillip's thoughts recorded over a phone message. It really invites the listener into a personal space.

6. Agreed On A Weed - Music by Chris Evil, Vocals and lyrics by Phillip J. Mellen

80's Synth pop by the enigmatic Chris Evil over a daydreamy poem about the connection between a weed and a relationship.

7. Wait For Me - Music by Kevin Fernandes and Ryan Coffey, Vocals by Sarah Jane Mulvey and Phillip J. Mellen

About the Album

Very beautiful and dreamlike instrumentals over Phillip and Sarah's dreamlike delivery of poetry. The back and forth is both intimate and relateable.

8. It Was A Ghost - Music by Nick LeBlanc, Vocals and Lyrics by Phillip J. Mellen

This is yet another great collaboration between the direct delivery of vocals/poetry and bright guitar riffs. A soundscape that is very expansive.

9. Cigarette Break - Vocals and lyrics by Phillip J. Mellen

A brief look into a poignant memory of a relationship. 

10. Voicemail from Kevin - Vocals by Kevin Fernandes

A great reminder to check in with your friends. I miss my old phone recording message machine.

11. He Was a Good Man - Music and vocals by Keith Borges, Lyrics by Phillip J. Mellen

A beautiful acoustic piece. The lyrics are a like the narration in one's mind on a sunny mid afternoon.

12. Ghost Pilot - Vocals by Shelley Cardoos, Kristin Dupre, Mark Arruda, and Phillip J. Mellen, Music by Mark Arruda, Lyrics by Phillip J. Mellen

I really enjoy the vibe of this tune. A great closer full of modern folk rock meets shoe gaze playing and a beautiful chorus of vocals. The musicianship is top notch and uplifting. Great way to close this chapter.

I'm a biased listener. I've known Phillip for a good portion of my life. Hearing his voice on this album is a like a time machine taking me back to some of my favorite periods in life. This album is a beautiful piece of work that will translate to many people these days. While this blog is about "all things heavy", sometimes we need a moment to step outside of this space. The beauty of sunlight through a bedroom window, a look back at the "perfect" moments of a past relationship that transcends time and just engaging in human moments like reviewing an old voice mail from a friend are sometimes the things we need to break up a heavy day. So while you're ripping through your catalogue of old slayer classics and you find yourself in need of a change of pace for a moment, give this piece of art a listen. It's on bandcamp. You have no excuse. Thanks Phillip for creating this. 

If you enjoyed this album and would like to know more, click the links below.

Music | Could Not Have Done This Without You

Phillip J. Mellen on Facebook

Ahtcast Podcast / Website

Phillip's Website

Dual Track Review - Serpent Venom

Of Things Seen & Unseen

by Serpent Venom

Track 1 - The Penance You Pay 

professor fork tongue says
- Great big fuzzy, fantastic riff at the start. Typical vocals for this type of music but stronger than most. There's nothing here moving Tradition Doom Metal in a new direction but they pay homage to the gods of the genre pretty damn well. I'm ok with this. Inventive doesn't mean good by default like lots of music reviewers seem to think.

grownman says

- My goodness can you hear that fuzz? Nice groovey build with soaring vocals that remind me of a cross between early Electric Wizard and the sole Seventh Void album. There is definitely a sabbath influence on this towards the midpoint of the song. That quick little bit of fingering is all Iommi. Nice finish to the song with that freakout distortion.

Track 2 - Sorrow's Bastard

professor fork tongue says
- I can't help but snap my neck to the main riff once it gets going. Groovy as fuck. I love the tone these guys get. Somewhere between The Gates of Slumber (RIP) and Electric Wizard.

grownman says
- Very sabbathy intro with once again that very familiar Iommi fingering. Slower and groovier rhytm that sways. The track stays the course and doesn't really break into any type of experimentation. Tend to lose attention when I'm listening to doom that doesn't switch it up at points.

Track 3 - Death Throes At Dawn

professor fork tongue says
- This one starts at almost Funeral Doom levels of dirge. I can't help but picture the Ray Harryhausen's skelton warriors from Jason and The Argonauts marching in unison into battle. There's a really sinister sounding riff kicks in after the tempo kicks up a notch. I use the term "kicks up a notch" lightly.

grownman says
- Good title for this track. Feel like I'm watching a black plague funeral march passing me. Everything hits so hard it reverberates. I enjoy when the vocals fluctuate and continue to soar during the chorus. It's a good tune, not breaking too much ground as far as doom goes but it's a good listen.

Track 4 - The Lords of Life

professor fork tongue says
- Love the into with intro with the rolling cymbals and plucked, fuzzy guitar. As of now despite some bad ass riffs and enjoyable vocals (which I raely find in this style) the album is in dire need of some dynamics, some changes in tempo, intensity, etc. Even Sabbath changed it up pretty often. Every song doesn't need to feel like you're getting an anvil dropped on you ala Wile E. Coyote. This is all very good stuff but a bit of variation could make it great. I love the dropout in the middle of the song. Vocals really shine here. Guitar solo here is great also. Best track on the album so far.

grownman says
- It's undeniable that what makes or breaks a band especially, a doom band is it's percussionist. This dude has chops and knows how accentuate a slow driving song. Lots of cymbal crashing throughout the track that adds a bit of atmosphere to the overall feel of the song. Another track that stays the course and fulfills all the doom requirements. Good solo that breaks up the song and almost makes me wish it happened again somewhere earlier in the tune.

Track 5 - I Awake

professor fork tongue says
- Beautiful little acoustic break...

grownman says
- an acoustic spacer...a break in the battle...makes me want to wish people quiet pleasantries as I place down my mace and axe.

Track  6 - Let Them Starve

professor fork tongue says
- And straight into an absolute shovel to the face of a riff that completely knocks your dick in the dirt. That's a good bit of psychology there. Bring it way down and then bring it way back up and smack you in the face. Same tempo as the rest of the album. I'd pay good money for these guys to break out into a "Sabbra Cadabra" type track, or hell even "Changes". Well they upped them tempo right after I typed this but no shift in dynamics really.

grownman says
- Compared to everything else, this track has the most energy going into it. All fired up and hitting all the right doom notes. Does anything really stand out as the band's signature? Not sure, but once again another nice listen.

Track 7 - Pilgrims of The Sun

professor fork tongue says
- Nothing worth note here. Sounds like everything else on the album. Sometimes there actually can be too much of a good thing.

grownman says
- This track from the start puts more focus on the vocals. Since I'm not a real stickler for lyrics I tend to focus more on the entirety of what's going on with the band. Very competent musicians. All the parts work well together but it comes off as predictable. I couldn't get through the whole track.

Track 8 - Burning Free

professor fork tongue says
- See above.

grownman says
- My attention is fading. More of the same business. I'm letting it play out but I don't forsee this album being included in any of my future playlists.

Check out the album for yourself below:

Slipknot .5: The Gray Chapter - Track by Track Review

Slipknot

.5: The Gray Chapter

Track by Track Review by Grownman

XIX

Ominous opener that sounds a hell of a lot like something off Nine Inch Nail’s Downward Spiral. Corey Taylor’s vocals over an eerie synth warble is definitely a departure from the signature in your face style of the band’s previous efforts.

Sarcastrophe

A slow start transitions into signature “IOWA” era ‘Knot.

The bouncy groove, march step percussion and Taylor’s earlier style of vocals definitely hearken back to the bands first major label album. That said, something is missing. Maybe it’s the immediacy of that first album. It’s trying too hard to be pissed off or maybe it’s a more mature intensity that doesn’t feel as dangerous as it did back then. Or maybe as a fan I’m expecting more.

AOV

This is a good tune. The old meets the new on this. Slower tune that finds itself in the groove. Taylor’s variation between clean singing and rapid delivery is sure to grab the Stone Sour fans. The band’s musicianship is excellent and the departure of Jordison is barely noticed. Hell this guy may even have more range.

The Devil In I

Still not totally sold on this tune. I think it’ll be a tune I’ll have to listen to quite a bit in context with the rest of the album. I’m personally not a fan of listening to singles too much before an album. This fits more with their last album that’s for certain.

As much as Taylor denies this is about Jordison, this is about Jordison.

Killpop

On first listen, I’m really bored about the opening of this song. The lounge style singing seems to be a set up for harsher moments and I feel like they should just cut the sh*t and get onto it. Maybe this song will wear on me but so far I’m gonna forget this one real quick.

Skeptic

Another Iowa’esque track. I like the tempo of the track, the vocals sound a bit same’ish. I’m longing for a chorus I can sing along with or just some type of hook. Instead most of the song goes absolutely nowhere until the somewhat bouncy chorus shows up.

Lech

Promising start. The track has it’s moments but I’m starting to feel like a broken record. Nothing new and not as good as what they’ve done in the past. Feeling like the band wrote this coming off some really tough times in their life and could’ve benefited from a longer break. Less is more and this is too much.

Goodbye

Ballad. Fans will be pissed. Song about the band’s chemistry and their will to overcome their own issues. Hmm…as a fan, I can’t stand when bands sing about themselves.

Nomadic

This is the companion piece to Goodbye. Sounds quite a bit like Eyeless with some clean singing parts. Lyrics “I need you to hate me”….as a long time fan, songs like this are tempting me.

The One That Kills the Least

A mixture of sincere clean vocals and then more of the tempered yet angry vocals off the last album. Slipknot trying to sound like Slipknot but not that Slipknot.

Custer

Brutal tune that finally breaks out of the conventional sound that the rest of the album is falling into. It’s edgy and dangerous.

Be Prepared for Hell

A brief interlude with disturbing talking and hints of laughter.

The Negative One

Hands down best song on the album. A reminder that the band can still kick ass with the intensity of their youthful selves. Whatever they were doing when they wrote this, they should do a lot more of. It’s so good that it makes the rest of the album pale in comparison.

If Rain is What You Want

Taylor sounds a bit like Bowie with his delivery. The song is a good tune to go out on.  They scale back on so much of the noise and cut right to the chase. It’s moody without being sappy. A song that finally takes a moment to breath and showcase the talents of the band rhythmically without being so over the top. Not at any point do I compare this sound to Stone Sour or old Slipknot. I hope this is foreshadowing of what’s to come once they grow into the new members and shed the skin of the old.

Conclusion

Overall this is an inconsistent album. The majority of tracks lack a balance between where they've been and where they are now as a band.  Yes, this is the most aggressive they've sounded in years but it comes at a price more times than not.  I thoroughly enjoyed 4 tracks out of 14.