Ghostheart Nebula continues its ascent.
Three years after their debut album, Nick Magister (guitar/keyboards, Mémoire Noire), Bolthorn (bass, Obsolete Theory), Maurizio Caverzan (vocals, Verlaine, ex-In Sight), Panta Leo (drums, Black Rage) and Aron Corti (guitar, In Sight) officially recruit Lucia Amelia Emmanueli (Sojourner, Trewa), the singer who helped them at the time, to create Blackshift, their second album, released by Meuse Music Records.
VdB 141 IC 1805 is a tranquil opener that gradually adds a saturated touch to its smooth Shoegaze feel, before Sunya picks up the pace with the arrival of drums and Maurizio‘s saturated vocals. Melancholy nails us to the floor, but reaches its full potential on Diego Cavallotti‘s (ex-Lacuna Coil) solo, as well as when the vocalist unveils his duet with Lucia Amelia, whether on the slow impressive passage or on the following acceleration that leads the dance to The Opal Tide, where the musicians envelop us in an ominous mist. The steamy darkness imperceptibly spreads, eventually drowning us in its dissonance as it embraces its heavy Doom roots, while the singer places soothing touches, lulling us to sleep until Naught, I follows, featuring bass and even giving it melodious harmonics. The contrast with the heavier passages is perfect, as is the break where the sampled vocals in turn transport us to the surge that leads into Infinite Mirror. This new wave of sonic torpor is similar to the previous one, sometimes oppressive, sometimes quieter thanks to the acoustic guitar of Øystein Garnes Brun (Borknagar), letting us sail through its heady atmosphere to reach Blackshift, which calmly welcomes us before throwing us into its ocean of darkness. The track is relatively short, but that doesn’t prevent it from offering some intense passages before giving way to Traces and its ominous growls, which precede a majestic approach where the musicians easily recreate the emotional touches that adorn their massive riffs. The composition is equally fluid, as is Orphan of Light, which follows naturally in its wake, accelerating the pace slightly and revealing a complementary duo, where fury and lightness blend harmoniously to bring the album to a close.
The magic of Ghostheart Nebula lies in its ability to handle melancholy to create striking compositions, sometimes giving way to rage. Blackshift will not only seduce you with its thick riffs, it will also amaze you with its unexpected gentleness.
90/100