Ghost Bath is a band that, for some time, has been shrouded in a halo of mystery related to its origin and the identity of its individual components. All this has certainly not been an obstacle to the acquisition of a certain fame at the underground level, thanks to a form of post-black depressive with markedly melodic traits and characterized by the absence of real lyrics, replaced by a scream matrix DSBM designed to emphasize essentially the dramatic nature of the sound. This third long-distance work brings with it a turning point, perhaps revisable in some respects, but that is an interesting new element, or the stated intent to explore the positive side of reality and states of mind that, normally, are dissected in their darkest aspects. In this sense can not but suffer even the sound, which since the beginning shows melodic openings that come close (do not sound like blasphemy) to some epic afflatus of the best Virgin Steele (Seraphic, Thrones) obviously inserted within black rhythms and overpowered by the incessant screams of the vocalist: this aspect causes a considerable dichotomy within the disc, where rather sunny melodies, only tinged with a hint of melancholy, are constantly mottled by such interventions that in the end are the only really disturbing element. Ghost Bath show an uncommon ability to let vent their sound in airy openings and of sure impact bordering, sometimes, in shoegaze (Ethereal, Celestial) and overall the work shows a usability that, somehow, goes to mitigate the side effects caused by a duration that exceeds abundantly the hour; what limits Starmourner, preventing it from touching the emotional peaks of previous works, is just this being relatively solar, which is not married but, rather, clashes with the residual extreme attitudes. So, although pleasant and well built, with such compositional premises the album obviously can’t evoke the evil of living that was instead well highlighted in the previous full length Funeral and Moonloover, sometimes making appear forced all the grafts of black matrix: Ghost Bath‘s one remains however an interesting and personal approach to the matter, even if I don’t know how much the sense of lightness that is felt in more than one passage can represent exactly what the admirers of the first hour would like to hear.

2017 – Northern Silence Productions