Album Review: Spear of Destiny - "Ghost Population"

 

Kirk Brandon's certainly a man who likes to keep himself busy. Not content with taking both Spear of Destiny and Theatre of Hate out touring this year as well as heading up punk/post-punk supergroup Dead Men Walking, he's now signing off 2022 with the first SOD album since 2018's underrated Tontine. It'd be easy for a band who've been around on the scene as long as SOD have to phone it in at this point but thankfully Tontine showed that they were doing anything but and I'm happy to report that Ghost Population carries on this good run of recent form.

It gets off to a bit of an odd start with Shine almost sounding like a bit of a requiem with its mournful piano-led feel leading into a soaring chorus but it definitely works. The sinister Clarion Call and the almost funeral march style Pilgrim take things back into more familiar Spear of Destiny territory while the tribal drums of Neolythic By Design and Waster are suitably unsettling backing for Brandon's preacher on the hill vocals. Indeed, this is an impressively varied album - Ballad Of The Dog goes into a kind of gothy folk song territory while the gentle You're The Only Thing is almost hypnotic with its pounding rhythm. Best of all is Coward 306 which sees Brandon throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the mix with swirling strings, strident riffs and staccato piano before Bread and Circuses starts with a gentle acoustic opening before Brandon unleashes an on-the-money diatribe about the disgraceful state this septic isle of ours finds itself in in 2022 which he continues on the self-explanatory Forever Their England which has an almost '70s Who style slow building feel to it to close things.

There's a reason that Spear of Destiny have been in this game for so long and that's quite simply that they're a band who can continue to surprise you forty plus years into their career and Ghost Population is another very worthy addition to their back catalogue. Well worth investgiating for both long term SOD die hards and those who are just starting out with this group.

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Album Review: The Warner E Hodges Band - "Boots Up! The Best Of The Warner E Hodges Band So Far"

Image
  As a rule, I try to avoid greatest hits releases on this 'ere webzine but Warner E Hodges, best known as guitarist for Nashville cowpunk legends Jason & The Scorchers, was nice enough to send us a copy of this in the run-up to his UK tour starting next week. I have to be honest, even though I'm a huge Scorchers fan (a Garbage Days Revisited feature on them may be coming soon on this website) and enjoyed his work with the Georgia Satellites’ Dan Baird in Homemade Sin, I've not listened to much of Warner's solo stuff so I figured this would be a good introduction prior to going to catch the Keighley leg of the tour next weekend. To tell the truth, the majority of the stuff on Boots Up!  essentially sounds like a rockier version of the Scorchers with straight-up rockers like Right Back Where I Started  and Where You Gone  rubbing shoulders with the odd unexpected number to vary things up like the fast-paced Back In Town  and Preachin' To The Choir ,   the lurchin
Read more

Nite Songs Top 50 Albums of 2023 - Part 2 (40-31)

Image
  40.     DIAMOND DOGS - "About The Hardest Nut To Crack" As always, the Diamond Dogs aren't pulling any surprises with us on their newest album but the truth is that Sulo and co are simply a band who are very good at what they do and on  About The Hardest Nut To Crack , they're on good form with the likes of  Got A Rock 'n' Roll Record ,  Down On The Debris Field  and  Gurus & Gangsters  being particular standouts. Another good effort by this most enjoyable band. *** 39.     THE SHED PROJECT - "Our Fear Is Their Power" A politically charged Stone Roses? The Charlatans after taking some songwriting lessons from Joe Strummer? I'm not entirely sure how you'd describe the Shed Project but what I would say is that they're a very unique and excellent band. Packing the hooks and melodies of the best bands of their ilk but adding a genuine socialist working class anger on the likes of  Ghost Town ,  The Crowdpleaser  and  I've Got The Bl
Read more

Nite Songs Top 50 Albums of 2023 - Part 3 (30-21)

Image
  30.     RISKEE & THE RIDICULE - "Platinum Statue" Grime-punks Riskee & The Ridicule continue to be one of the most fierce and uncompromising bands in Britain on their second album. Bristling with righteous anger,  Platinum Statue  is a viciously desolate howl of frustration on behalf of the youth of today which urges the downtrodden to pick up a pitchfork and take aim at those running this country into the ground before it's too late over a none-more-tight musical backing. Essential listening. *** 29.     THE MISTAKES - "A Good Hill To Die On" Hailing from Dorset, this is the fourth album by thrash-punks the Mistakes and sees them barging forward to take their place as one of the most promising bands of the genre today. Tipping its hat to Motorhead and GBH in its sound and with a lorryload of pent up anger about the state of the country in 2023, the likes of Chaos Theory , I Savage  and the title track are fine stuff indeed. Go and check this band out
Read more