Ghost Bath - Starmourner (CD)

Details: Ghost Bath plays atmospheric black metal focused on depression and human emotion. Unlike it's predecessor Moonlover which explored melancholy, sorry, depression, and earthly things their new album Starmourner explores joy (instead of sorrow), the cosmos (instead of earth), and paradise (instead of purgatory). But most importantly, it explores ecstasy - instead of tragedy - as it's basic human emotion. With over 72 minutes of heavy, melodic, and dramatic black metal, it is Ghost Bath's most ambitious undertaking yet. The album takes it's listener on a journey in a variety of ways; each track is accompanied by a beautifully crafted painting as well as a "parable" to read alongside. This allows the listener to explore not only the audio soundscapes, but a visual and imaginative experience through as they delve into the album. "The stories, or parables, look into Jewish angelology and the hierarchy of angels as found in the bible and other religious texts," says Nameless. Although the album has a definitive joyful and hopeful feel, it is still drenched in depression and sorry, as any true Ghost Bath record should be.