Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Ghost Circus
Label: Progrock Records
Release: 2008
Rating: 3.5/5
Ghost Circus is an international duo made up of two talented multi-instrumentalists: American singer/guitarist/bassist Chris Brown and Dutch drummer/guitarist/keyboardist Ronald Wahle. Their collaboration began four years ago, when they first got in touch through an internet music forum and discovered they shared similar musical tastes. Their debut album “Cycles” (2006) picked up plenty of praise for its unique blend of progressive rock, metal, AOR and alternative rock. For their next release, Chris and Ronald decided to build on their earlier musical vision and polish up their production.
They pulled it off, too, because “Across The Line” successfully carries on this concept of fusing different genres and borrowing some of their best elements, which also means it should appeal to a fairly wide crowd. “Across The Line” is a concept album that follows one person’s journey from death to the afterlife. It’s a ghost story told from the ghost’s own perspective, inspired by well-known accounts from people who stood at death’s door but unexpectedly came back to life. After returning, they described meeting a huge light waiting for them at the end of a tunnel. The central character of this story, however, turns away from the light, sinks into darkness and stays trapped as a ghost between the world of the living and the dead. They want to get back among the living at any cost, but eventually realize the pointlessness of it all and understand that even after death, a person is responsible for their decisions and has total freedom in making them. In the end, they choose to walk toward the light and accept their existence in the afterlife. The afterlife concept has been chewed over a thousand times, but here it gets a fresh angle from a different perspective.
Fittingly, that concept comes to life nicely through the right mix of rich ambient keyboard arrangements, hard-hitting progressive metal guitar passages, melodic choruses and decent vocals. Over the course of individual songs, the duo never stays stuck in one genre’s elements, metal for example, for long. Instead they tie all the musical elements together smoothly and gradually build an atmospheric sonic collage. Modern recording technology works wonders here, so their sound comes across as incredibly full, as if more people were involved in the project than just two. On “Across The Line” the guys from Ghost Circus show they know how to combine rock power with top-notch ambient, which is a must for any quality progressive rock. The duo can also properly set things on fire with uncompromising riffs and complex rhythmic shifts. One moment their music sounds almost like ambient space rock in the vein of early Porcupine Tree (plenty of electronic samples help with that). The next, they turn to a gentle, acoustic-leaning pop ballad. At the same time, their music sinks into your ear pretty quickly, since it has no overly complex arrangements or lengthy improvisations.
“Across The Line” stands out for its variety from start to finish. The opening instrumental “Reflection,” for example, is soaked in solid acoustic guitar work, ambient waves of keyboards and interludes of electric guitar. Then comes “Pathway,” a volcanic eruption with raw, almost thrash metal riffs and a matching rumbling rhythm section, accompanied by solid AOR/melodic rock vocals that push the song into a whole different sphere again. “Holding On” is a real treat, featuring a tasty slide guitar solo followed by an incredibly effective mix of ethereal waves over atmospheric keyboard textures, effective melodic vocals and mighty guitar riffs. “To Be” is a lovely pop rock ballad with even some commercial potential, yet it doesn’t sound sugary, and it even reminds me a bit of some of Porcupine Tree’s gentler ballads. The hypnotic “Losing Time” features plenty of electronic samples, melancholic guitar lines and romantic vocal harmonies that, with their ethereal mood, win the listener over in no time. “Through The Darkness” should please most progressive metal fans, even though Chris’s vocals aren’t exactly the best fit for the genre. The hard-hitting guitar riffing runs through lovely keyboard arrangements and a dynamic rhythm section, and there’s an epic chorus and a tasty guitar solo too.
As proof that Ghost Circus do have some of that original progressive rock essence after all, there’s the epic piece “Through The Light,” split into a whopping eight completely different sections that successfully capture and follow the moment when the central character decides to accept their new existence and take the path toward the light. There’s no point describing each section individually; it’s enough to say that each has its own unique atmosphere and varied arrangements, which make it the centerpiece of the whole album. The album wraps up with the very good title track “Across The Line,” which opens with a drawn-out guitar solo and extra sound effects. Then, through an unexpected transition, it tips over into excellent melodic prog rock with plenty of atmospheric synth passages (the only moment when it all leans toward 80s neo prog), mellotron samples and dramatic electric guitar solos. It’s really commendable how the guys from Ghost Circus gradually turn a song that doesn’t promise much at the start into a genuine ambient feast.
“Across The Line” should appeal to all fans of the kind of modern prog rock that doesn’t draw so much on the influences of legendary 60s and 70s bands, as is usually the case with most of today’s (neo) prog rock outfits, but instead successfully hops across the boundaries between prog, metal, alternative and AOR, picking some of their best elements along the way. Besides the very good musical performance (the weakest element, if you had to pick one, is the vocals), Ghost Circus use ambient keyboards and acoustic guitar so elegantly that they conjure up atmospheres seductive enough to touch the listener’s deepest emotions. These varied moods build up with incredible ease until the listener is hypnotized by their ethereal quality. Thankfully, there’s not a single moment of rationalist technical showboating in the Dream Theater style in their music, nor any need for it. Listeners who enjoy elements of prog rock bands like Marillion, Porcupine Tree, Gazpacho, Pure Reason Revolution, and even popular alternative acts like Muse, will find plenty to be happy about in “Across The Line.”
Lineup
Chris Brown – vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Ronald Wahle – drums, guitar, keyboards
Production
Chris Brown & Ronald Wahle
Track List
1. Reflection
2. Pathway
3. Holding On
4. To Be
5. Losing Time
6. Through The Darkness
7. Through The Light
I. The Calling
II. The Choice
III. The Essence Of Life
IV. The Sea Of Shadows
V. Soaring Above
VI. Breaking Through
VII. The Distance Memory
VIII. the Final Steps
8. Across The Line
