Like a lot of people, I grew up listening to more extreme forms of music, but having then moved on to other genres – everything from punk to prog, from goth to dream-pop – I never quite found my way back to the realm of metal and all its myriad forms and sub-genres.
It seems that I may have been missing out. “Unknowing,” my first encounter with “Deflecting Ghosts,” hinted as much, and now their new one, “Risen,” forces the point home. Still, you can’t be everywhere, and I’m back in the fold now; that’s what counts.
“Risen” does waste any time getting going, right from the off, it is a squalling wall of guitars, ornate, raw-edged, razor-wire patterns that mesh together for maximum impact, the bass line providing the relentless, unseen power, driving from behind the melody and tying in with the drums to create unbridled momentum. It is dark, powerful, visceral.
Although the song acknowledges that humanity is at a point where dark clouds gather around us, it ultimately pursues themes of personal survival and inner conflict, an ultimate reckoning, and possible redemption. A song that is outwardly big but which looks within for its message.
Metal was a different beast in my day, but all genres evolve, and “Risen” is the sound of a band helping it to do just that —a tasteful blend of metalcore weight and industrial intensity. Yes, metal has changed a lot since I was last an acolyte, but I like where it is going.
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