REVIEW: GHOST TOWER – Curse of the Black Blood

 

GHOST TOWER – Curse of the Black Blood (2010)

Evil Coven Records

There are bands that draw heavily from traditional metal and its familiar clichés, yet somehow manage to transform those influences into something distinctive enough to be recognized from the very first listen. GHOST TOWER belong to that category. Their debut, Curse of the Black Blood, is what I would describe as “weird metal”—not because it is experimental in the conventional sense, but because it takes familiar ingredients and rearranges them into something suitably strange, obscure and difficult to categorize.

There is no reason, however, for the term “weird” to put anyone off. At its core, this is deeply rooted in the old-school heavy metal tradition, drawing from the dark atmosphere of BLACK SABBATH, the guitar-oriented character of THIN LIZZY, the classic heavy metal vocabulary of JUDAS PRIEST and the sinister edge of early MERCYFUL FATE. The influence of the N.W.O.B.H.M. movement can also be felt, particularly in the way the riffs and melodies retain an unmistakably early-80s character.

What makes GHOST TOWER interesting is not any individual influence, but the way they combine them. The resulting sound is atmospheric, slightly eccentric and deliberately unpolished, with a strong underground identity. The album does not attempt to make its traditional metal foundations sound modern or overly polished; instead, it embraces a rougher, almost mysterious character that suits its dark lyrical and musical atmosphere.

For a useful point of reference, listeners might think of releases such as TWISTED TOWER DIRE's The Curse of Twisted Tower Dire or SOLSTICE's New Dark Age. These comparisons are not intended to suggest that GHOST TOWER sound like either band. Rather, they provide an indication of the particular corner of the traditional metal underground in which Curse of the Black Blood operates: obscure, heavy, melodic and deeply connected to the darker side of the genre's past.

And this is one of those records where words can only go so far. Describing every individual ingredient does not fully explain the atmosphere created when they come together. Curse of the Black Blood is an album that benefits considerably from repeated listening, gradually revealing its character rather than making everything immediately obvious. That slightly elusive quality is actually part of its appeal.

The guitar work is one of the album's strongest elements. Matt Preston provides the record with a convincing mixture of traditional heavy metal riffing and more atmospheric lead work, while the occasional keyboard touches add another layer to the haunted atmosphere without dominating the guitars. The instrumental “Midnight Epiphany”, in particular, demonstrates how effectively the band can create mood without relying on vocals.

Ameven's distinctive vocal delivery is another important part of the band's identity. Her performance is unconventional and sometimes deliberately unsettling, fitting the material rather than attempting to impose a conventional heavy metal vocal style upon it. There are moments where the high notes feel less controlled, but this imperfection also contributes to the peculiar character of the album. It is certainly a vocal approach that may require some adjustment, but it becomes increasingly convincing as the record unfolds.

The album itself contains nine tracks and runs for just over 38 minutes. Interestingly, several songs originated on GHOST TOWER's 2008 self-titled demo, including “Red Harvest,” “Sable Beldam,” “Curse of the Black Blood” and “Ghostly Whispers.” For the full-length, these compositions were reworked and, in several cases, retitled, with additional guitar parts and lyrical changes. This gives Curse of the Black Blood the feel of a carefully developed continuation of the band's early underground work rather than a completely isolated debut.

 

The album was released in December 2010 through Evil Coven Records, and its original edition was a CD-R release, an appropriate format for a record so deeply connected with the underground traditional-metal culture of the period. The band came from Bellevue, Nebraska, and their brief original run lasted from 2007 to 2012. They would subsequently release Head of Night in 2012, while a later reissue of that album in 2018 incorporated material from the earlier releases.

Among the songs, “Red Harvest” stands out for its dark melodic character and immediately recognizable riffing, while “Midnight Epiphany” has an almost IRON MAIDEN-meets-SLOUGH FEG quality in its traditional metal construction. “Fate of Beldam” and “Atrocity's Tomb” further demonstrate the band's ability to balance heavy riffs with an eerie, old-world atmosphere.

Curse of the Black Blood is not a record that will necessarily reveal everything during the first spin. Its appeal lies precisely in the fact that it does not fit comfortably into one category and does not attempt to do so. For listeners who appreciate traditional heavy metal with a darker, stranger and more underground character, GHOST TOWER's debut is well worth seeking out.

Recommended tracks: “Red Harvest,” “Midnight Epiphany,” “Fate of Beldam,” “Atrocity's Tomb.”

Nick Parastatidis