Generation.On.Dope – ‘Ghosts’

Generation.On.Dope, or G.o.D, trace their roots back a decade, to the Italian sleaze rock outfit Razzle Dazzle, who were starting to make a bit of a name for themselves outside their homeland until the untimely death of bassist Mario Gilardengo forced the band to re-evaluate themselves and start all over again, re-emerging in 2009 with a promising and under-rated self-titled opus, which defiantly hinted at a lot more to come.

Three years down the line – they’re not one to rush into things, these boys – and this sophomore album goes a large step towards helping to fulfil that initial promise, albeit in a still flawed manner.

The album opens with the appropriately accusatory ‘J’Accuse!’, with Simone Zuccherini almost whispering his simple, challenging commentary over an equally simple clicking drum and basic effect, before the track kicks into its hardcore “today we rise again” chantalong finale, which melds neatly into the ‘The Jackals’, which picks up the same refrain.

It is at this point that you could be forgiven for thinking that ‘Ghosts’ is just another of those dreaded nu-metalcore offerings – expecially as ‘Exit Strategy’ sounds like a second rate Papa Roach.  But, it’s worth perservering, as there is a lot more to the album…

For a start, there are some wonderfully contrast interludes.  For every mediocre metalcore meltdown, such ‘Exit Strategy’ and ‘Am I The Sun’, there are weird little experiments such as ‘(I Called You) Misery’, with its dense, venomous  bass riff, soaring guitar solo and stunning vocal performance, and ‘The Longest Day’, a swaggering eastern European-infused folk melody, both very much in the vein of Gogol Bordello, or the acoustic reprise of the title track, which is actually much better than the shouty main version.

 

It all sounds like it should be an unholy mess, but somehow it works.  Well partially.

[5/10]

Track list:

1. J’Accuse!
2. The Jackals
3. Exit Strategy
4. (I Called You) Misery
5. Am I The Sun
6. Take Two
7. Ghosts
8. Burn
9. Statement
10. The Longest Day
11. Ghosts (Reprise)
12. Plan B

‘Ghosts’ is out now on FutureBeat:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghosts/dp/B00AEBCOMM/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1355310695&sr=1-1-catcorr

http://www.generationondope.com/