Stabbing Westward : "Chasing Ghosts"

 

Not the hugest fan of these guys in the 90s though I did really like the first two album and appreciated how the singer sounded like Paul Stanley when he went into his upper register, then he really only sounded like Paul Stanley singing in Pauls middle register if you are keeping score at home with Kiss as a barometer. I went into this with low expectations and was surprised by the opener. I think the key selling point here for me is how well is voice has held up.  The singer and keyboardist who are the founding members are the only original members but since they are the first two everyone else was along for a paycheck anyways. Carlton from Deadsy is also plays for Berlin and Orgy is along for the paycheck this time around. The second song works more on the bands tried and true formula and doesn't sound as inspired as the first song to me. I mean it passes, but they are going to need to bring it a little harder to sell me on a whole album of this. 

There is a more Orgy like new wave feel to "Cold". Stabbing Westward were in many ways the precursor to nu-metal and are here to remind you of that fact. I prefer the emotional shift to a darker place on "Push'.  I am also reminded of the fact that these guys are what it would have been like if Depeche Mode were also really into Kiss in the 90s.  The pulse of "Wasteland" is very much true to what this band does and midway into the album I think most of their fans are going to appreciate this return to form for them. The synths are more aggressive than I remember them being, in their hey day. There is a similar formula from back in those days very brooding emotive verse to bigger rock out on the chorus. It works for "Control Z" but I hope the band does not go to this well too many times. 

The dramatic power ballad "Crawl" has more in common with Depeche Mode than Nine Inch Nails. They were always ore rock n roll than industrial, but 90s industrial fans who were not too into the more Front 242 side of the genre also were into them. They continue to romance the stone with the overly dramatic atmosphere on "Dead and Gone" that is somewhat cheesy yet teeters enough for it to still work, though the production is perhaps to clean.  The guitars could all stand to be placed more powerfully in the mix. With "Ghost" the electronic elements help give the groove more forward momentum This gives the song the boost it needs. Sadly the album ends a bit more limply with the over wrought ballad "the End". But it the only total misstep on the album , the other more pretentious moments work despite the drama. This album is much better than what I expected from them, will give this a 9.