Spirit Adrift : " Ghost at the Gallows"

Spirit Adrift continues to be pretty consistent in terms of songwriting. Their newest album finds their final form taking on more of a traditional metal role. The first song is more soulful and melodic, while the energy fire up for the 70s-tinged swagger of "Barn Burner". There are plenty of chugs to appease metal fans despite a more Thin Lizzy-like mood beginning to creep in. This can also be heard in bands like Mastodon and Baroness, whose Spirit Adrift sounds to be taking a place next to the upper tiers of modern hard rock. They have certainly stepped up the level of guitar heroics .However when they try to take things up to a Judas Priest-like tempo on "The Hang Mans Revenge" it does not play to their strength. 

The ballad "These Two Hands " is not what I was expecting from them. They do not crank it up until half way into the song. There is some great guitar playing on this song. I prefer what they were doing on the first two songs, but welcome any forays into melody a band like this embarks on. The grooving heft of "Death Won't Stop Me" works well and finds the band back in the sweet spot blending organic 70s hard rock vibes with modern metal muscle. The vocal lines also reach back to a time when heavy music was also memorable in its anthemic glory. 

The riff to "I Shall Return" reminds me a little of solo Ozzy, as it smoothly races along with the drums. Garretts vocals are a throaty baritone, but vocal melodies are not unlike what Ozzy might do just an octave lower. Similar could be said of Mastodon's vocals choices in recent years, which speaks more to how influential Ozzy is even outside of Black Sabbath. There is more of a metallic edge to "Siren of the South" which employs a variety of chugged accents to counter balance some of the more melodically nuanced guitar . The drummer really proves himself on this song as well. The title track closes the album, it another one with more drive though less than the previous song, however more melodic than most metal these days so that goes a long way. I will give this album an 8.5, not the most original thing I have heard but will break them into a larder audience without these guys selling out.