On the heels of their devastatingly successful 2022 debut “Scissorgames” which not only blew up my body but also blew my mind (to paraphrase a famous Roxy Ferry lyric about a floating inflatable doll), Ghost of the Machine is back to haunt us once again with a sparkling sophomore album that cleverly nods at fellow Brit legends Galahad ,with a similar title to “Empires Never Last”, must be the sign of the times, what? First off, the artwork from Claudia Caranfa is an upgrade on the previous album’s rather gorgeous cover, and secondly, and perhaps more importantly, no personnel changes at all, as many of the members were involved previously in the merry-go-round of This Winter Machine. Since they have chosen stability, here are the names of the guilty parties: Dual guitarists Scott Owens and Graham Garbett channel their Wishbone Ash/Allman Bros muse, Mark Hagan handles the keyboards and is a complete revelation, the hyper busy vocalist Charlie Bramald is quickly becoming the talk of Progland, while Stuart McAuley on bass interfaces solidly with drumster Andy Milner. The band offers six killer tracks that will be released on March 7, 2025, but I got a greenlight to be the first to review this stunner 😊
The razor-sharp guitars take center stage from the get-go amply supported by the impressive percussive gymnastics of the rhythm section, getting the oil in the engine all revved up. Trilling and thrilling synth blasts inject the sizzle into the groove, as Charlie grasps the microphone with aplomb. “Keepers of the Light” is a forceful awakening that keeps running on all cylinders, a riff fest that will please even the most jaded listener.
Time to briefly reload, and place the foot once again on the accelerator, “The Days That Never Were“reiterates the 6 string tyranny but slyly so, shying into contemplative splendour that permits Charlie to show his soft side for a few moments. This back-and-forth sonic conspiracy plays mind games of emotion and texture, the piano given a wide birth to add to the romance.
The next two tracks form the core of this album in my opinion, as both tracks are in the 12-minute range and clearly seek to impose of dreamier allure. The magnificent “Panopticon” is a highlight track that initially presents a more ethereal feel, where swirling synthesizer colorations amid soaring guitar flights establish a reflective mood to perfection. Out of the blue, the muscle-bound organ and the coarse riffs take over and hurl the arrangement into overdrive, the bass and drum partnership in tow, as Charlie reaches for the anthem-like chorus with ease. The moody piano hypnosis in the mid-section is orgasmic to the nth level, with Charlie crying his soul out for eventual deliverance. The lead guitar soars like a fiery phoenix flying towards the moon, liberated. The final section throttles up the urgency with notable finesse and power, a valiant process that will astound even the most callous observer. ‘Prepare yourself’ for this experience in advance …
The close companion now enters the spotlight, as the spectral “Fall Through Time” maintains the emotional pressure and the cinematographic sheen, as if a sequence in a stage play. The onset is silky smooth until the lyrical guitar pattern sets the score into full motion, blooming into a full-fledged prog piece that has fingerprint hints of IQ all over it’s the evidence. The miraculous piano reappears once again, reigniting the beauty level and thus, giving added ardour to the irresistible pulsation. The real cool part is how the piano decides to offer repetitive and dissonant conflict with the swooping synth motif, an original usage that underlines the rhythmic qualities of the fabled instrument to perfection. The poignant urgency in the vocal and the sobbing guitar add to the drama. Breathtaking piece.
“The One” shifts back into an agitated simplicity, the rumbling bass scavenging like a prowler on the hunt, though I must say that Charlie’s vocal performance is not only off the charts, but also off the altar and flung into the heavens. Mark Hagan gets to radiate on his synthesizers, sending gamma rays into the ether.
Ending on an epic is as prog as one could possibly hope for, and “After the War” certainly advocates a cessation of hostilities. As an amateur military historian who visited many graveyards in Europe in my youth, I was immersed in the notion of the millions of young men senselessly dead, and secure in the knowledge that surely among them were many potential saviours of humanity, in arts, medicine and science, that could have altered our world for the better. This eloquently detailed composition possesses a haunting quality that transcends time and space, the melodicism planted in the divine, a majestic example of music that seeks to heal the wounds, both physical and mental of humanity’s propensity for self-destruction. There is a brighter world in all of our souls, hope remains supreme that one fine day, we can sing together, after all the wars are over. Easily among the top epics of 2025, a classic piece in the making, you all need to hear this !
A thrilling work that will enthrall many aficionados of this style of music. Looking forward to the next one already.
4.5 Collapsed Domains
