I Am Ghost
Those We Leave Behind
Epitaph
8/10

Discounting the fact that 97% of their fan base has a Nightmare Before Christmas necklace/patch/tattoo, and discounting the fact that they had tens of thousands of MySpace fans before ever playing a show, I Am Ghost have a grasp of musicality that ol’ Steve and the gang often hides behind corny lyrics, ethereal chick vocals, and spooky synth pads. But Steve Ghost used to be a storyboard animator for Tales From The Crypt, so it’s to be expected, yea?

Anyways, well played, well recorded and well produced. Those We Leave Behind is not a far cry from their last record, but it does show a level of growth that is missing from a lot of bands who just keep releasing the same filler material. Grinding lead guitars contrast with a more bombastic rhythm guitar, and the drums are fucking solid. Hot damn, Steve may scream from time to time, but he does this thing that a lot of bands forget about: singing! No shit! There’s actually singing on a release revered by Hot Topic mall punks everywhere.

–Jonathan Yost