Ghost on Mars – Out of Time and Space

Fresh out of Rome comes a new band with their debut album; ”Out of Time and Space.” Combining dark and melancholic atmospheres with metal traditions, they go by the name of Ghost on Mars. I imagine they took their moniker from John Carpenter’s film, given that their songs are also based on films. They have drawn inspiration from the movies and stories in the genres of science fiction and horror. Including, to name a few; The Mist, They Live, The Revenant, I Robot, and Arrival.

There is bound to be plenty of other works from these genres for them to base future songs on. This is enhanced by the talents of artist Simon Bossert who produced the wonderful cover art. These elements combined equate to a winning formula which should stand them in good stead for the future.

There are no prizes for guessing which of those movies the opening track ‘Beyond the Mist’ is about. The Italian quintet have chosen to start with the longest song on the album at over 7 minutes. After a slow subdued intro, the full style of the band is revealed. It’s punchy and melodic with flashes of aggression and slower passages. The solos and hook lines are the icing on the cake bringing sweet pleasure.

Occasionally some harsher vocals make an appearance, clashing with the soaring cleaner ones. This is the case in ‘Quarantine’ which despite this, is mainly melodic and catchy with driving riffs plus a great guitar lead-break. So, just 13 minutes into this fine album and I’m well and truly hooked.

Somebody in this band is obviously a fan of films by John Carpenter. His 1988 movie They Live has surely inspired the track ‘They.’ Listen out for the blistering guitar solo around the four-minute mark in the video below. The story is told in graphic novel format, which is both entertaining, and very enjoyable.

There are clearly high standards at play when it comes to making videos for their songs. The first one which was released for the track ‘Carbon Skin’ shows this in abundance. There’s no miming awkwardly in an old quarry for these guys. The clever use of digital effects suits the number perfectly making for a great audio-visual experience.

We are treated to some of singer Moreno Sangermano’s tenderest vocals in ‘Nocturnal.’ This comes in after a long intro into what is one of the shortest tracks. The tune running through the song is a bit of an earworm and there’s another beautiful guitar solo from Andrea Mataloni.

I don’ t know whether ‘That Time we saw the Moon’ and ‘Under a Crescent Moon’ are connected. It feels like they should be even though they are chalk and cheese. The former being the heavier of the two with complex riffs driving it forward relentlessly. The latter is much softer and melodic even when the intensity increases. These two songs stand out as being a bit different from the rest of the album, highlighting the variety in the material.

I must admit, The Revenant is one of my all-time favourite films and the band obviously think the same way. If I’m not mistaken, they have dedicated two tracks to the movie. Firstly ‘Back from the Dead’ which is suitably dark and menacing and could almost be part of the soundtrack of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s masterpiece. This is followed by the second track that I believe relates to the movie. As I absorbed the haunting anguished atmosphere of ‘Back to Life,’ I found myself comparing it to Crimson Glory’s track ‘Lost Reflection.’ It has a similar feel to it, but this track also has a slow simmering guitar solo added to the eerie mix. This sets it aside from most of the other material on the album.

A similar laid-back feel leads you into the final song, but ‘Lost Signal’ soon erupts into a typically lively number. This is a strong feelgood finale to a fantastic album and it is on repeat, because I need to play it all again.

The full album is available to stream on YouTube:

Well, what can I say? This is a stunner of a debut album. I can’t help thinking that these guys are perfect for festivals such as Progpower Europe. I would certainly welcome a chance to see them live. What have the Romans ever done for us? Need you ask? It goes without saying that I am looking forward very much to future works from them.

Track Listing:

1. Beyond the Mist
2. Quarantine
3. They
4. Carbon Skin
5. Nocturnal
6. That Time I Saw the Moon
7. Under a Crescent Moon
8. Back from the Dead
9. Back to Life
10. Lost Signal