The Five Hundred – Ghostwriter

I once wrote that I hadn’t finished with The Five Hundred. What I meant by that was I needed to experience more from this (to me) local band. It’s been around 3 ½ years since I reviewed their last album ‘A World on Fire’, so news of a new album was very welcome. Indeed this, their third album entitled “Ghostwriter” is said to be their most ambitious and chilling work to date. After a few full plays I can vouch for that and in my opinion, it is their most diverse and best release yet.

Inviting guests to sing/play on albums is not uncommon and there are four extra vocalists appearing on this one. Up first and on the opening track is Mirza Radonjica from Danish band Siamese. He adds some powerful cleans to ‘The Death of all we Know’ working in perfect harmony with vocalist John Eley. The result is an excellent start to the album that sets the tone for what is to come. It brings anticipation of complex, diverse material that will sometimes be intense and sometimes not.

The second track, ‘Rainmaker,’ features Aaron Matt from French deathcore band Ten56. His vocals bring a raw intensity that perfectly complement the band’s ferocious energy. There’s an industrial element to the track but it is overridingly mellow with a memorable chorus.

A short instrumental track bridges the gap before the next full song, providing a brief breather. By the time you realise it, the 32 seconds of ‘Ruin’ has merged into ‘New World’. Here, an atmospheric intro soon explodes into a hard hitting, fast paced onslaught. The chorus is a different beast between these intense assaults, bringing a softer, melodic, but still powerful feel to the number.

I used to think of The Five Hundred as an out and out metalcore band, but no longer. That element is still present in abundance, but there is so much more going now. For the first half of ‘In the Dark’ there are sporadic heavy bouts for the choruses but it’s all clean singing. There’s one short section in the second half that is much fiercer but otherwise the song is melodious and dynamic.

The guest involvement continues with Charlie Rolfe from As Everything Unfolds on ‘Dragged Out,’ where her dynamic range and emotional delivery elevate the song to new heights. Her contribution comes in the second half following a salvo of bludgeoning chords.

One track stands out from the rest for its emotion and sensitivity. ‘Bodies’ is the slowest and softest song on the album, and I can’t help but wonder if there is a personal story behind it. War or memory of it seems to be the subject manner and this gentle song allows a pause for thought. Finishing this middle section of the album ‘Empty Hope’ delivers a pleasant progressive metal anthem with a sting in its tail.

Another short interval in the form of ’20 Days’ transitions the album into its last quarter. Although instrumental, it is overlaid with spoken words in what I assume is Russian. Joining the dots doesn’t always work, but I suspect this is based on the award-winning 20 Days in Mariupol, a film set in Ukraine.

Leading the way in the final quarter, ‘Echoes’ is a fiercer metalcore song with a softer catchy chorus. The driving, complex riffs and mini blast beats are sublime, but the track is over too quickly after only three minutes. Solution, play it again Sam.

Justin Hill ex of SiKth is the last of the guest appearances. His part on ‘Chaos Sermon’ is a wild addition, enhancing this penultimate song in the album’s journey. Unfortunately, all journeys must come to an end, but this one finishes on a high. The band throws everything at their disposal into ‘Where is our Humanity’. Everything that is, from mellow sincerity to intense abandon all backed by diversity and complexity.

So, this little beat combo from Nottingham has produced a splendid album. Hats off to John Eley on vocals, guitarists Mark Byrne and Paul Doughty, Andy Crawford on Bass and drummer Kelsey James for an excellent job. 

Photo Credit – Shaun Hodson

One of the reasons I consider this album to be so good is that it requires some exploration to realise the amount of creativity. It soon becomes clear that this is evident in every track. The band’s ability to blend different styles and experiment with their sound has truly paid off. From haunting melodies to aggressive riffs, the album offers a varied range of emotions and sonic landscapes.

Each guest artist brings their unique style and expertise to the table, making “Ghostwriter” a collaborative masterpiece. It’s an album that showcases The Five Hundred’s willingness to push boundaries and explore new musical territories. I’m sure they must be very happy with the results of their hard work. Hopefully this will inspire them to evolve even further and I for one can’t wait to see where this exciting band goes next. Dare I say an early contender for my album of the year?

Track List:

1. The Death of all we Know
2. Rainmaker
3. Ruin
4. New World
5. In the Dark
6. Dragged Out
7. Bodies
8. Empty Hope
9. 20 Days
10. Echoes
11. Chaos Sermo
12. Where is our Humanity?