Review: “Bring Me Suffering” by Chasing Ghosts

The importance of getting the full potential from your material by getting the right person to do the mixing and mastering is something that is not lost of Milton Keynes based Melodic Metallers Chasing Ghosts. The quartet who comprise Lee Brueton (Songwriter, Bass, Synths), Ashley Clark (Rhythm Guitar), Rich Still (Drums) Harry Mitten (Lead Guitar) and Nelson Cancini (Vocals) have pulled out all the stops and got Jaime Gomez Arellano (Myrkur, Paradise Lost, Ghost) on board for their new EP “Bring Me Suffering“. But that’s not all. In order to introduce a vocal harmony approach, they have the talents of Meghan Pettitt (ex-The Eden House) on every track as a guest. The release is the follow up to their 2018 debut full length “These Hollow Gods“, critically acclaimed by Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Kerrang! Magazines when it first appeared. The album is one what is born of a passion to create dark and melodic music and is both an immersive and incandescent journey through torment in cathartic writings.

There may only be a trio of tracks on “Bring Me Suffering” but don’t let that fool you into thinking you’re not getting your moneys worth as with a run time of over 17 minutes and lyrics as deep as the Mariana trench, it’s a breath taking moment. Cancini has a sombre vocal style that is reminiscent of the dearly departed and much loved Peter Steele from Type-O-Negative or even perhaps Nick Cave and brings a sense of macabre to everything they touch upon. Haunting synths bring in “Until The End” with a Gothic moment that is built upon by the eerie female vocals in the background before the final verse. Mid tempo guitars keep the atmosphere going throughout with subtle nuances leaving an achingly beautiful melancholia in their wake. Adding orchestral work to “A Darker Place” which is very much a union of haunting female harmonies and natural somber strings adds extra depth and texture to a well crafted and developed tale of woe. The intertwining and overlapping of the vocals is what makes them work so wonderfully well, avoiding the trappings of a turn based approach and instead giving the male and female sound contrast and complexity. The thought that has gone into the nuances within the folds of this trio of tunes is what makes it something special and having Jaime Gomez Arellano mixing the EP has meant that those little touches appear all the more powerful. “Bring Me Suffering” sees the beautiful voice of former The Eden House vocalist Meghan Pettitt join Nelson Cancini (as she does throughout) and the pair use delicately balanced parts to bring home the sorrowful tale of fragility in the lyrics which stir up raw emotion against a soundscape of cinematic quality [8/10]

Track listing

1. Until The End
2. A Darker Place
3. Bring Me Suffering

Bring Me Suffering” by Chasing Ghosts is out 12th June. You can pre-save the EP here

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