Love Ghost – “Dead Brother”- a fresh new synthesis!

L.A. based rock band Love Ghost, are back with a brand new single entitled “Dead Brother” (release date January 24th). The accompanying music video (which was shot by Rob Zombie’s camera operator Hassan Abdul-Wahid, and directed by acclaimed horror actor Jeff Daniel Phillips) has already won Best Music Video awards at 3 international film festivals. Dark. Theatrical. Ambitious. These are the words that immediately come to mind when describing Love Ghost’s newest release, and they’re the words that make it so unique in their discography. “Dead Brother” takes the quintet’s tried-and-true sound and offers a more complex and DARKER take on it, as well as some aggressive riff passages that keep the intensity going.

While this isn’t the first time the band have delivered on the technical end, it was never delivered with such potency or meaning. What we’re listening to is a full-fledged rock experience revolving around the elements of horror, psychological terror, and the evident conduct that creates violent behavior.

And when exploring these thought-provoking themes, Finnegan Bell (guitar and lead vocals), Ryan Stevens (bass and background vocals), Samson Young (drums and background vocals), Nicky Renard (lead guitar) and Cory Batchler (keyboards), sound revitalized and full of vibrancy.

Whether it’s the elaborate orchestrations, the aggressive-yet-melodic hard rock stylings, or the traditional anthemic choruses, Love Ghost manage to incorporate the genre’s past incarnations into a fresh new synthesis. And, as someone who’s waited for this band to go heavier and darker, I can’t tell you how excited I am that they’ve fully embraced this approach.

It’s not just expressed in terms of complexity or technicality, either. Perhaps the best thing about “Dead Brother” is that it provides listeners with an audio-visual approach to music, in which the lyrics and musical atmosphere match up frighteningly beautiful.

Starting with a fantastic, chugging melodic buildup before giving us some heavy riffage to chew on throughout the majority of the song, it’s hard not to get goosebumps when singer-songwriter Finnegan Bell chillingly emotes so well throughout each verse. “I killed my brother last night. I stabbed him twice with a knife,” is only the start of the gory story.

The track gets deeper into its powerful-like moments as it progresses. There’s a giant of an arrangement here, and it’s filled with wonderful instrumentation and direction. The intensity, the theatrical sound, the lyrics, the entire concept is impressive. It’s catchy enough to appeal to people that aren’t into rock, yet it still has all of the elements that rock fans love.

Ryan Stevens is a pretty skilled bass player, and the song gives him plenty of room to show off his talent, alongside drummer Samson Young who keeps the beat mesmerizingly sinister. This majestic piece of work has been further beefed up by Cory Batchler’s atmospheric keyboards, and Nicky Renard’s ringing guitar work.

But then this should be no surprise from a band that has opened for Buckcherry, Berlin, Smash Mouth, The Young Dubliners, The Tubes, Fuel, and Irish singer-songwriter Mundy. Not to mention the fact that Love Ghost are currently working on a new album with legendary producer Danny Saber (The Rolling Stones, U2, David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, etc.).

“Dead Brother” is an absolute must for any die-hard Love Ghost fan, or the perfect launching platform for anyone who is curious about this band but have not yet dipped their toes. This is a stunning work. In fact, it is the best thing the band has produced. Musically, it entertains on a higher level.