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3 - The Ghost You Gave to Me CD (album) cover

THE GHOST YOU GAVE TO ME

3

 

Crossover Prog

3.45 | 60 ratings

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memowakeman
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Nice modern prog!

There are some bands whose sound may be easily linked with both, progressive and alternative rock, giving as a result music that might also be loved by the fans of those two genres; I believe it happens with 3 (Three), a USA band whose new album entitled "The Ghost You Gave To Me" has just been released through Metal Blade Records; an album that consists on twelve songs that together make a total time of 52 minutes. It opens with "Sirenum Scopuli", a one-minute introductory track with a mellow sound, acoustic guitar and vocals. It leads to "React" which is a song I fell in love since the first time I listened to it. The voice caught my attention and now I can say I like it a lot, the guitar sound is great (acoustic and electric), and I also like the effects, don't really know if made by synthesizers, but they put great atmospheres. The song may be catchy and easy to sing, I truly enjoy doing so.

"Sparrow" starts heavier (without being metal) and later slows down. I started saying that their sound may appeal to prog and alt rock fans, but I believe some metal fans could also like the band and this album, and this song is a nice example due to its variation in moods and styles. "High Times" connects nice guitar figures with a great voice (I once again highlight the effects). The structure is very good, the drummer plays his instrument really well, creating several sounds and exploding the drums at its best. Though I don't think it would be their goal, I would easily put this track as a radio-hit.

"Numbers" has some kind of suspense feeling at the beginning, but it later explodes and becomes heavier. The structure is repeated until minute two where a moment with short guitar riffs appear, but later the chorus returns. However, the last minutes are the best part of the song, due to the increased intensity and the powerful feeling they implement. "One with the Sun" is one of the longest track here, and it is mellower, softer than the previous ones. Here the composition is really good, well-crafted and intelligently arranged, a clear example of the great compositional skill of the band, though I admit this is by no means my favorite track.

"The Ghost You Gave To Me" has dynamism in its structure, with that cool sound prog-alt- metal that predominates in 3's music. Here what I like the most are the voices, and the guitar work. "Pretty" seems to be a heavier track but it actually slows down really soon and maintains a mid-tempo rhythm with some pauses, though in the chorus it is faster (and really catchy).

"Afterglow" is my least favorite track of the album, I don't really like it. Don't really know how to explain it, but I feel this particular song may be loved by the simplest kid on the block, due to its over-catchy sound and those friendly rhythms, though in the last minutes the drummer makes a good work. "It's Alive" is a much better song in every sense: compositional, executional, emotional, etc. I love the changes in rhythm and mood and how it is calm and all of a sudden it explodes.

"Only Child" is the longest track here and without a doubt one of their finest compositions. Since the first seconds we can notice the complexity of the strings and the accompaniment of drums and voice. It is a charming track in the first two minutes and a half, because it later changes and puts a darker atmosphere which will not abandon the song until the very end. The ambient is tense and in moments baffling; the song becomes even more ambitious just before the fourth minute, the musicianship is great and the faster rhythms wonderful; the addition of keyboards is also great. This song is worth the whole album, it is impressive.

And the album finishes with "The Barrier" which is a much calmer track that contrasts with the explosion of the previous one; in this song there is a mellow sound that announces the end, so it seems the band is saying goodbye.

The album is good without a doubt, with its highs and lows, but solid after all, however their style is not really my main attraction, and it evidently is not a masterpiece, so my final grade will be three (pun intended) stars.

Enjoy it!

memowakeman | 3/5 |

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