Promethium – Bleeding the Ghost
Promethium – Bleeding the Ghost
Load 4 Records
Release Date: 15/09/23
Running Time: 37:05
Review by Paul Hutchings
8/10
They’ve been plying their trade since 2007, have gone through several line-up changes over the years, but on their fifth album, Promethium sound better than ever. Post-pandemic saw long-term members Rossi and Steve Graham depart, with Stu Gordon arriving on drums, along with new singer James Candlin, and guitarist Andy Haworth. They have slotted in neatly alongside Daniel Lovett-Horn and bassist Gentle Ben McFarlane. The result, “Bleeding the Ghost” may be their most accessible and impressive album to date.
There’s a pleasingly retro sound to Promethium’s sound. A traditional metal style that echoes bands of the 1980s but brings the contemporary feel of the current day. Why so many are sniffy about this type of music I don’t know, for it’s as relevant as any other source of metal in my view. Sure, there are plenty of influences that you hear across “Bleeding the Ghost”, but that’s often the case.
Opening with ‘Goat’, the band’s style is evident. The riffs are heavy, the vocals are strong and clean, and the tempo upbeat. In Candlin they have a singer who has the right balance of rough-edged charm to bring the songs to life. In Lovett-Horn and Haworth there is a cohesive unit that ply those delicious double harmonies and twin guitar work that is reminiscent of Maiden, Priest, Saxon and the like.
Few bands have penned an ode to Angela Lansbury, but in ‘Murder She Wrote’ Promethium have done just that (at least I hope they have – otherwise I’m crushed!). This song is one right out of the Disturbed stable, with Candlin’s vocal eerily echoing David Draiman, but I don’t hold that against him for his delivery is spot on.
The album rarely slows, the tracks come thick and fast, and songs like ‘Knives Out’, ‘Priest’, and ‘Manhattan’ all carry enough to have you singing the melodies shortly afterwards. The latter brings a change in tempo that works well enough and follows the expected layout of an album that has its roots in a different time.
This is a band who would be well suited to the Sophie Stage at Bloodstock Open Air, such is the expansive nature of their sound. They may not bring anything new to the table, but this is an album that doesn’t need to be groundbreaking, for Promethium deliver a pleasing slab of heavy metal that does everything you need it to do. Listen to ‘Snakebite’ and tell me that this wouldn’t have you singing along and punching the air. And they end in epic style, ‘My Fate’ bringing a dramatic and unexpected finale.
Overall, “Bleeding the Ghost” is a neatly crafted, produced, and written piece of work that stands alongside the band’s other output with ease. It’s excellently played, and ultimately, well worth a listen if you like your metal modern in style but with an eighties twist.
‘Bleeding the Ghost’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Goat
02. Bleeding the Ghost
03. Priest
04. Murder She Wrote
05. Healing Your Sin
06. Knives Out
07. Manhattan
08. Catfish
09. Snakebite
10. My Fate
LINE-UP:
James Candlin – vocals
Daniel Lovett-Horn – guitars
Andy Haworth – guitars
Gentle Ben McFarlane- bass
Stu Gordon – drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Paul Hutchings and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
