Singles Roundup: Ghost, Bruce Springsteen, Katatonia, & Volbeat

Will new songs change my mood, or will I continue my stream of disappointment? Let's find out.

Ghost - Lachryma

Let's face facts; Ghost is cheesy. That's actually a good thing, by the way. The only problem with it is that there are times when Ghost seems to shun that side of their identity, which is what happened on their last record, and the first single for this upcoming one. Ghost is tongue-in-cheek, not scary. When they try to get too dark, or too heavy, it ruins the illusion.

Lucky for us, single number two rights the ship. It isn't quite a "Dance Macabre" style banger, but it takes a riff in the style of "Cirice", a guitar tone off their first record, and pairs that with a sing-along full of cheese. Sure, the buildup can be a bit dragged-out, but the payoff is generally worth it, and the harmonized guitar solo is exactly the kind of detail that elevates Ghost above all the bands who have tried to copy them. Ghost delivered some Ghostly fun on this one.

Bruce Springsteen - Rain In The River

After years of speculation, Bruce is releasing a collection of seven unreleased albums that sat on the shelf for various reasons. The first track to see the light of day might explain some of why these records didn't get releases beforehand. There's nothing wrong with this song, but there's also nothing of note about it. Bruce strains himself to sing as hard as he possibly can, but the melody drones on the same cadance throughout the whole thing, with little variation, and no instrumental hook from the backing band to break things up. It's four minutes of the same boring bit of music, and not at all the sort of song that would show us there is a wealth of greatness to be found across those seven records. If this is how they chose to sell them, I'm afraid of what else the rest contains.

Katatonia - Lilac

In unexpected news, there is a new Katatonia on the schedule at the same time we are finding out the band's longest-lasting musical partnership has ended. Jonas Renske has already written the last couple of albums, so not much should change. This first song is definitely a continuation of what Katatonia has bene doing recently, but with a slight shift. "Sky Void Of Stars" was AOTY for adding in more energy than usual, which this song pulls back on. The angular guitars and somber tones are the same, but the melody doesn't get pushed to shine. If anything, this song is highly reminiscent of the weakest song on "Sky Void Of Stars", which doesn't make it the best selling point.

Volbeat - In The Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan's Spawn In A Dying World Of Doom

I'm calling it; Volbeat is played out. I've noticed their penchant for re-writing old songs, and the first single for this record was a classic case of illogical songwriting (which I explained in a previous column). The very title of this song screams with 'edgelord' energy, and I want no part of it. Thankfully, it isn't a good song, so I don't have to worry about cognitive dissonance. It starts out as a re-write of "Sad Man's Tongue" (yet again), and then shifts into a bland metal groove that never features a worthwhile hook. After the bit we've already heard, the 'new' material is utterly forgettable. In fact, the title is far more interesting than the song, because at least you have to think to type it correctly. The music doesn't give me anything to think about at all.