Now, let's get started with the band members. The lead singer can really belt it. He has a good voice, a little whiny but it doesn't get in the way, and he seems to have a really good range and reminds me most of.....well I can't actually put my finger on who he sounds like (if anyone), so you guys will have to let me know. I really like the guitarists in this band, they do a great job of driving the music with melody and harmony lines creating some really cool sounds and sometimes really pushing the envelope. From what I've been able to tell, the lead guitar play is actually a pretty good soloist, too. He doesn't do anything incredibly out of the ordinary, but he does manage to hold it down. Next, the bass player seems pretty good, he doesn't seem to do anything really special in his playing either. Generally, he is just following the guitars and holding down the chords, but I think this is because of the genre and thus I cannot really fault him for it. That being said, he and the drummer do a good job of staying together and staying on top of the beat, and therefore, keeping the band together. The drummer throws down some pretty cool rhythms, I like his sparing use of the double bass as well as his use of the bell on the cymbal which adds some edge to his playing. Overall, I think the band comes together really well; especially on recordings where their sound is well blended and very well thought out.
Now, onto their live performances. As far as the overall energy, they do a great job. They jump around a lot, head bang, etc. and look like they are having a lot of fun out there on the stage. They could of course, still do more, although they already do more throughout their performances than most of the bands that I have reviewed so far. My main issue is with their sound on stage, although their music is still very good. The way they seem to balance the instruments during sound check is different from the studio and thus I feel they lose a little bit of what I liked so much about their studio albums. I'm not sure if this is their doing, or whichever klutz is working sound at the places they play, but I would suggest that they do a more meticulous check. Regardless, they still are obviously having a lot of fun on stage and the music is still there so I would DEFINITELY see this band live, I guarantee it would be an awesome show!
Yet again we find ourselves at the end of a review, so its time for the grade. I must restate that I generally am not a huge fan of this genre; however, if there is any band to like it is Living Like Ghosts for sure. They have a very good vocalist, some sweet guitars, a really good drummer, and a solid bass player...what more could a music lover want? They also obviously work well together to write some pretty solid music. Their live show also looks like it could be a ton of fun and although their live sound needs a little work, I'm sure they can get there and make a must see show. So now it is time for the grade, I guess on the 10 scale (per usual) I would have to give them an 8 and maybe an 8.5 if they get their live sound working better. I almost guarantee that this band will be signed in not too long so CHECK THEM OUT: http://livinglikeghosts.com/, http://www.facebook.com/livinglikeghosts, http://www.myspace.com/livinglikeghosts, http://www.reverbnation.com/livinglikeghosts. Links to their albums are provided on the right under the Band CDs and Downloads section and don't forget to either follow Mac's Music Blog on blogspot or like us on facebook (click there or the like button in the top left). Finally, please donate any amount helps! Keep reading and keep listening!
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