2024-03-19 08:00:51
(c) Benjamin Klose, BK Productions
At the end of 2020, Sebastian “Sushi” Bieler got in touch with his new project Goat kid to album length and packed everything he was up for into this record – hardcore and metalcore, trap beats, industrial releases, dark pop and nu metal were among the most important ingredients. The line-up has been expanded in the meantime, the visual presentation can now keep up with the music, and the sound has also been skillfully expanded. „Hollywood Suicide“ paints a picture of an artist making his way out of the rubble of his own career and hoping for a new tomorrow.
The elegiac, eerie closing track “Helena Drive” sums up this fatalistic mission with its delicate spark of hope – a catchy rock anthem with semi-balladic undertones, extremely catchy but also unreal, just as life can be in the face of the oversized letters . Tracks like “Black Cloud”, on the other hand, you listen to with courage and find great joy in it. Brutal verses, sing-along chorus – the classic metalcore features are fun, especially since Ghøstkid put their own stamp on the proceedings. What already worked on the debut is even more effective here: the quintet pulls its own punches very consistently.
But not only that, even the wildest musical leaps now harmonize much better. The opening title song “Hollywood Suicide” has powerful rave traits in it, only to unpack the wrecking ball in the next moment before ominous melodies take over. A few doors down, “FSU” jumps in your face with the next powerful chorus, rough breakdowns and Beatesque interludes. The ghostly gothic ballad “Valerie” breaks completely with the action, but still fits this record like a glove – unreal, washed out, addictive. The fact that “Black Cloud” is followed by the next mix of hardcore, nu, pop and rock with a huge chorus fits the picture.
The sound grows and comes together even better: What already worked well on the first album, despite being patchy, is now really fun. “Hollywood Suicide” remains experimental, slightly broken and sophisticated, but at the same time has even better, more gripping songs up its sleeve. Ghøstkid shine with stronger songwriting and an excellent overall impression. The mix on this second album is right, sometimes leads you on the wrong track and yet always and inevitably catches your ear – a really good, really gripping, really beautifully unorthodox affair from start to finish.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: March 22, 2024
Available via: Century Media (Sony Music)
Website: www.ghost-kid.de
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ghostkidofficial
Category: Magazin, Reviews
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