Ghost Dance – The Silent Shout (Album – Voltage Records)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Rock, Dark-Wave.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.
Background/Info: “The Silent Shout” stands for the return of legendary 80s Dark-Wave / post-Punk formation Ghost Dance. Originally set up by Gary Marx (ex-Sisters Of Mercy) and Anne-Marie Hurst (ex-Skeletal Family) the band unleashed the album “Stop The World” in 1989 on Chrysalis. The band’s split came after this album while thirty years later (2019) Anne-Marie Hurst reactivated the band with new members Tim Walker (guitar), Stephen Derrig (guitar), Phil Noble (bass), and Dave Wood (drums). Four years later we got the long-awaited second full length of Ghost Dance featuring ten songs. The work features eight new songs and two previously unreleased cuts written by Gary Marx.
Content: Ghost Dance sounds different than 30 years ago and that’s easily understandable. Anne-Marie’s voice is more mature although holding on this raw expression she’d in the 80s. Different musicians are logically transposing the band into a different sound and dimension although still connected with the early stuff. It all becomes more Dark-Rock driven while there’re also a few ballads featured.
+ + + : It’s good to see Ghost Dance back on track which are also performing live again. I’ve always been a huge lover of The Skeletal Family and that was partly because of Hurst’s raw timbre of voice. Her timbre of voice is still recognizable. She still has this charisma but she sounds more mature and comfortable in her way of singing, it became more ‘natural’. Sound-wise the work brings a connection between the early years and contemporary Dark-Rock/Wave music. Both songs originally penned by Gary Marx still feature the good-old 80s spirit although it’s also true for “Jessamine”. The last part of the opus definitely sounds as the best part while featuring the best cut entitled “Falling Dawn”. This is a great and carrying piece of music showing the band at its best.
– – – : I can’t say the debut part is disappointing but just less persuasive. It took me a few songs before I got really convinced by some cool songs.
Conclusion: It’s just great to see this legendary formation back on track. Ghost Dance definitely belongs to the history of Dark-Wave and Post-Punk music.
Best songs: “Falling Dawn”, “After The Rain”, “It Rains”, “Jessamine”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100037905976036
Label: www.voltagerecords.com / www.facebook.com/voltagerecords1
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.
Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
The donations are safely powered by Paypal.
