Ghostheart Nebula – Blackshift

Ghostheart Nebula
Blackshift
Label: Meuse Music Records
Out: October 17^th, 2024
Playing time: 57:43

Doom/Death Metal is not typical for Italian bands. All the better to hear that Ghostheart Nebula, a band from this southern European country, is indulging in this music. Founded in 2017 in Milan, the capital of the Lombardy region. Despite changing line-ups, several singles, an EP and the debut album “Ascension” (2021) have been released so far. The follow-up “Blackshift” will be published in October.

The almost two-minute-long intro has the cryptic name “VdB 141 IC 1805”. You can hear a synth fade in. Gradually, it becomes more powerful, leading seamlessly into the first song “Sunya”. And it immediately becomes really powerful. Angry growls dominate. Later on, you can enjoy the ethereal vocals of Lucia Amelia Emmanueli. Partly alone, partly as a duet with Maurizio Caverzan. After the song is initially slowed down considerably, the drums later increase the tempo. There is a strong guitar solo in the second part. “The Opal Tide” starts with synths and clean guitar sounds. Once again, Lucia’s beguiling vocals sound from the speakers. The synth carpets continue to dominate the very calm song. As soon as Maurizio’s growls kick in, the sound becomes more powerful again without abandoning the calm and gloomy mood. In contrast, “Naught, I” is quite fast. The riffs from the lower-pitched guitars are the main reason for this. And the abysmally evil growls. “Infinite Mirror” starts with spherical synth sounds. Then you can hear more sustained Doom Metal, with the interplay of “Beauty and the Beast”. Apart from the intro, the title track “Blackshift” is the shortest song on the album. After a quiet start with guitars and electric piano, you hear a spoken word passage. But you don’t have to wait long before the entire rhythm section provides a powerful underpinning for the growls. Towards the end, double bass attacks ensure a comparatively high tempo. The album closes with the nine-and-a-half-minute epi “Traces” and “Orphan Of Light”. Once again, keyboard carpets and clean guitars can be heard. Alternating with calm but powerful instrumental passages, evil growls and elf-like vocals. The final song almost tends towards Epic Doom Metal.

The accompanying letter to this album demo draws a comparison to Draconian. However, Funeral Doom can be heard in parts. The comparison to Aeonian Sorrow comes to mind. In my opinion, “Blackshift” is a great piece of decelerated Doom Metal. Ghostheart Nebula celebrate this to perfection. A word about the excellent album cover. Fittingly, it was created by former Draconian frontwoman Heike Langhans.

Ghostheart Nebula – Sunya [Official Lyric Video]: https://youtu.be/D0pAnXbYMcA?si=2M-bjh6Sf1-XkaIM

Lineup:

Lucia Amelia Emmanueli – Vocals
Maurizio Caverzan – Vocals
Panta Leo aka Federico Leone – Drums
Aron Corti – Guitars
Nick Magister aka Nicola Magistro – Guitars/Synths
Bolthorn aka Giovanni Feroldi – Bass

Track list:

• VdB 141 IC 1805
• Sunya
• The Opal Tide
• Naught, I
• Infinite Mirror
• Blackshift
• Traces
• Orphan Of Light