Reviews list for Ghost Inside, The - Dear Youth (2014)

As time goes by and The Ghost Inside look back at what they've done and how to improve from there, they know how to stabilize the history of their screaming metalcore sound and Dear Youth is the perfect next chapter. They have reflective moments to add to the emotional energy of the songs in this album that are all true anthems. They learned from the past and paved their path to victory in what might just be their best work yet!

You can sing and scream along to these inspiring riff-tastic tunes as Dear Youth shows the band tearing down the walls of modern metalcore. With all this rage, emotion, and motivation, they're already at the top of the mountain mentioned in my review for their previous album.

"Avalanche" has some of the most blazing fire in modern metalcore, already showing that Dear Youth is a solid step up from Get What You Give, and the band would stay in that path for their self-titled comeback album. "Move Me" continues the scream-along lyrics with a more philosophical theme. The melodic yet drilling riffing of "Out of Control" fits well with more of those inspirational lyrics for the defiant hardcore kids. Pounding through the crowd is "With the Wolves", another big invincible anthem.

"Mercy" is an intense highlight that pays homage to Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" in both the atmospheric bell intro and Vigil's subsequent bellow of "FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS!!!" Then "Phoenix Flame" takes the atmospheric direction much further as the band's first ever slow string-filled metalcore ballad. Still we have defiant lines like "It’s a long fall from the top, can you stand it?" The somewhat title track "Dear Youth (Day 52)" is a mega mood-fitting song for me to love, with some similarities to Crystal Lake, especially the vocals. From the 2-and-a-half-minute-mark onward is an epic breakdown until the ending fade.

We have a guest appearance by Jason Butler (Letlive, Fever 333) in "Wide Eyed" with fantastic rapping/singing that are pulled off as smoothly as Vigil's shouts. "Your prying hands can’t lift that chip off your shoulder." Following this is the gang vocal-infused "My Endnote" with groove-ish riff punches. "The Other Half" once again has a unique mix of heaviness and ambience. Finale "Blank Pages" brilliantly summarizes the album with a reprise of the opening lyrics of the first track.

What an absolutely astonishing album this is! Everything turned out well in Dear Youth when adding variation that was missing from previous albums. It marked an exciting new chapter that was sadly halted the following year by a horrific tour bus crash that threatened the band's lives and career. Even then, they stand strong with all their might!

Favorites: "Avalanche", "With the Wolves", "Mercy", "Dear Youth (Day 52)", "Wide Eyed", "Blank Pages"