SPEAR OF DESTINY

Ghost Population (Easter Snow)

Spear Of Destiny have been in the recording business for 39 years and through all the personnel changes, their style has remained more or less the same. Ghost Population has all the depth of a typical Spear Of Destiny album with layers of saxophone, guitar and their trademark drumbeat. There are some great tunes here – such as Evolution Day and You’re The Only Thing, with their otherworldly guitar solos – and for that, we can thank the current line-up of musicians that reads like a supergroup.

But many a great track is spoiled by lyrics that don’t scan and Kirk Brandon’s vocals, which border on discordant and are distracting. Though Brandon’s monotone voice gives Spear Of Destiny a distinctive edge, when it’s less prominent the listener can relax and enjoy what feels like a trip back to the postpunk era. Ghost Population is vocally inconsistent, but worth a listen to for the music alone. 

words LYNDA NASH