The Ghost Inside's "Get What You Give" Gives Just Enough

The Ghost Inside, probably a name you haven’t heard before unless you’re in the hardcore scene. The first time I heard them was as an opener for Parkway Drive a little over a year ago. I didn’t give them much thought because I was too excited for the main act but they did leave an impression. A year later when I came upon the Warped Tour 2012 lineup, there they were again, and I wasn’t going to take them lightly.  When I first saw them they were touring promoting their album Returners. Now, touring on the Monster Energy Stage, they have new material to throw into the mix, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Get What You Give is the first album released from the band after their switch to Epitaph Records as their label. Produced by Jeremy McKinnon, well-known singer/songwriter for the pop punk band A Day to Remember, the album showcases a reason why The Ghost Inside belongs on the punk and hardcore label. Their style is a hybrid of classic punk, and the new age of breakdowns that destroy in a similar way to Parkway Drive, they can hit at any moment and they really hit hard.

You can definitely hear in the band’s vocalist Jonathan Vigil some punk roots, as he doesn’t necessarily scream, he yells. It’s the type of vocal that makes my throat hurt just thinking about doing it, but it is a successful style and for this band, and I can’t really imagine anything else working. It sounds completely right when combined with the circle pit anthems and the lyrics the crowd screams back.

This album takes a formula that was tested with Returners and brings it back a second time because it did well. I still think there is room for growth, the breakdowns can be heavier, the guitarwork maintains a simplicity that’s nice, but we could see some growth there as well. They have tried something new with this album though, and

 that is singing. They have put some melodies to a few of their songs, such as at the end of “Engine 45” and “Dark Horse.” Though it is something new for them, I don’t see it as a successful route for them to take, they lose some of the anger that Vigil’s yelling brings to the table. That being said, it gives a new element to live shows, and I enjoy the singing in “Engine 45” the more I listen to it.

Where this album and The Ghost Inside soar, as they have in the past, is in lyrics and timing.  Those two elements shine from the very first song as Vigil screams “This is what I know about sacrifice. So meet me at the crossroads! LETS GO!” Not genius writing, but at the same time, after hearing that, I imagine some crazy pit during it’s breakdown. Or in “Engine 45” with “this addiction came, like a freight train! OH!” 

The Ghost Inside continues to show that they are an amazing live band, and after seeing them, it makes listening to the music more memorable than before, because you can consistently picture how crazy it could be at a live show. So is this album their best to date? Sadly, no. Returners continues to be one of my regular listens. But Get What You Give is a solid addition to The Ghost Inside’s discography and one that has it’s moments and will be keeping a place on my hardcore filled mp3 player.

7/10

GO SEE THEM AT WARPED TOUR! You won’t regret it.