Ragingly familiar yet superbly refreshing

Stabbing Westward has released their first album in over two decades, Chasing Ghosts. The album is composed of 10-tracks and features re-worked songs from their 2020 EP Dead and Gone. Stabbing Westward’s current line-up is composed of vocalist Christopher Hall, keyboardist Walter Flakus, guitarist Carlton James Bost and drummer Bobby Amaro.

Stabbing Westward was created by Walter Flakus and Christopher Hall in 1985,  and nearly a decade later, the band quickly rose to fame with their debut album Ungod. The group became immensely popular for its industrial rock sound centralizing on lead vocals and a heavy bass guitar. The band ultimately disbanded in 2001 after their new manager pushed the group to create a pop-based album, resulting in the departure of Mark Eliopulos. In 2015, Stabbing Westward officially reunited with a performance at a charity festival organized on suicide prevention. Seven years later, the band has released their fifth studio album Chasing Ghosts, following their 2001 failed pop album Stabbing Westward.

Chasing Ghosts kicks off with heavy electronic sounds in the opening track “I Am Nothing.” The angst is fully transmitted through Hall’s intense vocals as he questions his worth and meaning in the eyes of another person. The heavy angst and electronic beats are continued in “Damaged Goods” which includes a very intense killer guitar riff. The album features re-makings of “Cold,” “Crawl” and “Dead and Gone” from the 2020 EP Dead and Gone. The trumpet from the original “Cold” has been removed and the intensity has been maximized with heavy drums and bass.

The album ends with a dark and heavy track titled “The End.” The track is centralized in a dark heavy bass sound led by Hall’s spine-chilling vocals. An eerie sensation is amplified by a ghostly synthesizer. The song’s gloomy lyrics leave an intoxicating cloud of deep emotion as the final lyrics linger long past the end of the song – “I’m so sorry that I ruined everything,” sings Hall.

It’s always a treat when bands reunite after a long break. The two decades of waiting for new music have been worth it for fans as Stabbing Westward has gone above and beyond with their latest album Chasing Ghosts. The group has perfectly blended their original sound with a new creative one, adding touches of electronica to their beloved industrial rock sound. It’s been over 20 years since their last full-length album, yet Stabbing Westward seems to have aged like fine wine, exceeding all expectations with an exquisite album.