Triple Feature: inFictions, New Ghost, and Thevon

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Triple Feature, and, believe me, the EPs have been accumulating for months. I wanted to take this opportunity to cover three of the best EPs I’ve heard this year. Read on to hear about inFictions, New Ghost, and Thevon.

_________________

I have been following the UK’s inFictions since 2012’s “Maps of Revenge and Forgiveness”, a fantastic album. The band currently consists of Ed Cartledge (vocals, guitars, synths, other sounds), James Fosberry (drums, percussion, bass), Gareth Hughes (bass, guitars), and Tom Chaffer (guitars). I have to say, though, that this new EP “Alphasand” has perked my interest for the future of the band even more.

The EP is only three songs, but all of them are glowing, smooth, and inspirational. I have always loved the slightly psychedelic and indie rock nature of this band’s sound, but on this release I feel the band has achieved a sound that is more mature and more gracious than anything else they have done. In some ways, it even reminds me of later Anathema in its ambient, melodic glory, perhaps with a U2 twist.

I love all three songs. “Custodian” is climactic and truly gorgeous, and “Incubation” is an instrumental track with electronic and ambient vibes—it leaves me at peace every time. My favorite is “The Underneath”, a song that combines the rock and ambient styles of the other tracks, and it simply has a well-paced and attractive beat. The entire EP could be described in those terms, and it makes me excited for the next full album.

_________________

New Ghost has to be one of the more interesting new projects out there today. The group hails from the UK, and includes Chris A, Gareth Hughes, Taz Ali, Caroline Cawley, Nic Bowden, and Palindrones. As you can see, they are little mysterious in how they operate, but you will notice that Gareth is part of this project as well as inFictions. With that connection, you can probably guess that there will be a post-prog and indie influence here, and you would be correct. This project, though, offers all sorts of sounds, especially on their debut album “New Ghost Orchestra” from last year.

“Future Is Dead” is a great three-song EP. It is a bit more straightforward than I expected from the band after their amazing debut album, but the melodies are clear, the atmosphere is kind, and the vocals are beautiful. All three tracks are more along the lines of prog rock, which did make me miss the heavy electronic vibes of their past work; but, after getting over that, I realized that all three songs are incredibly well-composed and satisfying.

The project offers two singles here, “The Reds” and “The Fountain”. Both are atmospheric and lush, with brilliant vocals from Caroline. They have an especially warm and bassy radiance to them that I really like. The final track is “Every River”, and I think it is my favorite. It is a bit more outside the box, and it has a groovy beat that hits immediately. It’s actually a bit heavier than the other songs, too, while also containing more electronic accents and instrumentation, too. It’s a great song, and the EP overall is generous. That said, I’m hoping that some of the more unique elements return for the band’s second album.

_________________

Some albums come out of nowhere, and that is certainly the case for Thevon’s debut EP. “The Monster’s House” is a shockingly developed, undeniably engaging offering that continues to impress me. The project is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Thomas Van Beeck of Belgium.

The musical style here is progressive metal. While it doesn’t offer anything necessarily unique or brand new, Thomas obviously has a strong grasp of what makes the genre work, and how to inject it with energy, space, and melody. With massive waves of gorgeous keys, walls of fetching riffs, and a sense of dynamism, this EP will blow by you, and you’ll want to start it over immediately.

The EP has four songs, and they are all wonderful. The opener, “Welcome to the Monster’s House”, is a diverse, quirky, and awesome track, and a good indication of where this EP is going. “Fight”, though, is my favorite. This energetic, powerful little song is so captivating and so mighty that it takes me away from whatever I’m doing every time. The whole EP is this way, and I’m hoping that Thomas has more for us soon.