Focus on our band of the month: Ghost Anthem!

A must-see band in the French metalcore scene, Ghost Anthem didn't let the lockdown bring them down! After releasing their self-titled EP in February, the band not only took advantage of these past few months to work on their first album, but also stocked up on merchandise for a return to the stage in 2021. To learn more about the band's latest news, we invite you to check out our interview below!

Hello, Ghost Anthem! Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions! Can you quickly introduce your band to our readers?

We are a Parisian band created in 2017, whose main influences are metalcore and melodic death metal, with heavy inspirations on certain guitar parts. Content-wise, we address societal issues through the filter of the individual and their contradictions. Our main message: "know thyself".

How do you manage your band in such a unique context?

We had to revise all our plans during the year: after launching our EP and having several new songs ready for live performances, we had to give up on concerts that have been rescheduled for 2021. So we refocused on composition and are making good progress on the album's foundation. It's a blessing in disguise: we won't return to the stage until next year, but with an even stronger set.

You released your self-titled EP in February 2020. Can you tell us a few words about this EP?

This EP sets the direction we're taking both in terms of sound and themes. A modern, powerful sound, with prominent guitars and samples that build a universe rich in sonorities. The vocals are quite versatile and contrasted, alternating between clean parts and screams. On the content side, we address introspective themes such as responsibility, self-acceptance, melancholy... This gives us the opportunity to address important societal issues through the individual.

How does your writing process usually unfold?

Our guitarist Romain composes the tracks and from initial ideas – always linked to a specific theme – we sit around the table to discuss the instrumentation and structures, while thinking about the vocal intentions. In parallel, our singer starts writing the lyrics and lays down vocals on the different parts. After a series of iterations, we gradually arrive at a final version, always trying to have an overall vision rather than a part-by-part approach.

For its release, you called on us for the duplication of your CDs and the printing of your t-shirts. Can you talk about your experience with Distrolution Merch?

Our experience with Distrolution Merch was excellent. Beyond the quality of the merch and reasonable costs, we really appreciated the assistance of the team, who have solid experience in this field and gave us good advice. Finally, in terms of choices, we were able to produce t-shirts taking into account certain production standards, in terms of environmental and social respect, which was important to us.

We also had the honor of manufacturing your new backdrop. Do you already have concerts planned for 2021?

For now, it serves as a background for some of our videos! But in 2021, we should be hanging it in some cool venues. Among them, the legendary Ferrailleur venue in Nantes for the Nantes Metal Fest, which has been postponed to December 2021. To be continued, but with the arrival of the vaccine, we are confident in a resumption towards next summer.

Speaking of concerts, is there a particular show that has left a mark on you since the creation of your band? If so, which one?

Our concert at the Bataclan was obviously a unique moment for us: playing in this venue doesn't leave you indifferent, and performing on a stage of this size doesn't happen every day! The band also really enjoyed its concert at La Maroquinerie in 2018: we were proud of the set we offered in front of a fired-up crowd!

To conclude this interview, can we talk about your future projects?

We're making good progress on our upcoming tracks and the album's horizon is slowly taking shape. It will keep what we wanted to express in the EP, while being more "live" oriented. We have also gained maturity in several dimensions, especially in vocals. Before the album launch, we will release singles that will reflect its spirit. We also hope to resume concerts as soon as possible: this remains our number one priority. Stay tuned! Until then: let's take care of ourselves and others.