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ALBUM REVIEWS

Pick of the Chick: Our Favorite Releases, 1999-Present

THE GHOST OF ROCK –
THE GHOST OF ROCK
DEMONBEACH RECORDS

Seeing lead-singer Ron Liberti dive spread-eagle onto a pool table in mid-verse during a show forever sold me on the Ghost of Rock. Forget that Liberti and guitarist Clifton Mann were the sparks behind local indie-rock legends Pipe. Forget that Mann rocks out with the also legendary Bad Checks. Forget that Liberti is one of the most talented poster artists around. All of this stuff is icing. What matters is that, pushing their forties, these guys can still rock a house full of comatose scenester shoe-gazers (and tear each one of them a new rectum for good measure).

After releasing a mediocre debut 7”, the Ghost of Rock delivers a garage-punk gem on their first full-length album. Although some bands have a hard time effectively translating their live energy to record, the Ghost of Rock does it with ease. As the band rips through tracks like “Garages of America,” “Anchors,” “Lee’s Puffer,” and “You Get What You Wanted,” it becomes obvious that the same garage-punk vibe that made Pipe so great still runs through the veins of Liberti and Mann.

Most of the songs on the album clock in at under two minutes, so the “get in there, get your point across, and get the hell out” formula of the Pipe comes into play. However, this band is by no means Pipe Version 2.0. Unlike Pipe, the Ghost of Rock throws in more catchy and accessible melodies into the mix, while refusing to sacrifice the inherent abrasiveness of punk. This melodic infusion is most notable on slower tracks like “Avoid Disconnect” and “All I Ever” (which, strangely enough, sound more akin to the Archers of Loaf than to Pipe). The result is a record that matches, if not tops, the best Pipe albums. God bless the aging punkers who allow their music to mature while refusing to let their angst-ridden spirit grow old.

PIGEONHOLE: High-energy, yet accessible, garage punk from a couple of legends of the N.C. music scene.
CAVEATS: Liberti’s screamed vocals may be too abrasive for some listeners. Although, to the garage-punk connoisseur, his vocals will taste like the best bucket full of unrefined sugar you’ve ever crammed down your throat in one sitting.

Andrew Helminger