Band:	Ghost Ship Octavius
Album:	Ghost Ship Octavius
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	March 2015

01. Saturn And Skies
02. Alive
03. Silence
04. Mills Of The Gods
05. In Dreams
06. Pendulum
07. Bloodcaster
08. Epitaph
09. Burn Away
10. Sea Storm
11. Fate Is Blind

The debut album of Ghost Ship Octavius is one of those albums that immediately gives you a strong impression. It grabs your attention right from the start and is able to keep that attention throughout the whole record thanks to its variety and strong musicianship.

It's not an album full of masterpieces but there isn't a single song that I would describe as boring or mediocre. Overall the songs range from good to very good, which makes the album really enjoyable to listen to since there is no moment on the record that feels like it's filler. Ghost Ship Octavius is just a really good and consistent album.

One of the things that I like about this record is the production quality. The guitars and bass sound powerful and the vocals are mixed in really well. The sound of the drums is good, but I feel like they could maybe use a little bit more depth (the double base is excellent, though). Now it sometimes can feel a little bit flat. I wouldn't call it a deal-breaker, though, and like I said, overall the production quality is very good.

As far as the musicianship goes, you can definitely feel a Symphony X vibe in the music, something which I personally really like, since I'm also a fan of Symphony X. There are some great guitar parts throughout Ghost Ship Octavius and the drums and vocals are definitely adding to the overall atmosphere and enjoyability.

The album gets labelled as a progressive album, but don't let that put you off if you are not a big fan of progressive metal. The whole record is filled with melodic parts, which makes it easier to get into than most other progressive albums. Those melodic parts also really help with the flow of the record and add to the variety. The band manages to alternate between the heavier, hard-hitting parts and the more melancholy-filled parts rather seamlessly, which again really helps with the flow.

Fans of bands like Symphony X will most likely enjoy Ghost Ship Octavius and even non progressive metal fans might like this record since it has elements that make it overall easier to get into. This is a very strong debut in my opinion. I definitely recommend this record and I'm looking forward to seeing more from Ghost Ship Octavius.

3 personal favourite tracks: "In Dreams", "Silence" and "Epitaph"