Van's new project: Ghost Ship Octavius

[neal]

but dont you think AJFA couldve been even better with audible bass (if jason was allowed to do anything interesting)?

id like to see (hear) van step away from this genre and his comfort zone and do something more extreme/brutal. maybe he's not interested in that kind of stuff. i dont think i'm interested in new nevermoreish bands.

 

[~Lynn~]

Yeah, a little more bass would be ok, but fuck it. It's metal...sometimes with the bass you can take it or leave it, unless it's doom or sludge or stoner or groove. Shit, look at AJFA.

I hated AJFA 30 seconds in and still loathe it to this day. While not St Wanker laughable, the mix on Justice absolutely grinds on my nerves.

 

[neal]

the mix on AJFA is terrible, but the RIFFS. they are plentiful and unruly.

 

[Dead Winter]

but dont you think AJFA couldve been even better with audible bass (if jason was allowed to do anything interesting)?

id like to see (hear) van step away from this genre and his comfort zone and do something more extreme/brutal. maybe he's not interested in that kind of stuff. i dont think i'm interested in new nevermoreish bands.

Don't get me wrong, the mix on AJFA is fucking awful, but the riffs they played under that mix made them even better. Yes, I think the bass should have been louder or at least audible, but I see why they did it the way they did: the riffs wouldn't have been so face-crushingly heavy with the bass. They're so heavy under that mix that they really don't need a bass. I'm getting that sort of vibe from this project.

I actually would like to see him step FAR away from his comfort zone and do something really interesting and out there. There are enough brutal bands out there these days, and I don't think he's got the chops to play some shit like Nile. Right now, brutal death metal is pretty much over; you'd have to sacrifice a small child at a concert to stand out from all the other bands. After a while it all starts to coalesce into one, big, muddy sewer of brutality, and then they start having blastbeat and double kick competitions. No, I'd like to see him do something slower, simpler, dirtier, bigger. Something spacier.

 

[Dead Winter]

I hated AJFA 30 seconds in and still loathe it to this day. While not St Wanker laughable, the mix on Justice absolutely grinds on my nerves.

That's crazy talk. The mix is terrible because it's meant to be played at extremely high volumes. It was produced and mixed by James and Lars, so the guitars and drums are gonna be really loud and up front. If you're a guitarist, that is the tone you've always wanted, but if you're a bassist....

I can't understand why anyone who listens to metal could loathe AJFA. It breaks my mind. To each his own, sure, but it's AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. Wat?

 

[Krimi]

Awesome project. I like it even more than Ashes Of Ares, especially because of the vocals and the specific athmosphere. Adon did a great job. I very hope they'll go on with this band, even if Van for sure will be more successful with AOA.

 

[El Stormo]

the mix on AJFA is terrible, but the RIFFS. they are plentiful and unruly.

"And Justice For All", a.k.a. "Lars Ulrich Discovers the China Cymbal."

 

[Traxan]

I guess since Kickstarter worked for Jeff, Van is taking the same course.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1368844482/ghost-ship-octavius-debut-album

 

[Traxan]

New video.

 

[Adoney]

Yes thanks guys! We Have the lyric video we made of alive right there ^ and also a third song up on soundcloud now.

https://soundcloud.com/ghostshipoctavius/the-mills-of-the-gods-production

All of them are pre-production... meaning they're "rough draft" format for actually recording the album. If you like it and want to help us bring the album to life, please check out the kickstarter page> http://kck.st/1n3nMsO You can pre-order it and the funds go towards creating it. 'tis a win-win situation

It means a lot to see some good feedback on here though, it is much appreciated!

 

[Adoney]

Since we just did this update, I figured I should post it here, too...

We got quite a line-up going for this record, too. Much shred, very music, wow. Once again, if you want to help us out, check out the kickstarter. http://kck.st/1n3nMsO We need the help of our fans

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

im pleasantly surprised. i like the song a lot. great drumming as usual from van.

 

[DreamNeonBlack]

I pledged a few bucks. Seems cool.

 

[~Lynn~]

Looks like they made the goal, nice!

 

[Traxan]

And here I thought the project was dead. But, no bassist?

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/gh...rmore-god-forbid-members-debut-album-out-now/

GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS, the melodic progressive metal group featuring lead guitarist Matt Wicklund (GOD FORBID, HIMSA, WARREL DANE), drummer Van Williams (NEVERMORE, ASHES OF ARES, PURE SWEET HELL) and vocalist Adōn Fanion, funded its brand new self-titled debut album through a successful Kickstarter fan campaign launched last year. Now, the group is pleased to announce the release of the CD via digital retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Google Play, Spotify, or simply via www.ghostshipoctavius.com.

Commented Wicklund: "GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS is musically and artistically everything that I have always wanted to do.

"We put everything we had into this album and couldn't be happier with how it turned out!

"The fans have been outstanding and made it possible for us to successfully fund this album independently through Kickstarter. It's really exciting to see this all come to life!"

Adds Williams: "I'm super stoked on this album, and if I weren't in the band, I know I still would be a huge fan.

"It's an exciting time for us, as we are collectively brand new and forging our own path.

"The fans that backed this record not knowing what they would get, and our family and friends that have showed and provided support during this process are truly awesome and the ones who really brought this album to everyone else. For that, I'm truly grateful and look forward to getting this beast out on the road to meet the fans that have been so positive and patient."

"Ghost Ship Octavius" was recorded, mixed and mastered by Aaron Smith at Envisage Audio in Seattle, Washington.

GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS's sound features technical and groove metal elements, highlighted by Adōn's powerful clean vocals, Van's tasteful rhythms and Matt's melodic and intricate guitar solos. Their diverse-yet-complimentary music styles combine to create a powerful and dynamic sound highlighted by soaring vocals, virtuosic guitars and hooky but progressive arrangements.

Take a listen to the GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS track "Mills Of The Gods" in the YouTube clip below.

 

[Talking Backwards]

Am I the only one that song does nothing for? To me, it sounds like a bunch of technical ability, without songwriting skill. Plus, I can't tell if it's just Youtube compression or what, but the production is awful sounding.

 

[Traxan]

Am I the only one that song does nothing for? To me, it sounds like a bunch of technical ability, without songwriting skill. Plus, I can't tell if it's just Youtube compression or what, but the production is awful sounding.

Dude you've described pretty much half of the metal coming out these days, with the other half being mindless grindcore.

 

[Dead Winter]

I don't think it's bad at all. It's not really my favorite thing, and the singer sounds like Jorn Lande who sounds like David Coverdale, so of course originality is completely out the window, but he has a nice clean voice. I also like the melodic direction of the song.

That said, the songwriting could've been a bit better, with a better chorus and more dynamic structures, but overall I would say I enjoyed it somewhat. I'm curious enough to investigate the band. I also enjoyed the simplicity of the bridge solo.

 

[Shpongled]

Right there with you, DW. It's cool but not mind-blowing. I'll check out the album for sure.

 

[Dead Winter]

I think I'm tired of the constant machine-gun-like double kick drums Van's known for. I know it's power thrash and whatnot, and I'm not saying he's a bad drummer at ALL, it's just that the whole double kick seems to get in the way as of late...in all bands. It feels like it's put there because it's the old go-to standard for metal. Imagination is what's lacking, I think.

We as a species have plateaued, I think, in terms of musicianship, which is why I'm much more drawn to great songwriting than really technical musicianship. Everyone's just so good these days that the only way to set yourself apart anymore is to have really, really good songs. This is a nice song; it's not super original or anything, but it's a nice song. I hope they explore other avenues on their new album. I'm still curious, however, and I do like their melodies. I just hope they aren't afraid to be interesting instead of technical.