Ghost Bath – Self Loather
Release Date: 29th October 2021
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Depressive Black Metal, Post-Black Metal.
FFO: Ultar, Wolves In The Throne Room, Heretoir.
Review By: Ross Bowie
Depressive black metal outfit Ghost Bath are back with the finale to their three-album cycle. Self Loather see’s the band push themselves to creatively and leaves you with their best record to date.
Immediately this album pulls you into Ghost Baths world and doesn’t let you leave across the ten tracks. The album opener “Convince Me To Bleed” is relentless and when you think you can’t take any more the song lifts to another level, letting the listener know that Ghost Bath are more than just another black metal band.
The highlight of this album is how well the band merge the two opposing styles together. It’s clichéd but true to say that Ghost Bath have never sounded heavier, especially, Dennis Mikula’s vocals. Across the album there is the high screeching and the lowest of gutturals, but they all come together to put the songs first. The orchestral arrangements across the album bring a shine and beauty to the filth and dirge conjured up by the rest of the band.
While the orchestral passages are often used at the end of songs, Hide From The Sun opens with a beautiful choir intro and clean guitar riffs all while being over the top of a woman crying and screaming… it’s all about balance. Self Loather is the climax of a three-album run for Ghost Bath, and on this go round they have found the execution their earlier two instalments were lacking.
It would be easy for Ghost Bath to double down on one area of their sound, but the expansive melding of the two sides makes them a far more exciting band. Both sides of their sound, constantly fighting for attention and space before giving way to another new experiment, keeps you engaged. After all the ideas and songs that have gone into these three albums, Ghost Bath have found a sound that is uniquely their own and have even left themselves space to explore and grow on their next record. 
(4 / 5)
