Joey Chaos and the Ghosts - Immolation

Joey Chaos and the Ghosts is a darkwave trio based out of East Vancouver. They are Joey Chaos on vocals and synths, Andrew Walker on guitar, and Megan Krenbrink on drums and backing vocals. Their latest EP "Immolation" serves as a follow-up to their debut 2019 EP "Elegy" as well as their debut 2016 single 'Fear'. As with many artists, "Immolation" was recorded during the pandemic as an escape. And, well, with that little bit of history out of the way, let's take a dive right into "Immolation". 



As soon as I hit the play button I found myself in the midst of a slamming post-punk / rock influenced single titled 'Boomer'. I won't lie, I found myself head-banging to this song a little bit as I sipped on my morning glass of orange juice while wearing my bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. The ferocity of the song, however, is contrasted by the vocals of Joey Chaos. He sings in an almost laid-back manner; I kind of wished that he would have brought a bit more rage to the song with his voice. That being said, his voice works during segments of the song where synths kick in, such as at the one-minute and thirty-second mark. All-in-all, not a bad way to start off the EP.

I wasn't too huge a fan of 'Stinky Dog' however, largely due in part to the instrumental bits. I felt as if the song struggled to find a comfortable beat or rhythm until around the two-minute mark when groovy guitar kicks in and Joey Chaos backs his own vocals for a great effect. This track is followed up by 'Lil' Bears' which is where you'll see more of the post-punk vibes kick in. Steady rhythms, dance-worthy beats, and a dope amount of electronic samples made 'Lil' Bears' a noteworthy hit on the EP. The last song on the EP, 'Immolate', followed the example set forth by the previous songs. Crisp production, rock-driven post-punk, and and overall chill vibe. It's also worth mentioning that there's an absolutely stunning mass of noise-wall guitars and cosmic synths that begins around the two-minute and ten-second mark that is to die for. Do not skip out on this song. 

I will have to admit that though Joey Chaos and the Ghosts filter themselves under the darkwave tag, there really wasn't much darkwave to be had on this EP. And I could give a shit less. Aside from the minor halt I experienced with 'Stinky Dog', "Immolation" is a damned fine EP for Joey Chaos and The Ghosts. This is the type of release that makes me want to dive back into a band's discography to see what else I've been missing out on. This is not just a thrown together digital slop; it's a well crafted album whose influences from post-punk and rock come through. The future is bright for this trio and I look forward to what they'll be doing next. 

This review was commissioned through our Ko-fi page.
Feb 20 2021