The latest album from The Ghost Inside feels like a band on a quest—searching for a new sound or perhaps trying to rediscover their original identity. There’s a complex mix of emotions woven throughout this record, and it’s clear they’re exploring some new territory. At its core, though, it’s still undeniably The Ghost Inside we’ve come to know: the signature positive lyrics, the high-energy drumming, and those crushing, powerful vocals. However, something about this album gives off the sense that we’ve heard aspects of it before. In fact, it almost feels like they’ve fallen into the familiar patterns of modern metalcore, especially in the riff department.

Many of the tracks have that déjà vu quality, as if we’ve encountered these exact ideas or structures in music from other bands. As a result, some of the songs lack the spark of creativity we’ve come to expect from TGI. The songs sound great, no doubt—the production is top-notch—but there’s a sense of predictability that runs through much of the record. One of the most noticeable elements is the clean vocals, which at times come across as a bit forced or overdone. They don’t quite have the same organic feel that earlier albums did, and instead of enhancing the overall sound, they sometimes detract from it.

That said, there are moments on this album where the band truly hits the mark, evoking the raw energy and intensity of their earlier work. These moments remind us of the band’s potential, but they’re not as frequent as they once were. All in all, while this is a solid album—well-crafted and full of energy—it doesn’t quite live up to the standards set by their previous releases. It’s a good effort, but it feels like they’re still in the process of finding their next big step.