Album number five from Lancashire metal heads Promethium finds the band in excellent form, having taken the time away due to the pandemic to bed in a couple of new members and further develop their craft. Here at Midlands Rocks we have always been fans of the band, going right the way back to their debut Welcome to the Institution and it is pleasing to see that they have weathered the storm of the past few years and come back all the stronger for it.
Since 2018’s Forces of War, their last studio album proper, Promethium have welcomed drummer Stu Gordon, vocalist James Candlin and guitarist Andy Haworth into the fold, joining guitarist Dan Lovett-Horn and bassist Gentle Ben. Leading with instrumental ‘Goat’ they are soon off and running courtesy of the hard-hitting title track, with James immediately making a positive impression. Despite the haunting imagery and atmospherics that the band convey, they show a dark sense of humour on ‘Murder She Wrote’ which twists the narrative to make Jessica Fletcher the perpetrator of the crimes at Cabot Cove (apologies to the late Angela Lansbury but it’s a very clever premise!).
Clocking in at less than forty minutes there is never a chance that the album will outstay its welcome. ‘Healing your Sin’ bounces along with some glorious melodies and finds Dan and Andy trading old school riffs, ‘Knives Out’ chugs onward with its insistent hook and forceful chorus, and the change of pace that is ‘Manhattan’ shows that they are more than capable of coming up with a powerful ballad when called for. Arguably the strongest song on the album however is the engaging ‘My Fate’, which is notable for the use of strings and is a really well-crafted piece. Some bands are happy to churn out album after album in a business as usual fashion, but with songs like ‘My Fate’ Promethium show a determination to stretch themselves and give the listener more than they might expect.
Another leap forward from a band that are well worth getting acquainted with, look out for them across the next twelve months as they have big plans to tour the album. Bleeding the Ghost can be ordered from https://www.promethiumband.com/product-page/bleeding-the-ghost.
