The Album

Brandon Blair recorded Hollow Godric’s album, Ghosts of the Hunt, from 2008 to 2009 in Japan and the United States. It was released on August 7, 2009 and is comprised of nine tracks. Let’s step into the graveyard of this album together and see what secrets lie behind the tombstones.

The Tracks

The Hunted kicks off the album with an appropriately spooky sound. The winding melody of the guitar reminds me of mist swirling slowly around headstones in a cemetery. The recording is clean and sharp, and the harmonies in the instrumentals give me chills. At the very end, some of the instruments cut out, leaving us with a stark contrast to the main song.

Up next is a track entitled Coins. This is the first time on the album we get to hear the singer’s voice. It is a love song backed by chilling chords. The lyrics are refreshing and subtle, with a hint of heartbreak. There is a fingerpicking break in the middle of the song, which only adds to the mystery and emotion. At the end, a choir of ghostly voices float in to finish out this beautiful song.

Pg. 394 has some awesome harmonies, and you know I love me some harmonies. The chord progression is spooky and the vocals seem ethereal. This is a song about Remus Lupin and the transformation he has to endure under a full moon every month. I love the subtlety of the title.

A slow guitar line begins Wisdom from a friend. Feelings of hopelessness and depression sink into the words, and it makes for a powerful message.

The singer’s voice is highlighted so nicely in Passing Notes. This song reminds me of when I was in school, and we would fold notes to each other in specific ways so that you had to open it like a package or origami.

I love the story that is told in Of Foxes and Towns. The imagery is so vivid, and the music compliments the dark lyrics.

Camping Alone starts with a really nice woodwind instrumental introduction. The dissonance of the moving lines in the harmony is gorgeous and really brings out the emotion in this piece. The ending has so many instrumentals stacked together, and it creates a stained glass symphony with which to finish the song.

A solo a cappella voice is how Another Vigil begins. The closeness of the voice and the echoing effect it has sends shivers down my spine. As the song progresses, the regret and fear in the lyrics come to light. The instrumentals give way to a guitar that sounds like echoing church bells.

Behind the Veil is the final song of the album. We delve into a deeper sound as we add electric instruments to the acoustic ones. It is a powerful song about the voices behind the mysterious veil in the Ministry of Magic.

In Summary

The thing that impresses me the most about Hollow Godric is how subtle the lyrics to the songs are. If you are not paying attention, you might forget that this is, indeed, wizard rock. The room for interpretation for each song leaves a lot up to the listener. I adore the musicality of each track, and the musicianship of the artist. It puts me in a melancholy and reflective mood. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I did!