Metal Underground.com

From the plains of the Midwest, The Midnight Ghost Train has been traveling the world spreading one-of-a-kind music. The band’s self-titled release blends gospel hymns of the sermon, down tuned rock and roll riffs of southern rock, and dark delta blues. “Midnight Ghost Train” is a Mason-Dixie psychedelic fusion of classic roots and distortions that will make you get your church on; whether it’s Baptist, Satanist, or whatever your pleasure.

“The Swell” begins with vocalist/guitarist Steve Moss preaching the end-time message before heavily fuzz distorted guitar takes over with Brandon Burghart’s clashing drums making sharp stabs through the muck. Then the music heads into a menacing minimal breakdown of mean sounding, psychedelia; a warm doom fuzz of the guitar blares into a fused blues riff while the sonic burst of drums and bass rings through. These musicians clearly have a great sense of subtlety as well as power. In essence the feel brings a mixture of raw headbanging dementia to the structure of a dischorded jazz fusion. "Die With Me" is a rollicking song with a great beat for clapping along while dancing around a bonfire, if you've got one.

“Mustache” begins quietly and soulfully, like Soilent Green’s slower moments. It’s a perfect fit considering that guitarist Brian Patton is a huge bluegrass and blues fan. The sludgy, fuzzy guitars come in to add more texture to the song. “Desert Red” is another very soulful and acoustic song, escalating into an opus of moaning and weeping about chances lost. Another interesting element to the album is Steve’s spoken word poetry of a dark nature. “They’re Burying Me Alive” includes one of the haunting diatribes.

All around, The Midnight Ghost Train has made a complex and old, yet brand-new, music that will make you a fan, then force you to kneel in repentance in front of that Devil at the crossroads. It’s one of my favorite albums and I don’t know if I’ll ever hear something like it again. Until they make another, of course.