By Ryan Mitchell, JRN 101 Student
The bell has been rung. The tune has been sung. And we have been beckoned forth. The Sea Ghouls have made quite a splash in the Chicago music scene with their exciting combination of surf rock mixed with chilling gothic features.
The Sea Ghouls are a local band from River Grove, Illinois, performing at venues all over the city. On Oct. 18, they are releasing a new EP in a show at The Sanctuary, in the Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland Avenue.
The band formed in October 2023 and has developed a unique style, with their first EP coming out one year after their first gig. From a garage show at a birthday party to headlining the Cobra Lounge, the Sea Ghouls have plunged in and left fans holding onto their pirate hats.
“Dueling Ships” and “Babe Slayer” are thrilling and hauntingly beautiful tracks. They rope you in with catchy drum beats, jumping bass lines, and ghoulish guitar riffs.
The vocals on both tracks are reminiscent of a ghost with a phenomenal appreciation for music.
“Dueling Ships” is almost exactly what the title says. The guitarists featured on this five-minute track are practically dueling each other with nylon and brass strings. It is an epic collage of sound, emotion, battle–and a seafaring lifestyle imagined in the opening lyrics: “Tied up and broken, From the words left unspoken/My ship is still sinking, but the sails have been opened/Despite my devotion to sail this new ocean/You find me and bind me, a war set in motion.”
The sound is mighty, as if you are truly on that ship in the sea, fearing the threat of another passing vessel. The ending of the song appears to have seen a winner of the battle arise as one guitar stands tall, playing its song of victory yet despair, and still so beautiful even in the face of death. These unique guitar riffs provide a clear image into the gothic pirate theme propelled by the Sea Ghouls music.
“Babe Slayer” is the shorter of the two tracks, yet that does not stop it from being a much faster paced and an even ghastlier piece. It invites you to dance, sway and swab the deck with the Grim Reaper. The opening guitar riff is electric and immediately sets us right into the mood of the song. The following drums, bass, and guitar is a beautiful commotion accompanied by the ever so haunting vocals. Even the backing vocals are clearly meant to be the moaning of ghosts.
The sound is mighty, as if you are truly on that ship in the sea, fearing the threat of another passing vessel.
This catchy, groovy, dark, surf rock song would not be complete without the lyrics propelling us into the pirate theme: “I plunge this knife into my mistress ripe/And cast her soul and blood into the waves/The High Lich King will grant the five their rings/And lend a ship that sails among deep graves.”
This imagery is hidden behind a catchy and cheerful beat that will make anyone move their head. “Babe Slayer” ends with a jumping bass line that you can feel in your feet (or your pegleg) and a thrilling guitar riff to complete the unforgettable single. We find our way out with a continuation of the ghostly vocals and an instrumental group effort from the Sea Ghouls creating a macabre masterpiece.
The pirate party at Sanctuary begins at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 the day of the show.
Velocity 
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