FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT
FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT gives GHØSTKID's dark world a more personal centre. Sebastian “Sushi” Biesler uses the familiar rabbit-hole idea to explore isolation and mental strain, but the album works best when the songs make those concerns feel human. The horror setting has a purpose beyond providing another unsettling image.
This third album also begins a new chapter for the project, following a change of line-up. Sky van Hoff's guitars, bass and electronics give the music a controlled framework, while the vocals move between whispers, harsh outbursts and a clearer melodic voice. The contrast is central to the record's appeal.
MOTHER DEATH makes the heavier side feel suitably unstable, with electronic beats and guitars surrounding the changing vocal performance. The title track gives that intensity a more direct shape, while GIVE YOUR KIDS A GUN TO PLAY adds a dissonant breakdown. These songs still offer the force expected from GHØSTKID without making aggression the only available mood.
The more open moments are just as useful. IVORY lets the clearer voice carry more feeling, and LOVELY shows that a slower song can belong in this world without being swallowed by it. NEON adds another change of direction, helping the album move beyond a single way of expressing distress.
The variety does not always become a completely connected record. A few transitions between styles feel abrupt, and familiar metalcore habits can make some heavier sections less distinctive. At times the concept gives the material more unity than the music itself does.
Still, FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT has a convincing emotional centre. The best parts allow vulnerability and violence to share a song, rather than treating one as an escape from the other. GHØSTKID sound more interesting when the person behind the character is allowed to come through, and this album gives that side welcome room.
