Ghost Bath
{{Short description|American band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ghost Bath
| image =
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| origin = Minot, North Dakota, U.S.
| genre = Depressive suicidal black metal,{{cite web | url=http://www.metalsucks.net/2015/03/06/uplifting-depressive-black-metal-ghost-baths-moonlover/ | title=Uplifting Depressive Black Metal: Ghost Bath's Moonlover | publisher=MetalSucks | date=March 6, 2015 | accessdate=January 23, 2016 | author=Rothmund, David Lee}} Blackgaze
| years_active = {{start date|2012}}–present
| label = Nuclear Blast, Northern Silence, Pest
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|ghostbath.bandcamp.com}}
| current_members =
- Dennis Mikula
- Tim Church
- John Olivier
- Josh Jaye
| past_members =
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}}
Ghost Bath is an American depressive suicidal black metal band from Minot, North Dakota, formed in 2012 and fronted by Dennis Mikula. They have released four studio albums and one EP to date, melding black metal and post-rock music. They initially gained notoriety for marketing themselves as being from China.{{cite web|last1=Kelly|first1=Kim|title=Is Ghost Bath Really China's Answer to Deafheaven|url=http://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/blog/ghost-bath-interview-stream|website=noisey.com|date=27 February 2015 |publisher=Vice|accessdate=18 March 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Nelson|first1=Michael|title=Ghost Bath-"Golden Number"|url=http://www.stereogum.com/1728045/ghost-bath-golden-number/mp3s/|website=Stereogum|date=8 January 2015|accessdate=18 March 2015}}
History
Originally the band claimed to have been from Chongqing, China.{{cite web|last1=Kelly|first1=Kim|title=From Velvet Cacoon to Ghost Bath: The Curious Anatomy of a Black Metal Hoax|url=http://noisey.vice.com/blog/black-metal-hoaxes|website=noisey.com|date=4 March 2015 |publisher=Vice|accessdate=18 March 2015}} Their 2014 debut studio album Funeral was released on Chinese record label Pest Productions. They then signed to German label Northern Silence Productions for the release of their second album Moonlover in 2015. Upon gaining increased media attention, including critical acclaim from Pitchfork and Stereogum, the band was revealed to be from Minot, North Dakota and fronted by Dennis Mikula. When asked why the band did not correct the false reports on their origin, Mikula stated: "We refused to correct people because we do not wish to put actual faces onto our music. It is our wish as a band to connect to all human beings." In 2017, the band followed up Moonlover with Starmourner. In 2021, they announced Self Loather, the last album in the trilogy that began with Moonlover. In 2025, the band announced their fifth album, Rose Thorn Necklace, would be released on May 9 via Nuclear Blast.
Musical style
Ghost Bath states that their music is depressive suicidal black metal and, more recently, "depressive rock'n'roll." Their sound combines elements of black metal, including tremolo picking guitar play and shrieked vocals, with uplifting melodies and atmospheric qualities inspired by post-rock. Their style has thus been associated with blackgaze and post-metal and frequently compared to that of fellow American band Deafheaven, particularly on their breakthrough 2013 album Sunbather. However, frontman Dennis Mikula has stated that Ghost Bath's primary influences have been Agalloch and Silencer.
Discography
=Studio albums=
- Funeral (2014)
- Moonlover (2015)
- Starmourner (2017)
- Self Loather (2021)
- Rose Thorn Necklace (2025)
=EPs=
- Ghost Bath (2013)
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://ghostbath.bandcamp.com/}} on Bandcamp
- {{Metal Archives|3540372489}}
- {{Discogs artist|3629706}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:American black metal musical groups
Category:Musical groups established in 2012
Category:Rock music groups from North Dakota
Category:American musical quartets