20.05.2025 The Ghost Inside

Graspop Metal Meeting

Dessel (Belgium)

Another metalcore band was up next. For the third time, The Ghost Inside were guests at Graspop Metal Meeting and took to the South Stage to showcase what they could do with their latest album "Searching For Solace" from 2024. Leading the charge was vocalist Jonathan Vigil, who delivered a solid performance.
With “Death Grip”, they kicked things off with plenty of momentum, and the crowd was immediately on board. Vocally, Vigil was repeatedly supported by his bandmates Zach Johnson and Chris Davis on guitars, as well as Jim Riley on bass. Meanwhile, drummer Andrew Tkaczyk stirred up a storm at the back of the stage. The set moved through different phases of their career. From the 2014 album "Dear Youth", they played the classic “Dear Youth (Day 52)”, which, together with the new record, formed the core of the set, complemented only by a few tracks from "The Ghost Inside" from the year 2022 and their 2012 album "Get What You Give".
All band members repeatedly tried to get the crowd involved, and the audience responded to some extent. Still, the spark never fully caught fire, partly because some of the songs lacked the punch I was hoping for. So I wasn’t entirely disappointed when, after just under an hour, the final song “Engine 45” began.
All in all, it was a decent show, well performed and enjoyable. In the end, though, they didn’t completely win me over. I can’t even pinpoint it to something specific, but somehow there was a certain something missing that would have set them apart from the rest. The early evening slot was solidly filled, but whether they’ll stay in my memory for long remains to be seen.

Setlist:

Death Grip
Earn It
Pressure Point
Out Of Control
Wash It Away
The Great Unknown
Move Me
Dear Youth (Day 52)
Secret
Wrath
Mercy
Going Under
Avalanche
Aftermath
Engine 45

Weblinks:

	The Ghost Inside Homepage of the US American band The Ghost Inside.
	Graspop Metal Meeting Homepage of the Graspop Metal Meeting Festival at Dessel (Belgium).