Ghoul for a Goblin first brought its musical haunts to the scene in 2011 as Sean Ryan’s solo acoustic project. In the decade since, the band has expanded into an emotional force, adding guitarist and vocalist Dave Sanicki, drummer Joey Wienckowski, and bassist Tyler Olmsted into the mix. 

What began as an amalgamation of pop and punk eventually evolved—both organically and intentionally—to fill the emo space. 

Frontman Sean says the band’s focus has shifted over the years, covering a wide swathe of creative ground: “Songwriting-wise, our earlier stuff focused so much on relationship troubles, but more recently we’ve been dealing with themes of death and regret.”

The up-tempo “Have A Bad One” puts Ghoul for a Goblin’s collective talent on full display. Dave’s melodic guitar offers a perfect accompaniment to Sean’s longing vocals. Joey's driving drum beat and Tyler’s bass keep the tune chugging along; it never lets up until the final notes fade into silent oblivion. 

“The Sound Of Your Voice” offers a more restrained look at Ghoul’s songwriting chops, lulling the listener into a trance only for “Unfortunate Son” to let loose all of the group’s hardest-hitting emo talents in full force. 

“Been Swell” opens like the best of goodbye songs. A gentle guitar riff sets the melodic stage before giving way to a distinct and unified groove over which Sean lets the vocals soar: “Our time came and went; you didn’t even notice it.” The song brings Whatever That Means to a dramatic and dissonant close. Eager listeners will undoubtedly wonder, in the best possible way: what’s next?

Whatever That Means is now available on all streaming platforms.

Written by Cole Rush