Bloodletting of the Crimson Court

Based out of Los Angeles, California, Ghost Ramp has often been the home to some of the best electronic and alternative rock music in the scene. With a heavy emphasis on games and the culture that surrounds it, Ghost Ramp has harbored an environment that blends these two universes into a diverse and unique platform that constantly delivers solid products and soundtracks from some of the industries hit indie gems. As one of my first pick-ups from Ghost Ramp, Darkest Dungeon is an absolute banger. Taking a more minimalist approach with this album’s design, what this elegant packaging holds inside is one of the darkest and most brooding adventures I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in quite some time. As far as design goes, the minimal approach in illustrating the dark and drab world that Red Hook Studios and Stuart have helped create is impeccable. I absolutely love the gloss spot finishing to the black elements of the design work here, and it goes a long way in making this feel like a classy release to a dark and dilapidated score. Included with this album is a liner note insert from composer Stuart Chatwood himself and is such a welcome addition to the packaging. The mastering is great, and the noise floor is super quiet allowing for all the intricacies of Stuart’s score to come through beautifully on these awesome wax discs. The color choice of black and transparent red fits the Darkest Dungeon universe so well, the transparent red is just gorgeously bright! The only downside I feel with this release’s design is the lack of elements on the spine. There isn't an album title, artist name, or catalog number present, which in turn, makes it difficult to catalog it with other albums in a collection. Therefore, when shelved and standing along-side others, it's just plain boring. Overall I feel like this is a solid release, and one of the best sounding albums Ghost Ramp has released to date!