NEW RITUALS. Ghosts of the Sun recently announced their sophomore album Animist — set for a release in May. The band's second album emerges as a testament to their resilience, a powerful response to the tragedy they've endured since their debut.

Tragedy can either define a person and wither them down to nothing, or it can propel one forward with the knowledge that life is precious and fragile. Perhaps no local band knows that more than progressive rock/metal instrumental outfit, Ghosts of the Sun.

Ghosts of the Sun recently announced their sophomore album Animist, set for a release in May. This marks the Chippewa Valley-based band’s first full-length recording since 2020’s Existia. The captivating mix of cleverly connected genre pieces are the product of a group that has faced tragedy since the release of their debut record.

Animist album cover.

“One thing we can all agree on is that it’s been a really weird time,” Ghosts of the Sun member Alex Vang said. “There’s been a lot of tragedy, a lot of positives, and overall, it’s been a strange time of trying to discover who we are again after all of this. We are moving forward and taking it all in without allowing anything to define us.”

Founding guitarists Eric Giardina and Rick St. Germaine both passed away suddenly in 2022, leaving Vang and drummer Justin Terry unsure of Ghosts of the Sun's future. They loved the band and its music, but going on with anyone new seemed overwhelming.

It could only be someone who knew of and could live up to the musical reputation of Ghosts of the Sun and its founding members. Enter: Will Wall of FM Down, also a well-known area band.

When it came time to find Ghost of the Sun's missing piece to move forward, Vang and Terry said Wall was the only person they thought of contacting. Wall has gained respect in the local music scene through decades of performing and recording other groups in his studio.

Terry and Wall — whose studios are located next to each other — have crossed paths many times. They’re thankful Wall has invested in them, and committed to helping Ghosts of the Sun live on.

“I came into a delicate situation, so I wanted to do everything I could to respect and honor that,” Wall said. “This project was very appealing to me because as an aging musician I want to play with people I enjoy being around, and I love being around these guys. We aren’t trying to replicate what the band’s sound was before, we’re just being true to ourselves and seeing what comes out of it.”

The quartet-turned-trio's debut performance was at Decadent Cabaret in 2023, a longtime local festival held annually at The Brickhouse Pub & Grub in Eau Claire. The band set the stage with two guitars set at middle stage – one for Giardina, one for Germaine – and ripped through 25 minutes of music in honor of their fallen friends. That show marked a path forward for Vang, Terry, and Wall, and led them to Ghosts of the Sun's second studio album.

The first two offerings from the upcoming record, “Storma” and “Blood Ritual,” showcase the band's expanding sound, pushing the musical envelope to encompass whatever they’re feeling genre wise at the time. It’s a feeling of self-discovery that has Terry excited about the future of the group.

“We don’t want to limit ourselves, or our sound, to any one style or genre,” Terry said. “All we care about is that when all three of us are in a room that we’re having fun and making music we’re proud of. That philosophy has made us much more comfortable with taking bigger and bigger chances than we ever have before.”

New singles “Blood Ritual” and “Storma” are available now on all major streaming services. You can pre-order their upcoming album Animist now on ghostsofthesun.bigcartel.com.

Keep up with Ghosts of the Sun on Facebook and ghostsofthesun.bigcartel.com.