The single "Clawmaster" rages forth like _Highway_-era Cult of Luna crashing a _Damnation_ release party before stretching out into despondent vocal lines and galloping guitar choruses. Frowny-faced grave stompers might equate melody in extreme music with bringing a pillow to a gun fight, but Ghost Brigade know how to balance sludgy punishment and singable catchiness without ever forcing it. Manne Ikonen's wields his two vocal personalities -- alternately tear-streaked velvet and Scottkellian roar -- with equal confidence. Sometimes clumsy lyric choices ("I hate your face" will scandalize third graders everywhere... maybe) can be forgiven as he rants at self-oppression, questions life's purpose, and decries religious bullshittery.

Musically, _Fear_ is somewhat less hooky and memorable than its predecessor, _Isolation Songs_, though "Divine Act of Lunacy" kept me "marching through fire" for an entire afternoon, repeatedly reminding myself that "fear is forbidden!" Excepting the occasional sonic accents a la concept rockers dredg, _Fear_ progresses through its songs reliably, eschewing left turns and unnecessary ornamentation in favor of thematic focus and consistent atmosphere. Some bands cast about for years to locate their sound; on _Fear_, Ghost Brigade simply follow the logic of soul-fired aggression laid out on earlier efforts. The mixture remains effective, though its appeal is largely exhausted by the close of "Soulcarvers" wintry plod. What's next for Ghost Brigade rests wholly on the band's (and the fans') ability to either further plumb the style or to progress.