Release Date: September 2, 2025
Label: Independent
Shore Ghosts is the debut album from Phantom Lightkeeper, the new solo music project from Justin Beahm, who is best known for his documentary film work for Paramount Pictures, Shout! Factory, and Arrow Video. With Phantom Lightkeeper, he trades visual storytelling for a new experiment in instrumental surf, blending haunting atmospheres, fuzzed-out sludge, and cinematic soundscapes into the mix.
I felt intrigued and excited to listen to this album, Shore Ghosts. Out of the fourteen tracks, eight are under 2 minutes. Although this is not a takeaway, it’s a plus factor because Beahm makes his mark in these short periods of time.
“Red Tide” serves as an intro that runs for one minute and thirty-six seconds. So, the tide is in with a trad surf instro riff that hints at some vague blues around the fringes, at least that is what my ears heard. Then, fuzz tones conclude the sounds.
“Funeral
At Sea” is dark, with some atmosphere and fuzzy tones, followed by meaty
chords. Slightly echoing sounds are in the background, accompanied by a basic
underlying riff with surf’s elemental brushings. It sounded like heavy metal at
a slower speed, but with those surf notes interspersed—a good reminder of the
seriousness of the subject matter for another lost sailor.
“Siren” features some trad surf instro in a heavier, murky mode. The sustain on the guitar resonates like a large bee buzzing. Some tones and colors create an atmosphere of the Old West (think spaghetti western), and then it finishes with the fuzz tone.
“Shore Ghosts” begins like Black Sabbath does surf. Man, this guy is one heavy dude! Things become atmospheric, then shift to a grungy feedback sound. However, he manages to incorporate it within a short timeframe while maintaining the eerie ambient sound in the background.
“Orchid” starts, then a voice comes on to say, “I kissed her as she lay there in the coffin, and her lips were cold.” Damn! Well, perfect timing with the Devil’s Holiday right around the corner. This is heavy metal surf with a hint of spookiness crawling right up your spine. Drums briefly announce themselves as the sound of howling winds close it out.
“Lost Island” brings back the trad surf instro; however, the heaviness of this music and subject matter consistently dominates. And as it should be based on the title of the album! Feedback and distortion give it an evil air once again.
“Lumbering Giant” begins with drums and bass pounding away with a staccato riff, wailing away, calling back to the rhythm section. Surf enthusiasts will appreciate this one but must be open-minded to the heaviness and concept of what this artist is conveying. The sound of the giant making some noise ends it, perfect.
“Sundance
(For Link)” is a nod to one of the greats, Link Wray. And indeed, after hearing
the previous tracks, you can listen to all the influences. Wray was probably
one of the first guitar players to sound punk and grungy. And he nails it here
with a real intense rocker, no surf, just a rockin’ instrumental with feedback
and fuzz.
“Leviathan” is both heavy and melodic, with the rapid-fire surf instro riffing complemented by the drums and bass, which throw another knockout punch. Short and sweet but full of impact, per usual, keeping the audience engaged and captivated.
“Idyllwild” is atmospheric, featuring a wailing sound in the background—very traditional first-wave surf music with hard, fuzzy edges. Steady drums and bass are layered in nicely, but subdued at times, and other times just head-knockin’ hard. It’s a nostalgic journey for an audience, appreciating the traditional surf music with a modern twist
“Moonlight Strangler” marks a return to a more mellow sound for the first time. It catches you off guard, then, of course, it changes and gets heavier with the drums and bass, and then it backs off again. It keeps a surf/spy feel with the rapid picking. Surf instro purists will love this one!
“Nightdance” begins with a slower, mellow tempo and a soft, atmospheric background. Now, this is the longest-running track at 3:45, so you would anticipate several transitions. Not to disappoint, he goes off on a few higher-tempo guitar runs with surfy edges. The best of both worlds is offered here by this guitar maestro.
“Rain Catcher” begins with rain, of course, then straight into that trad reverberating surf instro guitar riffing. Again, he pulls out the stops with some fantastic staccato runs, then pulls back to the more mellow picking. All the while maintaining the surf instro sound and adding some smashing cymbals and drums for drama, the ending features the sound of rain.
“All Hallow’s Eve” is the perfect closer for this album. The wind blows and howls with the essence of evil all around it. Guitars begin with trepidation and softness, then watch out! It explodes into a wave of sound and metallic glory. Then, surfy riffs are added for extra measure to remind you of how he can switch back and forth at any time, sounding original and fresh.
The Phantom Lightkeeper (Justin Beahm) writes a book of mystery and horror with his music on Shore Ghosts. His unique blend of instrumental perfection, a mix of surf, metal, and atmospheric sounds, demands multiple listens to appreciate the scope and depth of what one musician can offer in one listen.
Keith
“MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Review Founder
October
18, 2025
Tracks:
01. Red Tide 1:36
02. Funeral At Sea2:37
03. Siren 2:37
04. Shore Ghosts 3:09
05. Orchid 1:53
06. Lost Island 1:45
07. Lumbering Giant 1:55
08. Sundance (For Link) 1:52
09. Leviathan 1:29
10. Idyllwild 02:23
11. Moonlight Strangler 1:32
12. Nightdance 3:45
13. Rain Catcher 1:45
14. All Hallow's Eve 2:36
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