“Phantom Lightkeeper Pushes Boundaries with Every Track”
Vinyl and CD release date: 8/14/26, digital release
date: 9/18/26. Vinyl pressed by Waxwork Records and limited to 100 numbered
copies. CD limited to 100 copies.
Justin Beahm is the Phantom Lightkeeper. Last year,
I was introduced to his project through the album Shore Ghosts.
He presents a rather dark, mysterious vibe through
his artwork and instrumental music, with some surfy elements. Four Days at
the Precipice is a title that suggests there may be more of that on his
forthcoming album. I would expect the furthest thing from traditional surf…
“Hidden Mother” kicks things off with a blast of
metal guitar, then switches to a more defined lead with atmospheric, surfy
elements and tremolo, as the bass rumbles and heavy notes hold, culminating in
a resounding crash of power.
“Francesca Woodman's Camera” is the longest track on
the album, stretching out to four minutes and twelve seconds of resonating
notes. As he is so adept at, he takes metal and surf elements and expertly
mixes them at various tempos. The tremolo excellence finds its way into this
foreboding atmospheric dandy. This dark and exploratory guitar-based music
keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting for something to change at any minute.
With a track title like “Blood March,” you are
thinking of an atmosphere with a certain edge, and you get it with heavy guitar
riffs and surf elements folded in from the start. It shifts to a softer sound before
closing out—moody and dark, keeping with the concept.
“Cover the Mirrors” features a softer, more tasteful approach with the guitar while firmly holding onto the feeling of mystery and darkness in the background sounds, as the guitar’s resonant tones cut through with precision, like a knife through butter; the atmosphere
finds perfection through the strings of the six-string.
“Fire Spirits” jumps into full-on surf in the tank
instro! But wait, what happened? It stops after a short time, transitions to a
completely different tempo, then reverts to the driving notes, and finally back
to the easier sounds. This merry-go-round of tempos keeps you on your toes. The
point is the element of surprise in the sudden, complete stops and the changes in musical direction.
“Abominable” is a surf rocker with some shredding.
More of the unpredictable changes happen during the run of the track, which in
fact highlight the artist’s ability to move his fingers so quickly to create a
myriad of sounds coaxed from his six-string. The music sure fits the title!
“Main Theme (from The Thing)” is a huge change, with bass leading the way and the guitar's sound gaining momentum in the
background. It sounds like a soundtrack with the feeling that something is
about to happen, and it does; the music explodes in a powerful direction with
some incredibly fast guitar playing, and all the elements come in: bass,
crashing cymbals and drums, keys. It's an onslaught of sound!
“Four Days at the Precipice” begins like the dirge
of a Black Sabbath track before it pulls back some and the lead guitar becomes
more atmospheric and dreamier. The sound of wind is spooky and ominous, the
coming of something terrible. The combination of the metal and resonant, surfy guitar lines is very interesting, like two forces battling for
dominance.
“The Ritual” evokes more mystery and trepidation, with layers of Justin's voice creating a sense of depth (and sounding like a synth), and the percussion keeping a steady time. It all sounds like it's taking place deep in an unknown jungle, with the outcome hanging in the balance.
“Those in the Twilight Time” starts with a
voice-over, then it goes right into a superb surf instro rocker. There is a
good melody here with several different guitars making their presence known.
Then guess what? It changes entirely into a full-on rock march. By now, I have
become used to hearing these kinds of changes within a single song. At times it
sounds wild, but it's undeniably good!
“Coffin Belle” is the atmosphere you would expect:
dark and menacing, with heavy fat guitar chords but with the added surfy
tremolo for balance and some melody. Is it surf horror? With metal, rock, surf,
all of that merging for a colorful and interesting foray into the world of one
man’s musical mind. Call it what you want, but it sure gets your attention.
“Four Days at the Precipice II” continues with the
massively layered presentations of guitar-based music. It all comes together
with atmospheric movements from the synths and the guitar, its power chords and
surf tremolo falling into place together somehow. Masterful transitions and
tempo changes all within one track under three minutes.
“Alone” pulls back in entirely, with the momentum
and sound, featuring some acoustic guitar, and you can hear his fingers
squeaking on the strings. About halfway through, it switches to a Middle Eastern motif, with the sound layer of spooky synths blowing in the
background. Tastefully done!
“Die, Die My Darling” seems like the perfect
“ending” now, doesn’t it? A voice starts, “Unknown to his mourners, his dead
wife was watching.” Ok, here we go! This is a real surf rock tasty treat, with
all the tremolo runs and a locomotive rhythm section driving hard. The guitar
answers the call one last time, finishing this instrumental showcase of diversity with a resounding display of virtuosity. Shredding and non-stop energy,
Dick Dale must be smiling in heaven right now.
Four Days at the Precipice is the work of an artist who manages to sound like an entire band. The
guitar work is consistently extraordinary and trying to pin down exactly what's
happening is no simple task. Each track is an exploration of how a single
instrument can conjure a vast range of sounds and emotions, often shifting
direction mid-song. What sets this album apart is how expertly Beahm pulls off
these changes across all 14 tracks. While surf instrumental purists may scoff,
anyone who appreciates fearless genre-bending, technical prowess, and a
cinematic sense of atmosphere will find a lot to love here.
Keith “MuzikMan”
Hannaleck-Surf Music and Art Founder
July 21, 2026
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