From Hutchinson, Kansas, rises Deflecting Ghosts, an alternative metal and rock band whose story is as raw and unrelenting as their music. What began as Luke Fitzgerald’s personal refuge during the final chapter of his previous band has transformed into a powerful trio, strengthened by longtime collaborator Rhema on bass and drummer Austin. Together, they channel the spirit of a time when rock was fearless, unpolished yet deeply honest, fusing grit with melody to create music that lingers long after the final note.
Luke’s journey through music is inseparable from his journey through survival. Trained in classical guitar but largely self-taught across piano, bass, drums, and vocals, he spent decades building a musical voice rooted in both triumphs and personal battles. His darkest chapter came in 2008, when addiction led to organ failure, a second heart attack, and a mid-flight overdose that forced an emergency landing in Georgia. He later awoke from a coma in a Florida rehab center, stabilized but forever changed. It was in the aftermath of this fight for life that he returned home to complete the writing of a song that had first been sketched out with his former guitarist, “Unknowing”. Rhema’s bass lines reflect her own history of resilience and redemption, giving the band’s rhythm section an emotional depth that matches Luke’s vocals, while Austin’s intuitive precision on the drums forms the dynamic backbone of their evolving sound. For Deflecting Ghosts, music is more than performance, it is survival translated into melody and power.
On September 12, 2025, Deflecting Ghosts release their searing new single, “Unknowing”, a raw and emotionally charged anthem that blends haunting melodies with crushing riffs and visceral vocals. Tackling betrayal, fractured family ties, and the desperate struggle to break free from destructive cycles, the track embodies both pain and liberation. Lyrics such as “I’m walking away from everything you said to me,” “I’m leaving this place today,” and “I’m running away” cut deep, embodying both vulnerability and unrelenting defiance. Partially written during the height of Luke’s addiction and only completed after his return from near-death and recovery, “Unknowing” is born out of lived experience. Its intensity is not just sonic but spiritual, a cathartic release that transforms grief and anger into something universally relatable. Fans of Cold, Chevelle, and Breaking Benjamin will immediately connect with its heavy-yet-melodic energy, while its deeply personal roots elevate it beyond influence into something entirely its own.
Deflecting Ghosts’ “Unknowing” opens with a strikingly atmospheric introduction that immediately draws the listener into its world of tension and emotional complexity. The very first moments are marked by an intricate layering of electric guitars, each carrying a slightly distorted yet melodic tone that feels both haunting and anticipatory. Underneath this, subtle ambient synth textures and reverb-laden echoes create a sense of space, giving the track an almost cinematic feel. It’s a delicate balance between rawness and polish, where the music feels alive, teetering between introspection and confrontation. The opening doesn’t just set a tone, it establishes a mood of unresolved emotion, hinting at the themes of personal betrayal, fractured relationships, and the struggle for self-redemption that will unravel as the song progresses. Even before vocals enter, there’s a palpable tension in the air, a feeling of something unresolved, which grips the listener and refuses to let go. The interplay between the guitars’ melodic fragments and the subtle background textures creates an aural landscape that is both dense and transparent, allowing listeners to feel the weight of the song’s emotional foundation before a single word is sung.
As the first verse begins, the entrance of the drums transforms the track, giving it a grounded, almost heartbeat-like rhythm that drives the narrative forward. The percussion is both commanding and precise, with snare hits that cut sharply through the guitar layers and cymbal swells that add moments of tension and release. The groove established here is hypnotic in its steadiness, it moves deliberately yet fluidly, creating a foundation that allows each melodic and harmonic element to breathe. The vocals enter with a striking emotional rawness, his voice carrying the kind of vulnerability that immediately commands empathy. Each word is weighed with meaning, his phrasing carefully measured to convey both weariness and defiance. Lines like “I’m walking away from everything you said to me” are delivered with a combination of sharp clarity and subtle tremor, emphasizing the sense of fracture and personal confrontation. Beneath the vocals, the bass gently underpins the harmonic structure, filling the space with a warm, rounded resonance that reinforces the song’s gravity without ever feeling overbearing. The interaction between bass, drums, and guitars here creates a sense of cohesion that feels organic, like the band is breathing as a single entity, pulling the listener into their emotional journey.
As the song moves toward the pre-chorus, the arrangement begins to expand and layer, introducing additional guitar harmonics and subtle keyboard elements that elevate the emotional tension. The dynamics here are masterfully controlled: the song builds without overwhelming, gradually weaving in textures that heighten the listener’s anticipation for the impending chorus. The rhythm section adapts gracefully, with the drums incorporating subtle tom rolls and snare accents that give the groove an almost rolling, forward-pushing energy. The guitars, sometimes strummed with aggressive power chords and other times arpeggiated with delicate precision, create a sonic dialogue that mirrors the internal struggle expressed in the lyrics. The pre-chorus serves as both a bridge and a launchpad, providing a moment of emotional swelling that allows the song to breathe before releasing into the cathartic intensity of the chorus. Every instrument feels deliberately placed; the balance of frequencies ensures that nothing clashes, while the overlapping textures create a richness that makes repeated listening rewarding. There is a palpable sense of storytelling in the music itself, where the arrangement communicates as much emotion as the vocals, a testament to the band’s meticulous attention to detail.
The chorus of “Unknowing” is a release of pent-up emotion, a fully realized explosion of melodic and rhythmic intensity that delivers both visceral impact and melodic beauty. The guitars open up into expansive riffs that blend aggression and melody, their distortion saturated but controlled, cutting through the mix with a satisfying edge. Drums hit with emphatic power, cymbals crashing to mark climactic points, while the bass thunders underneath, reinforcing the harmonic drive and giving the chorus a weight that feels physically tangible. The vocals soar here, reaching their emotional apex with a combination of grit and melodic clarity that conveys both raw anguish and defiant liberation. The interplay between lead guitar flourishes and rhythm guitar power chords adds layers of tension and release, creating a chorus that is simultaneously cathartic and reflective. The feel of the rhythm is propulsive, almost like a wave that lifts the listener and carries them through the narrative’s emotional highs. Even the subtle background elements, such as echoing guitar notes and restrained synth textures, add depth to the sonic palette, making the chorus not just a peak of intensity, but a multi-dimensional experience that resonates long after the section ends.
Instrumentally, “Unknowing” demonstrates an impressive command over texture, layering, and dynamics. The guitars, central to the song’s identity, shift seamlessly between distorted power chords, melodic arpeggios, and delicate harmonic touches, providing both aggression and reflection within the same musical framework. The bass is never just a background element; its presence grounds the harmonic structure, giving weight and momentum to the song’s rhythmic movements. The drums are intricately detailed, balancing a hard-driving rock feel with nuanced fills, cymbal swells, and tempo variations that enhance the song’s emotional flow. Even small instrumental details, like subtle percussive accents, guitar harmonics, and reverbed touches, contribute significantly to the overall texture, making the listening experience immersive and layered. The groove throughout is compelling, it carries a steady pulse that anchors the track, yet its dynamic shifts, from restrained verses to expansive choruses, create a sense of journey and emotional progression. The instrumentation and arrangement work together seamlessly, giving each moment emotional clarity while contributing to the song’s overarching narrative of struggle, confrontation, and eventual release.
Deflecting Ghosts’ Unknowing transforms betrayal and pain into a cathartic anthem of resilience, fusing haunting melody with crushing emotional intensity.
By the time the bridge and final chorus arrive, “Unknowing” has evolved into a fully immersive emotional and sonic experience. The song expertly alternates between moments of restraint and explosive intensity, using dynamics and instrumental layering to create a sense of ebb and flow. Subtle flourishes, a tremolo-picked guitar line here, a drum fill there, or a bass slide accenting a key lyric, add nuance and dimension to the listening experience, ensuring that every repeat listen reveals new details. Fitzgerald’s vocal performance adapts seamlessly to these shifts, moving between delicate introspection and full-bodied, impassioned delivery, making the emotional journey feel authentic and lived-in. The outro allows the instrumentation to gradually recede, leaving behind a lingering sense of unresolved tension and catharsis, the echoes of guitar and ambient textures fading but still resonating. The song’s intricate layering, dynamic progression, and careful attention to instrumental interplay make it a masterclass in emotional rock music. “Unknowing” does more than tell a story, it immerses the listener fully in its emotional landscape, making the pain, struggle, and resilience it conveys not just understandable, but viscerally felt.
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