Ghost have been one of the most prolific heavy rock bands on the past fifteen years. Tobias Forge and co just seem to be growing and growing. The last album, ‘IMPERA,’ is a masterpiece of timeless melodic metal. The next logical step seems to be Forge’s affliction for quality pop and rock music. Which has manifested in a new covers Ep entitled ‘Phantomime.’
In a short period of time. Ghost cover a diverse gamut of different rock genres. Covering everything from Iron Maiden, to Genesis, to…Television? That’s some deep digging indeed. Of course, every song has the typical Tobias Forge twist. ‘Jesus He Knows Me,’ the first single, really set a standard. A phenomenal cover of a track that seems to be more relevant than ever. And major kudos for resisting the urge to do ‘Land of Confusion.’ One of the most covered songs by neo-traditional heavy bands. ‘Phantom of the Opera’ is a near identical take. Which is extremely impressive. Ghost do Maiden justice and then some. Whilst retaining who they are. Is Forge as vocally impressive as Bruce Dickinson? No. But that’s not really the point.
‘See No Evil’ displays. how deep Ghost are willing to go into coversland. Forge and co really metallisize Television. A little known New York act that wrote great songs. But maybe didn’t deliver on the final product live. So ‘See No Evil’ gets a beef up that makes it ready for the arenas. Which is, of course, the theme of the album. ‘Hanging Around’ is also a fairly true to form cover. The snarky nature of The Stranglers is retained. While the thick guitar production plays the main riff with electrifying confidence. The EP closes out with perhaps the most unexpected artist. Tina Turner. Which is very fitting considering her recent passing. The song, as it turns out, has become a true tribute. And the band delivers in full. Fulfilling the original groove elements. It’s a great display of how a heavy band can cover even the most pop of hits. Not to mention letting a legend live on.
All in all, the ‘Phantomime’ Ep is yet another solid release from Ghost. Some cover albums aren’t great. They’re just bland remakes and a quick album job. But with Ghost, there seems to be a goal. Turning kick ass songs that may not be heavy metal into glorious, melodic metal masterpieces. What’s even better is that there’s more covers to be had. Which will hopefully end up in a second EP. Hat’s off to Ghost for really puttin’ it in the coffee. Crank it, live it, love it.
