Since 2010 Swedish theatrical hard rock group Ghost have been refining their sound. Each album providing a more balanced and mature combination of heavy metal, melody and theatrics. And now, on what looks to be an eponymous fourth record, Ghost have hit their stride. Each album has built the bands fan base more and more. And the bands newest album ‘Prequelle’ will certainly be their true breakout.
Every band that’s built an empire has that one album that really broke the band. For Metallica it was ‘…And Justice For All’. For Motley Crue it was ‘Shout At the Devil’. And for Mastodon it was ‘The Hunter’. That doesn’t mean those are the best and most successful albums of a bands career. But they are indicative of what the future might hold. And for Ghost, I’m excited for the future. They seem to get better and better with each release. And each release gets more publicity, sells more and supports a bigger tour. And this time around I have a feeling it’s going to be big.
The album opens with a classic amniotic moody instrumental ‘Ashes’. Which then moves directly into the debut single ‘Rats’. The successful hit and debut single. A classic hard rock riff paired with one hell of a catchy melody. It’s an arena tailored hit complete with memorable chorus chant, a killer riff breakdown at the end and a bad ass music video. But that’s only the first song. The album picks it up from the excellent ‘Rats’ into the unreal ‘Faith’. It’s just so freakin’ good. The sheer joy of how good it is can’t be explained. The multiple riffs, the grooves, the harmonies, the melodies, the lyrics. It’s just perfect. It’s absolutely a perfect song. The successor ‘See the Light’ is a hair raising hard rock ballad. Yet another classic, strong Ghost sing along chorus. Make no mistake, someday there will be a Ghost Broadway musical. It’s only a matter of time.
The Dream Theater like instrumental ‘Miasma’ is next. And it’s a great jam, memorable with a good balance of keyboard and heavy guitars. After that comes ‘Dance Macabre’. A track that has huge huge hit single potential. It possesses this pop/discotheque vibe to it without sacrificing the hard rock sound of Ghost. The album then closes with four ballads. The extremely theatrical ‘Pro Memoria’ is the first. It sounds like Queen went to hell. Freddy would be proud. ‘Witch Image’ is a mid tempo ballad of epic epic proportions. Again, following that Queen goes to hell vibe. ‘Helvetesfonster’ captures the mid-evil mood of the record musically before going into a trippy hard rock instrumental. The album then closes with the beautiful ‘Life Eternal’. And what a way to close an album. If you’re going to close with a ballad it better be big. And Ghost knows how to go big.
Overall, this is a perfect album. Honestly, five out of five stars. It’s such a complete record. Not only does it have impeccably written music. It also has strong lyrical content. The album is a concept record set in mid-evil times. And the band uses that as a trope for the modern political corruption we’re now facing. Cardinal Copia slams the corrupt politicians and religious leaders that seem hell bent on bringing about the end of times. It’s got the music, it’s got the message, it’s got the passion. And the production of the album is phat a crisp. They really put in some work to make it sound excellent. And it is an excellent album. I’m really looking forward to what the future holds for this band. Can’t wait for the tour.
Rats music video.
A perfect song on a perfect album.
