Ghost – Meliora

In an age where it is becoming increasingly difficult for metal bands to break free of the underground and find mainstream success, Ghost is one of the few bands seeming to gain popularity. With each new album, the band manages to launch into the next stratosphere of fame. Despite this, I’ve found the band to be wildly inconsistent. The debut had some good tracks, but appeared to be just a hint of things to come, while “Infestissumam” knocked it out of the park completely. The band’s third record, “Meliora”, shows them returning to Earth. Much like the first Ghost album, “Meliora” has a number of enjoyable songs, but it also has some head-scratching moments, as well as some downright boring ones.

The high points on “Meliora” consist primarily of the first half of the album. Whether it is the doom-laden single “Cirice”, or the catchy bounce found in both “Spirit” and “From The Pinnacle To The Pit”, Ghost has done an excellent job of writing material that sticks with you. They are all true to the band’s formula of incorporating Papa Emeritus’ highly restrained and melodic vocals over top of heavier mid-paced riffs. The latter track in particular is perfect for a live setting, as it is easy to sing along to. While the band has hinted towards playing doom metal in the past, “Cirice” is Ghost’s first major example where they show how effective they are at playing this style. After a short instrumental, the band continues the high quality with “He Is”, a song that is much lighter than the earlier tracks (thanks in large part to the extensive use of acoustic guitars), and considerably far away from metal. 

From this point, Ghost loses focus a little bit. “Mummy Dust” has a downright frustrating and annoying chorus, while the remaining four tracks on the record are true to Ghost’s sound (even the interlude), but with minimal substance of interest. Gone are the hooks so catchy that they won’t leave your head for hours. The problem with the style of music that Ghost plays is that it is so reliant on strong songwriting that when this isn’t achieved, the result is disappointing. Sure, there’s the occasional enjoyable moment on the second half of the album, but relative to past classics like “Ritual”, “Jigolo Har Megiddo” or even some of the earlier songs on this album, side 2 is a major letdown. Nevertheless, if you like what Ghost does, “Meliora” probably won’t disappoint too much. At the very least, it is worthy of buying for the first few songs, while the latter half is good for the occasional spin.

Be sure to check out and like Ghost on Facebook!

Highlights

"Spirit"

"From The Pinnacle To The Pit"

"Cirice"

Final Rating

3.5/5 or 70%. 

Written by Scott

Ghost - Infestissumam

Since releasing their debut album “Opus Eponymous” in 2010 there has been no bigger hype band than Ghost. Maybe it was because they were on a tour with Mastodon and Opeth (who, for some reason, are two of the biggest metal bands today), because they never revealed their identities, or because of their strange brand of occult rock. Regardless of how they got popular, the good news is that their debut was an enjoyable record. It definitely had quite a few metal leanings, and could probably best be described as Mercyful Fate meets Blue Oyster Cult. With “Infestissumam”, Ghost continues that trend, but definitely sound like a band that has bought into their own hype.

The second the record opens, you are hit with the sound of huge, ancient choirs. This is nothing new for Ghost, and it actually builds into something quite atmospheric in the intro; however, it would later be used again on other tracks to the record’s detriment. The choirs definitely fit Ghost’s image, but they really aren’t necessary beyond the great intro. Luckily, the first full song opens with one of Ghost’s hardest hitting riffs, before the guitars give way to Papa Emeritus’ ghastly vocals. In general, the songs on “Infestissumam” aren’t that different from the debut; there are hard rocking songs (“Per Aspera Ad Inferi”), as well as more simplistic tunes (“Body and Blood”). Where this record sometimes gets off track is in its use of strange melodies. For example, the single, “Secular Haze”, has a carnival feel to it, which is unnecessary and takes away from the rest of the song (it does however, have some great bass guitar work). Likewise, “Year Zero” has some moments that make you think that this band could really be doing something better. This is what I mean when I say they’ve bought into their own hype; they are emphasizing new and weird elements to the band in order to push their image into more mainstream territory. Granted, it seems to have worked, but the average metal fan is likely to be able to handle the strange combination of Ghost’s music and their aesthetic. Getting back to the music, the highlight is definitely “Jigolo Har Megiddo”, which has a stomping rhythm to it. The interplay of drums and guitars almost sounds like disco meets swing. It’s got a four-on-the-floor feel, but still has a jumpy, unrestrained character. The more experimental “Ghuleh / Zombie Queen” has its moments as well, but is more likely to be a grower.  The remainder of the songs don’t stand out, but that works to Ghost’s favour as they’re simply enjoyable occult rock tunes.

“Infestissumam” is likely to be a conflicting record. Had the band stayed a bit more consistent and less experimental, I would certainly enjoy it more. With that said, they didn’t simply rehash their previous record. While I’m afraid of their likely future downfall, Ghost have created an enjoyable, albeit flawed follow-up.

Be sure to check out and like Ghost on Facebook!

Highlights

"Per Aspera Ad Inferi"

"Jigolo Har Megiddo"

"Body and Blood"

Final Rating

3.9/5 or 78%. 

Written by Scott