Ghost - 'Skeletá’

Rock Metal Machine
Jul 1
2 min read

The answer to that particularly vexing conundrum is Sweden’s Ghost, arguably the hottest property in any delineation of Melodic Rock right now.

Intricate skeletal designs frame landscapes; ghostly figure in the center. "Ghost" text above. Dark, eerie atmosphere.

What do you get if you take the shock and awe of Alice Cooper, the Goth-infused melancholy of bands like HIM or My Dying Bride, the classic Rock and Metal riffs of the seventies and eighties, and a stirring affinity for timeless melodies á la Def Leppard in their prime? The answer to that particularly vexing conundrum is Sweden’s Ghost, arguably the hottest property in any delineation of Melodic Rock right now.

The beginnings of the band date back almost two decades, but like KISS before them, for many years their identities remained a closely guarded secret. Indeed, it wasn’t until almost a decade later that the name of band leader/singer/main songwriter Tobias Forge was reluctantly revealed during a legal spat…

Put simply, over the course of five studio albums Ghost have gone from club sideshow curiosity to genuine arena fillers with their ever evolving brand of guitar-fuelled fire and brimstone. 2022’s magnificent ‘Impera’ album was their most complete and rounded offering at that point, its soaring hooks and instantly identifiable themes finally cementing their position as “the” band to emulate. The all-encompassing tour that followed finally gave them the perfect shop window to take on the world… and then along comes ‘Skeletá’!

To say that the sixth slab of Ghost is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year is an understatement of Herculean proportions, but all you really need to know is that it ticks all the right boxes and then some! Rarely does an album engage my undivided attention from start to finish these days, but that’s precisely what ‘Skeletá’ does. From the smouldering choral intro to opener ‘Peacefield’ – just wait until that glorious hook kicks in – to the sprawling emotional melodrama of closer ‘Excelsis’, Ghost smash through past preconceptions to a whole new level of engagement!

Forget the larger-than-life characters for now (that’s for the stage show), put away your preconceptions about the lyrical content and just bask in the joyous effervescence of the wonderfully addictive ‘Lachryma’, the overblown theatrics of ‘Satanized’, the exquisitely pomp infused ‘Marks Of The Evil One’ or the deliciously languid ‘Guiding Lights’ and if you’re not hooked, you’re reading the wrong magazine!

I’ve lived with this on heavy rotation for the last fortnight at the time of writing, and every time I play it, it just gets better… brilliant!

Reviewer: Dave Cockett

Label: Loma Vista

Genre: Melodic Rock

Issue Reviewed In: 111

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