Ghost (or Ghost B.C. or w/e) -- Swedish Pop Metal in Satan's Service

figured they oughtta have their own thread, as they've got a new album out and the last was pretty well liked around here. first single, "secular haze", is a proggy five-minute waltz that saves its biggest hook for the closing moments. weird move, and it took me a while to come around, but now i can't get it out of my head:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyQZ13jobIY

Love the vid.

Nice one, loved their last album!

well, from the name/image etc, the vocals are nothing like i expected ..

i was waiting for gruff/indecipherable shouting, and certainly nothing as melodic as this is !

this is really good stuff ...

digging this record a lot. worshipping satan has never sounded so wholesome.

okay, so this thread hasn't gone far since i started it

ALBUM OF THE FUCKING YEAR - calling it here, daft punk or no

everything about this is magnificent, a huge leap forward from the already brilliant debut. unlike the new uncle acid, they don't sacrifice a bit of what made them initially compelling. if anything, they double down. creamier, sweeter, catchier, more deeply infused with pure fresh (demon) seed. opus eponymous was approximately four brilliant songs padded out to album length, but this thing never flags, it just keeps building and building. i was convinced at "jigolo har megido", but holy shit at what, ska surf doom on "zombie queen"? that's after an intro that for a moment might be air or goldfrapp. sounds godawful, but it works! it's unspeakable and absolutely perfect, like the drooling bastard whelp of satan spawned upon a limpid nun. the single, "secular haze", is really just the jumping off point.

i sometimes think that "don't fear the reaper" is my all time favorite song, and this album is like that song turned into a band. soaring, glossily seductive, almost comically dark (okay, more than "almost" in this case), and catchy as all holy hell. maybe the most telling thing about this is that they cover an abba song and it doesn't overshadow the originals in any way. they're writing at that level, or near it, anyway. "year zero" is the real "first single", and it comes halfway through the album. like before they unfurl the full majesty, they want to show you that the tier two material is at least twice as good as any sane person had right to expect. and fuck, "body and blood", giving saturation era urge overkill a run for their money.

i expect it'll be way too cartoonish and cartoonishly "rock" for ILM in general, and it does maybe flag a bit at the very end, but this shit was weaponized specifically with me in mind. gorgeous goth pop horror metal from dimensions lost, beaming in on late night radio. "suffer little children to come unto me." have never heard a band take blue oyster cult so much to heart. brings a tear, i tell you. bloody, perhaps fecal, but a tear nonetheless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkBt7yLXyDk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtin1QiLrEE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRB1hTjxjMg

this is pop

This sounds like Sensefield

kind of kidding with the AOY! biz, but i really do like it

thanks for ringing the bell only to leave a bag of flaming shit on the mat, JD.

had never heard "sensefield". gonna be all morning scrubbing that shit outta my brain with a toothbrush.

note to all interested parties: this sounds nothing like sneesefield.

also, it is possible that i may have been a leeetle bit drunk when i wrote that long "review" last night...

up from the stinking earth she rises ghastly pale
shapeshifting soon, but now she's rigid, stiff and stale

realize i'm out on a storm-lashed promontory in the moonless night with this one, but that's cool. i think i passed a castle back down the road a few miles. maybe they have a telephone i might use.

obv the BOC references are obvious but i never thought of Saturation by Urge Overkill until you said it contenderizer, but yeah totally....also the Stull EP

that said they are kinda like a less funny/varied/amazing BOC

but yeah i like the satanic pop bubblegum vibe

they say satan so much on this album it made me lol at points

and surely thats the point ?
panto rock a la alice cooper etc ...

Yeah I mean I love the campiness of it

me too ..
the sound. the concept. the look. etc.
if ever there was a band who dreamt up the perfect 'klf vs doom' colective, then ghost b.c. would be damn close to the outcome.
tis one of my favourite albums in a long long time ..

zombbbbiiiieeeee quuueeeeeennnnn

that said they are kinda like a less funny/varied/amazing BOC

you forgot less talented, which is the real problem.

thanks for ringing the bell only to leave a bag of flaming shit on the mat, JD.

had never heard "sensefield". gonna be all morning scrubbing that shit outta my brain with a toothbrush.

note to all interested parties: this sounds nothing like sneesefield.

― I have many lovely lacy nightgowns (contenderizer), Thursday, April 18, 2013 7:20 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Ha! I was just being mean. It WAS the first thing that popped into my head when I heard it, though. Can't get behind this band at all.

nor can pitchfork metal dude, which bums me out cuz so many (apparently) take tips from them :(

accessibility and catchiness get a bad rap in certain quarters. a shame, imo.

I'm so happy to have stumbled upon this thread. I didn't even know they had a new album out. Opus Eponymous proved that Satan does have the best music, and if this anything like that, it will be well worth a download.

dig the look. reminds me of a less manic arcturus

On first listen, I'm not sure I like this better than Opus Eponymous. It seems the organ is more prominent and there's more of an oompah-band rhythm going on, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but the songs didn't grab me as much at first, except for "Secular Haze" which is pretty catchy. Calling Opus "approximately four brilliant songs padded out to album length" sets a pretty high bar. It doesn't seem like there are even four songs on this as good as the best stuff on Opus, but I'll try to keep an open mind.

Maybe I was a bit too hard on this. It's been growing on me. I still think it could have been a couple of songs shorter, and I'm not sure it matches the highs of Opus, but complaining would be churlish of me.

can not keep a straight face listening to this record, and i mean that in the best possible way

totally.
its a proper chesiree cat grin album ..

Dang, Opus is good. I love the concept (bubblegum Satanic ought to be perennial), so I'm glad I like all of the songs too.

*Satanism

The new record definitely isn't as strong as Opus Eponymous for me, but I still like it a great deal.

I'm with the man from Pitchfork on this one. Too many weak melodies. I do really like Ghuleh, though.

"Ghuleh" is great.

new album !

kids vs satanic doom rock :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Ao4t_fe0I

cannot wait.

"Cirice" is so goddamn catchy. I hope the whole album is like that.

whole album is great. ends with an evil hymn

Album is rocking in a strange kind of Darkness / Queensryche manner.

The world is on fiyah.

I haven't heard this yet, how does it compare to their previous stuff?

On first listen (so apply liberal grains of salt), I'm leaning towards "return to form". A bit front-loaded perhaps, but doesn't wear out its welcome.

very brief discussion of the new one on Rolling Metal

He Is = one of 2015's best songs

almost embarrassed by how much I like this album

when i return to normal life, i.e. next week when mk2 goes back to school and i go back into the office,
this is top of the list to help me get through the week.

suspect that the more excessive/prog/psych they become the more i will love them.

Old-school Satan worship filtered through contemporary Swedish pop production. The record's producer, Klas Ahlund, has previously worked with Robyn, Britney Spears and Katy Perry.

that moment at the end of "Spirit" where Papa Emeritus hits the high note on "spiiiiii-iiii-riiiiiit" right into the dope riff is ace

THE WORLD IS ON FI-YAH

The world is on fiyah.

― obstacle illusion (calstars), Tuesday, August 25, 2015 5:24 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^ this song just makes me want to start it all over again

HE IS

"from the pinnacle to the pit" is molten blue oyster cult / uriah heep alloy

My impression of the new one is that it will appeal especially to people who liked the debut but thought the band lost the path on the second.

i'm liking the MASTER MUSICIANS OF BUKKAKE vibes i'm hearing

got the vinyl in mail today and loving it

bloody hell, one listen in, and I am in awe of this.

so so much fun.

told you

let's rank the hooks on this thing:

1. all of He Is

2. "You are cast out from the heavens to the ground. Blackened feathers falling down"

3. "Put your hands up and reach for the sky / cry for absolution!"

4. "The world is on fi-yahhh, and you are here to stay and burn with me"

what else?

"Old oneeeeeeee...masterrrrrrrrrr"

If the title of "mummy dust" wasn't the same, I'd have no idea what papa is saying

originally thought it was latin

There is a certain volume at which this gets really good

what, "off"?

(I don't think this at all, I fell on that sword so no other jokester could zing Ghost itt)

There is a certain volume at which this gets really good

agree 100% ...

put the album on earlier at a good volume, and it totally opened up.

I'm mostly listened to it on headphones thus far.

Def Lep chorus on Absolution comes out of fucking nowhere

still can't figure out why the vocals are a dealbreaker for so many. can't imagine Ghost without them

yeah. pfork review was baffling.

also for calling deus in absentia a weaker song or something like that

just really curious why *this* is the band in 2015 that metalheads are defensive about when the Butcher Babies exist.

Def Lep chorus on Absolution comes out of fucking nowhere

I've been picking up Def Lep vibes in a few places on this as well. I guess it's the sweet harmonies, multiple bridge/chorus hooks, and slick production.

First 40 seconds of He Is is very Interpol like

He Is sounds a lot like shack/mick head

xp the vocals, yeah. the instruments are not very interpol at all, though.

i'm helping my folks move into their new place tomorrow and I feel like I could play this for her and she might like something like "He Is" without realizing she's humming along to delightful chewy little paeans to Satan.

"and you're doing fine, worshipping your Lord"

I love the choral breakdown at the end.

So the humor here is pretty evident. If that's the case, that they're taking the piss, then the conclusion from a religious belief standpoint is that they are laughing at the ridiculousness of either the existence of Satan or his personality.

Mummy Dust is skippable, the rest of this essential (interludes aside)

Got my tix to see em next month

anyone seen Purson? i've never heard a note.

i'm three hours from the closest show and srsly considering making the drive, if Purson's great live it'd make my decision a lot easier

he is insurrection, he is spite

Man even if Ned Beatty opens for Ghost...get thee there

love the "ordinary world" vibe on the "he is" outro solo

also love the solo on "cirise." very pagey. such rover.

RAISE YOUR HANDS UP AND REACH FOR THE SKY!

"If you have ghosts" is so pop

tomorrow night - Orlando. this could be a show of the year candidate!

Even now when you're here you are moving
Hysterically seeking out what needs improving
And you're still asking for the sun

All those things that you desire
You will find there in the fire

Put your hands up and reach for the sky
Cry for absolution
You'll be down on your knees and you'll cry
Cry for absolution

I'll stick up for Infestissumam. I think it still has some incredible bubblegum hooks.

See this band live. Holy shit.

I was just coming here to say Infestissumam gets a bad rap. Seems like everyone I've talked to about Meliora is like "Yup, much better than the last one" or "Yeah they finally gave us the follow-up to the debut that we deserve."

Infestissumam is killerrrrr.

one of the best live shows I've ever seen. the theatricality of it really takes the music to another level.

plus the guitars, which are a bit muted on disc, positively CRACK live. the vocals sounded great too.

they also very much know how to construct a setlist. "Spirit" right into "From the Pinnacle to the Pit" and then "Ritual" to begin, "He Is" toward the midway mark, ending with "If You Have Ghosts". they played almost all of Meliora!

I then got into a row with the street Xtians afterwards

bloody hell.
this album on headphones : immense.
wish i had the chance to see them live.

they also very much know how to construct a setlist. "Spirit" right into "From the Pinnacle to the Pit" and then "Ritual" to begin, "He Is" toward the midway mark, ending with "If You Have Ghosts". they played almost all of Meliora!

this sounds like the perfect concert set to me.

so i saw them last night and holy shit ... amazing. two solid hours of basically nothing but killer songs, absolutely seamless playing and obviously engaging stage presence/performance. setlist was nicely spread across the three album, hitting all the best stuff.

best show I've seen in quite some time. i was especially happy about how long it was (and I'm generally a "75 minutes is enough, thanks" kind of concertgoer)

absolutely MASSIVE band

for me this is the 2015 released album i have enjoyed more than anything else.

i have had friends round and played 'he is' etc, to them, and they were totally in the 'who is this?' groove.

Alpine otm re: massive

It's grown on me a lot. I must not have been in the right mood when it came out, or just bored of Ghost. It's a huge step up from the last album.

It's a huge step up from the last album.

agreed.

the mix of tunes, expansive production, and choirs really hits hard on the new album.

They're on Colbert tonight. I'm guessing they'll go with Pinnacle to the Pit, but I could totally see He Is being the song that breaks them to a much bigger audience.

They went with "Cirice". Clip is on Youtube.

That was cool. Satanic pop metal on national TV! I figured Cirice would be too long, but they got it down to 4 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMWeIRX-ZHE

Really well done!

that was pretty great, the filter was a corny but nice touch

For all my whining on EOY about a lack of 'proper' metal, I'm so glad I gave Ghost another chance. Meliora is a masterpiece.

I was listening to 'He Is' and thinking 'where have I heard that melody line before? And I realised it was kind of similar to this old Scandi-pop song I used to like off a free CD from Jockey Slut in the early 2000s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgRXbpA1-_Q

Doubt it's any more than a passing coincidence, but strange they come from the same part of the world.

I can barely hear the connection

yeah it's tenuous at best. I also think it sounds like Umbrella but it must just be how my brain is wired cos no one else would agree.

grammy winners

"The nightmare has become a dweam!" [within a dweam!]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb9cy3Me0hk

hah!

I don't think they should have said a word but it was interesting to see the singer

wish he would've worn the full get-up

Ghost performing "He Is" at the Grammis, the Swedish Grammy awards, where they won the best metal performance category.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQm8Ssh4ynQ

So beautiful, artful, a love song to Satan, with dancers and a giant creepy marionette seemingly in control of all. Yeah, yeah, Blue Oyster Cult meets Mercyful Fate - it's been done before, but if you don't think there is originality in this band watch this. I listened to a ton of great metal albums last year, and all of them sound like someone but none of them looked like this.

Thoughts on Popestar?

I'm okay with EPs of ghoulish covers between LPs, but they're a one-listen kind of thing. Square Hammer is great.

one-listen is a little harsh as the musicality is on a par with the album material.

i happen to think their cover of 'i believe' is fantastic.

and the eurythmics one is as insane as you'd expect from a band who already have a lot of love from the industrial scene ..

They really are the new Rammstein.

"I believe" is their wonderwaLl

this is...great fun

this popped up on my local community radio station and i thought it was late-period They Might Be Giants

Fix Idé is out, the new album by TiD (Time Is Divine) - (a band that may or may not contain current and/or former members of Ghost - don't know how to describe the sound, a mix of Rammstein + Tool maybe?)

https://play.spotify.com/album/7DqvtGI5Gviq3PcZIgpvU6
http://thesignrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tid-fix-id

Their two previous EPs can be downloaded for free here:
Bortom Inom, 2007 http://timeisdivine.com/soz/soz-001.php
Giv Akt, 2010 http://timeisdivine.com/soz/soz-006.php

they were great last night as usual. the showmanship and theatrics have really skyrocketed since the last tour (they even have satanic nuns on stage at one point). all good things of course - the bigger the better with Ghost. I did, however, start to roll my eyes at the almost 5 minute sexual monologue Papa went into before the closing tune, mostly cos he was veering into 'bad standup'.

weird that they omitted "Spirit" - my fav off of Meliora. i may go again tomorrow on a day where I can enjoy myself more.

Sexual monologue?

before they did Monstrance Clock, he found someone in the front row and talked about how basically the next song was going t obe a joint orgasm between the audience and Ghost and it was weird and a little more like somtehing a hair metal band would do.

I preferred the theatrical moments where they brought nuns out in SAtan's service and goofy stuff like that

it did literally take 5 minutes though. they could have squeezed another song in during that time

So... the four ghouls who were fired at the end of last year's tour are now suing the singer - http://imgur.com/a/8m1gU (warning: previously anonymous names are named in the screenshot)

lol Metal-Archives people have already updated their artist pages

Tobias being the vocalist probably the worst kept secret here

Henrik Palm of In Solitude. So there was some truth to that rumour.

My understanding is that a lot of people have circulated through the Nameless Ghouls over the years.

My understanding is that a lot of people have circulated through the Nameless Ghouls over the years.

i never expected anything less to be honest.

And now you too can enjoy a Wall Street Journal version of 'A Nameless Ghoul.'

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hell-on-earth-satanic-band-files-suit-citing-dreary-work-conditions-1497282380

ghost is the darkness of metal

Live album, just in time for satan claus

the artwork everyone will see: http://www.metalsucks.net/2017/12/08/surprise-ghost-release-live-album-ceremony-and-devotion/

the 8-track tape with papal dong: https://bodega.lomavistarecordings.com/collections/ghost/products/ghost-ceremony-and-devotion-8-track

When I saw them live they were hugely entertaining but sounded exactly like the studio versions, is this the case here?

Yeah, pretty much. I'm not sure what the point is unless there's a DVD/bluray as well, which I would prefer

There’s something about meliora that reminds me of the darkness’ “permission to land” - the compression of the production? The twin guitar leads? Something ...

I guess they think slapping an erect cock on the cover counteracts the limpness of the music?

Satanism used to be classy, now look at what these guys are doing with it.

There's a "new" singer and a new single

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_ijc7A5oAc

That track picks up in the second half, gets some pop “ohs” and the coda is nice and chunky

Finally figured out who Ghost remind me of - pre-fame Europe! Must be the Swedish thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v7byabCFC8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lElLEmdYuDM

Ghost is headlining Barclays Arena and The Forum?!?!

What do we think of the new single “dance macabre”

it's very 80's but it works

Prequelle is out tomorrow and the deluxe edition contains two covers: Pet Shop Boys' It's A Sin and Leonard Cohen's Avalanche.

ordered.
3d cover, and 2 cover versions, how could I not succumb.
never bothered with the 'live' album though.

I feel like I don't actually need to hear the "It's a Sin" cover - I can just generate it in my head.

I hope this is good. Why am I a little worried? Meliora was my #1 of 2015.

It's dece but I can't imagine it topping the metal poll again this year. They've doubled down on the cheese but I don't hear any new tricks in the songwriting department, or any hooks to rival the likes of "Square Hammer", "He Is," or "Cirice."

So I’m assuming the 4 nameless ghouls who sued Papa are not involved in the new album? Or is the new album those 4 plus a new singer?

Definitely the same singer, at least.

I dig it so far

It's all about the singer - he writes everything and plays some/most/all? of the instruments on the recordings and does all the interviews (disguised as a ghoul)

Yeah, based on the lawsuit from last year, it sounds like Ghost has been Tobias Forge plus hired musicians for most of its existence.

I've been so out of the loop, I didn't even know about this album until yesterday.

considering how much they've shifted Ghost into a real full-time band (and merch operation, tbh) in the past couple of years, it's kinda surprising how little promo / buzz i've seen around this album.

Yeah it’s a bit of a missed opportunity, I’ve always felt that with better management this band could have exploded to Rammstein level fame within 1 or 2 albums.

until yesterday, I had no idea there was a new album out.
it was only cos of this thread revival.
and that's pretty insane, given I have bought so much stuff from them directly.
and yeah, that's a brilliant comparison re Rammstein …

which is kinda weird, re: fame level, because they're also headlining two arenas in L.A. and NYC this fall, and my reax to that was "whaaat? how is Ghost playing any arena?"

so maybe they're bigger than we think they are?

Those are oneoffs tho, around halloween/xmas. Their profile is def growing but nothing like the promotional steamroller that was Rammstein.

right, i def didn't mean to imply it was on a Rammstein level.

basically i just can't figure out how big Ghost is right now. which is fine. plenty of other things to worry about. :)

1.7 mil listeners on Spotify which is..kind of a lot?

to kind of explain their crossover appeal, lots of my musical theatre friends were at their last show, and only one or two of them listen to metal.

did they like the tunes though maaan

The new album is so surprising and wonderful. Hooks for days as expected (they've taken the Blue Öyster Cult influence and ran like hell with it) bit I was not anticipating the progressive rock element that creeps into the record. I'm elated.

someone clearly has a very different viewpoint to me re this band :

https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/9k8qbe/ghost-is-the-most-try-hard-satanic-rock-band-on-earth?utm_source=vicefbus

I came to the band as a non-metal fan who loved the excess, theatrics, and massive TUNES.
and so far, I have yet to be disappointed.

Their entire publicity strategy is like a teenager arriving at Christmas dinner with a face tattoo and then screaming, “GOD, LEAVE ME ALONE!” every time someone points it out.

You mean like every black metal band ever? Fuck this chump. I don't even like Ghost's music, but this guy is the worst kind of metalhead. (OK, second-worst, 'cause he didn't say anything overtly racist.)

Don’t you forget about dying
Don’t you forget about your friend death
Don’t you forget that you will die
Yup

I lol'd admiringly in the lyrics in several spots including that one

Those lyrics don't bother me. Probably because I've heard enough, far worse, metal lyrics to last a lifetime.

And that Vice piece is symptomatic of how tone-deaf and paranoid much of the metal scene is.

it's hard to be as wrong as that Noisey piece is

that noisey thing... I'm just trying to imagine a grown adult man writing that

also he mentioned King Diamond a couple times, like uh did I miss something where King Diamond wasn't high camp? or Priest or Maiden or Kiss or Alice Cooper or Dio? (all legends)

dan ozzi writes there so i can easily imagine a grown adult man at noisey writing that

Liking this album. It's weird - I often go into new Ghost content feeling a bit weary and dubious, but they have a way of winning me over. Pro Memoria got stuck in my head after like two listens.

like uh did I miss something where King Diamond wasn't high camp?

lol otm

I like the hair-metal-ish touches on "Rats". not that I'm saying it's a hair metal song, but some of the intro chord progs and the "ahh-oooh-wahhh-ahhh" of the chorus.

That Rats riff totally smacks of Jake E. Lee/Vivian Campbell circa 1984.

Jake E Lee era Ozzy is very underrated

Miasma is so awesome.

Right now I'm thinking this album's on a level with Opus and Meliora (I don't rate Infestissumam quite as highly).

ppl say BOC a lot and i hear that some but other times ("Dance Mabacre") i hear a very distinct Scorpions melodic influence

cd arrived today.
I have been somewhat apprehensive due to the build up press/reactions.
so, poured a big glass of red wine.
positioned myself in the sweet spot, and pressed play.
absolutely wonderful experience.
nothing totally jumped out at me, other than the brilliant sax solo during 'miasma' (loving the 2 instrumentals), however, the BIG tunes are there.
also, there is quite a gap between the album proper and the bonus tracks.
which is of course a good thing.

Don’t you forget about dying
Don’t you forget about your friend death
Don’t you forget that you will die
Yup

the albums big crowd singalong chorus.
bring on world domination.

Right now I'm thinking this album's on a level with Opus and Meliora (I don't rate Infestissumam quite as highly).

this is my one listen reaction.
however with this lot, a few listens in, and everything can change.

You're allowed to go completely over the top if you've got the tunes, imho. And Ghost do.

ok, new album obvs rules, but one nitpick: why did he choose to go with the "witchu" pronunciation in Danse Macabre instead of "with you"? it doesn't ruin the song for me - not even close - but i do find it kind of distracting and i think it was the wrong choice. Tobias doesn't make many wrong choices, musically at least.

It's not just a pronunciation choice - he's doing a pun.

OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"bewitch"

got it

carry on :)

thx jmm

well in that case it's genius!

“Deus In Absentia” b/w “Just Wanna B Witchu”

If I had to drop a song, it might be "See the Light". It's not bad, but something about the chorus deflates it for me - the note he hits in "then you'll see the liiiight".

this album grew on me fast, which is really only notable in that Meliora was immediately appealing. new one just took a week, that's all.

probably not as good as Meliora - Meliora has He Is, this one doesn't, if nothing else - but not that far off.

What is this album’s “he is?”

Been meaning to go back to it, but yeah it hasn’t grabbed me like M did

after a period of caring not,
this album is now working its magic.
'dance macabre' is as good as anything that has been before.
after which there is 'pro memoria' that has the massive chorus as mentioned upthread.
outcome : a brilliant harmony heavy double bill in the middle of the album.

I really like the two covers.

wait which two are the covers?

bonus tracks - Leonard Cohen's "Avalanche" and Pet Shop Boys' "It's A Sin"

thx!

I don't think the Cohen one really works but it's an admirable stab. The PSB one sounds exactly as you'd expect and that's a good thing.

This album is so seamless. Its eclectic nature reminds me of Blue Öyster Cult's Spectres, as well as those late-70s Alice Cooper records he did with Dick Wagner.

What is this album’s “he is?”

― calstars, Wednesday, June 27, 2018 5:26 PM (two days ago)

i mean, i can look and listen and pick something, but to me, HE IS is an all-time stop-you-in-your-tracks kind of song.

i don't doubt Forge has another one (or more) of those in him, but i don't think it's on prequelle. (and i love prequelle.)

ok, the new album is bloody fantastic.
I was not totally convinced to start with, but having lived with it for a few weeks its really hitting the spot now.
guess I should get some BOC albums then.

JUST WANNA BE-
I WANNA BEWITCH YOU
IN THE MOONLIGHT!

THIS IS THE MOMENT OF JUST LETTING GOOOOOOOOOO

WHILE YOU SLEEP IN EARTHLY DELIGHT
SOMEONE'S FLESH IS ROTTING TONIGHT!

who has more hooks than this band? any genre.

(sax solo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8FHSNIc3wI

synthwave vs GHOST.
I approve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcvEe4949Sk

live excess vs GHOST.
I approve.

I love this thread because most in here really enjoy the band. In the outside internet, haters constantly take the fun out of loving the band, but not here! This is my Ghost safe space.

these folks are selling out large rooms everywhere they go, man. they're getting *big*

supporting Metallica next year too

Latest album still hasn’t connected with me the way meliora did

agreed, not quite as good, but imo Meliora was a #1 album of the year kind of thing. this one is more like 5-15 range.

This album seems more pop - a handful of polished singles and some filler. They also seem to have backed off the explicit Satanism a bit. It’s a fun listen but not their best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gr63DiEUxw

its very 'American horror story'

Tobias won the lawsuit.

Still my favourite album of 2018. I haven't tired of it one bit.

https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/10/ghost-tobias-forge-cardinal-copia-interview-2018/

"I always thought that we could probably be a big production band, but without necessarily having a hit single or huge record sales — maybe like Diamanda Galás or maybe like Dead Can Dance, a band that would come and play a theater for five nights."

I would suggest he has totally smashed this self imposed glass ceiling.

agreed.

this is basically what i wanted to talk to him about recently, but the publication bailed when the local show sold out. oh well.

sorry the meet up never happened AS, especially now that it seems that Tobias is in a very talkative mood given that the whole 'mystery' aspect is open and the band are more popular than ever.
the fact is, it was never about the mystery, but the massive tunes.

I am loving the success of this band.

Wow, they’re playing Barclays Center in Brooklyn ... that’s only slightly smaller in capacity than Madison square garden

this is interesting, I think: Tobias Forge is doing a live interview as himself:

https://t.co/TrmsTnEYwm

(If that link doesn't work, it's IHeartRadio's FB)

I know he gave up the anonymity thing and he's done print interviews as Tobias before but is this the first video interview / public appearance in no makeup?

also interesting: that graphic they have behind him w/ two popes, the cardinal and tobias' face

maybe i'm making too much of it but this seems like a corner turned ... or at least the most prominent part so far of a corner turned

goddamn i can't listen to this interviewer, tho

Hi I still don't like Ghost but I'm impressed that you can hear them - relentlessly - on the hard rock station in Reno, NV.

I held off on checking these guys out for a long long time, I think because of the BOC comparisons (I adore BOC beyond all reason and maybe I was afraid of disappointment or just mulishly resisted) but I listened to Prequelle today and fuck this is just breathtakingly good. And the BOC comparisons are... OTM?!?! This is one of very few records which carry the gnostic hard rock whiff of peak Cult. (The Eric-, Albert- and Allen-sung Cult anyway; Ghost don't really have the slinky Byrdsy side of the Buck-sung numbers).

UMS OTM about the Scorpions flavor as well.

I also think Tobias' voice (strictly in timbre mind you, not in deployment) is a little like him out of Voivod?

Mostly I just fucking love this.

welcome

would have been cool if they would have beat Greta Van Fleet

Grammys always been bizarro world

THIS IS THE MOMENT OF JUST LETTING GO!

just re-ripped my GHOST cds tonight.
the amazon rip feature quality aint all that.
thankfully you get the cd as well to do the job properly.
(i.e. f*ck streaming).

idk about this new song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyxrzUe_TDM

lol I hate that kiss sound.

Lmao this is good

"I will tickle you internally" noooooooooooo

These songs are gross but I like them.

this is amazing... also makes me wanna check out Spooky Tooth

So Papa Nihil is Sid James?

i am still on board.
this is a great track.

Just back from their Copenhagen show, they've really pulled off this step-up to much bigger venues well vs the last time I saw them in a packed-to-the-rafters 500-odd capacity club. Ghost has also been beefed up to an eight-piece band now with three guitarists and two keyboard players.

I've now seen King Diamond, Rammstein and Ghost all within six months, and I definitely see a lineage here. Loads of kids too, this is really introducing Satan to a fresh audience.

Hellacopters + popeman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEeL4kVFD4I

These guys have a dope insta
https://i.imgur.com/Dwpq2y4.png

this is really introducing Satan to a fresh audience

As a Christian to find myself enjoying them is…interesting

this is so damned hooky and triumphant Satanism.

love the new one.

hard to say how I feel about it over the last one, but on first listen, it's grabbing me more than Prequelle did

I’ve been jamming “call me little sunshine” the last few weeks. Looking forward to hearing the album

Yeah, quite enjoy Twenties

Probably cos Simon introduced me to both but it reminds me of gonzo rock freaks melted bodies quite a lot

x post from the metal thread but it's best suited here.

I like the Ghost album quite a bit, but then again I LOVED Prequelle. "Twenties" sticks in my craw - I like how Tobias combines the fall of German democracy with the current fall of American democracy, but the lyrics lack his usual cleverness. "Spillways" and "Watcher in the Sky" are phenomenal, and I get a kick out of how "Kaisarion" sounds like a Gamma Ray tune.

ordered.
i have loved every album/ep so far.
there is just something about GHOST.
this will probably be the only ROCK album i buy all year.

Feels like they've gone a lot more 80s AOR on this one. At first listen, it feels like a drop from the last two, but I might need some time to warm up to the production style.

"Kaisarion" is awesome. "Griftwood" sounds weirdly familiar, like it ought to exist already.

new one sounds like Andrew WK doing a Blue Oyster Cult lp. which is fine, and fun.

the beginning of "Kaisarion" sounds like John Mayer's "Say"

"Twenties" works in spite of the lyrics because the character is obviously a witless piece of shit. The backup vocals save it.

Something about the back half of the album

the beginning of "Kaisarion" sounds like John Mayer's "Say"

this sounds likke what The Darkness coulda been if they weren't so half-assed and were Satanic af

roto tom fill

I'm sold, this album is awesome.

it always take a few listens for the glory of GHOST to properly kick in, but f^ck it.
one listen and yeah, this is absolutely the album i needed from GHOST.
from comments here and there i was concerned that the guitars had been held back and they were going for daytime radio play a la 'he is', which got a lot of radio2 play in the uk.
note : this is not a complaint at all as i loved hearing ken bruce announcing GHOST in amongst the usual r2 stuff.
however, it turns out that the new album has not softened the bands core sound one iota.
massive tunes, production and guitars.

basically, as jmm said : "I'm sold, this album is awesome."

lol this is ridiculous

and awesome

call me little sunshine is great, love it so much

This is such a blast, way more fun and more consistent than I’d expected. “Twenties” is the obvious wrong move, but it’s not quite the train wreck I expected based on early reviews. Other than that this is a really good direction for them.

Honestly think the "hoo-ha" line is the only misstep in that song, and only because it's kind of obvious and overdone.

"Watcher in the Sky" needs an animated video in the spirit of Heavy Metal

gonna listen to this today while on a long drive.

a week on, and several listens in ...
yeah, this is exactly the album i needed from GHOST.
love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Uz9xkBoxs

new album by Magna Carta Cartel, featuring some (one?more?) of the previous ghouls: https://mcc-official.bandcamp.com/album/the-dying-option

This is nice. Better than the most recent Ghost album IMO.

check out TID too - three great releases so far ( https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Tid/3540382936 )

that Magna Carta Cartel album really is so good too - it kinda crept up on me and now I can't stop listening

I keep trying to get into the MCC songs I've heard, they are fine and I get the appeal for fans of Ghost, but they never really quite grab my like the best Ghost material does.

I can't get into the last two Ghost albums but still like this MCC stuff - new single btw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izl4v_OT6m0

SEARCHLIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHTS

LOOKING FOR THE WATCHER IN THE SKYYYYYYYYY

Honestly think the "hoo-ha" line is the only misstep in that song, and only because it's kind of obvious and overdone.

― jmm, Wednesday, March 16, 2022 8:20 PM bookmarkflaglink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dNeIAxll2A

2 half hour sessions by MCC (who should have their own thread even though only I would post on it probably)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IEZgMzoYf4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJVKxzCaLKY

^ audio on bandcamp: https://mcc-official.bandcamp.com/album/digital-greetings-from-nielsen-s-und-2022

omfg, covers EP and they cover Genesis's "Jesus He Knows me"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE3kJeBr9QI

hmm trying once more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE3kJeBr9QI

fuck it, just click the through link. lol

lol i'm guessing it's age-restricted because the preacher gets pissed on by hockey players at the end

ok after a rewatch please substitute "piss" with "cum"

clearly catering for their newfound radio 2 audience.

we know the titles but the original artists?

See No Evil - could be one of several
Jesus He Knows Me - Genesis
Hanging Around - The Stranglers maybe?
Phantom Of The Opera - Iron Maiden probably?
We Don't Need Another Hero - Tina Turner

Despite loving Ghost I'm usually underwhelmed by their covers but that one was pretty good. Really liked Bible too, from years ago.

Also

[Lt. Huff smells a mask]

Lt. Huff: It's urine.

Lt. Steve Milford: Oh thank God. Phil thought it might be semen.

Lt. Huff: Phil needs to talk to a therapist.

I 100% would be down with Ghost doing Andrew Lloyd Weber but yeah probably Maiden

the cover art for the EP is giving me big Maiden/Eddie vibes

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0521/6023/3669/products/TOPSECRETPhantomimecover_1024x.jpg?v=1680806869

A faithful cover of one of my favourite songs ever, and good gravy it rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn-VdZ4LEKg

the whole EP is on YT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pExnH7HVHtw

okay, linking to playlists doesn't work - anyway, that's the first one & you'll find the rest there too

See No Evil - could be one of several
Jesus He Knows Me - Genesis
Hanging Around - The Stranglers maybe?
Phantom Of The Opera - Iron Maiden probably?
We Don't Need Another Hero - Tina Turner

I haven't heard the whole EP yet, but it is the Television "See No Evil", The Stranglers' "Hanging Around" and definitely Maiden.

i fucking love the Tina Turner cover

the timing

Yeah, the Tina cover is crazy good, which really threw me. I had the lowest expectations for that one, but man do they crank up the bombast in a fun way.

OH man this is so great. Don't overlook the Genesis cover either

Was very surprised/ intrigued that the new 2xCD Ghost live album was one of the few items in the Target music section today. Alongside Taylor Swift, BTS, Weezer etc.

Tobias has an extraordinary ear for 80s pop/glam metal detail, and that nuance keeps me interested in Ghost as they lean toward the pop side more and more. However, Vixen might want to have a word with him about that (undeniably catchy) chorus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLG9oTH-ZbQ

Which vixen song do you hear

"Cryin'".

The album is like a Heart album from the 80s if the Wilsons were really into Satan

lol

Ripping through every poem
Like a vampire should

Love rockets
Shot right in between your eyes

Funny how you mentioned Heart, because my upcoming review for PopMatters references Ron Nevison's production on Bad Animals!

And I gotta say, the love rockets song, goofy as it is, is sonically a PERFECT recreation of glam metal circa 1988.

Overall, I'm getting serious Savage Amusement vibes from the new record.

Scorps fans, IYKYK.

That "Lachryma" riff is very Bark At The Moon.

Tab will be in next month’s guitar world

Has Tobias ever written about love so explicitly before

not grabbed the new album yet,
but the live album is very much in line with what i would expect.
i.e. the dark rock version of 101 by depeche mode.

Listening to all the albums in reverse chron order (so many hidden gems) and tempted to do an album poll but conscious that there are like four of us here who wgaf

2nd spin of the new album and yeah, beginning to work its magic.
decided to grab the cd when i could as any new release on cd these days becomes a rarity very quickly given that labels are only interested in the vinyl options.

Love rockets
Shot right in between your eyes
― calstars, Saturday, 10 May 2025 03:25

not going to lie, that lyric made me proper lol.
doubt this track will get an airing on radio2.

(GHOST have had love from radio2 in the uk!)

also, for this album campaign tobias has become a lot more visible.
loads of interviews and suchlike as per his non-GHOST persona.
i.e. boring.
if they make another album will he drop the whole Pope/mask thing ?

can't drop that, i don't think. and stay Ghost, at least. if you drop that, then you're probably dropping the Nameless Ghouls and the theatrics of the live show, and then some percentage of your audience is bailing, right? i gotta believe something like a quarter of Ghost's audience would balk at arena prices if they weren't getting the big show that reminds them of the metal of their youth / their dad's metal.

agree.
checked the credits for new album, and yeah, 'a nameless ghoul' is still very much part of the story.
just a little concerned re the current mask situation as its not really a Pope set up is it.

Concerned?

After a couple of listens I’m really starting to lock in on the vibe and getting it. It’s this weird sort of nostalgia for that era before it was all hair metal, it was out there and creeping in, but I couldn’t hear much of it in the middle of nowhere and was stuck flipping through a friend’s older brother’s stack of metal vinyl imagining what it must sound like.

Such 1987 vibes on this record.

“Just wanna be /
Wanna be witchu in the moonlight”

https://i.postimg.cc/GpNBMQsR/IMG-2876.jpg
“Come together…”