Album Review - Skeleta - Ghost

Album Review - Skeleta - Ghost

One of the perhaps unsung talents in Tobias Forge’s arsenal is his prodigious business acumen. Over the course of Ghost’s previous five albums, Forge has proven that he is as adept at writing a catchy hook and chorus as the very best of them but he has also steered the group in directions that have seen the band enjoy an immense array of successes-none more so than selling out sizeable arenas on their current Skeletour extravaganza through Europe.

It is with this in mind that one can begin to digest the newest effort by Ghost, Skeleta. It is

impossible to overemphasizes how much of Ghost Forge oversees down to the most minute detail. Whether it’s creating the crowd-pleasing masterpieces such as Square Hammer or Mary on a Cross, or creating viral youtube webisodes featuring the ever-expanding lore behind the Papa persona, or even pushing Ghost into the literal limelight by releasing a hit and miss concert film- Forge knows what he is doing, knows what he wants and knows how to get it. This is why the decision to release “Satanised” and “Lachryma” as the first two singles off of the new record could be viewed as yet another Forge masterclass-giving us two songs that undoubtedly please the fans that have been with the band since day one, getting them salivating at the prospect of a follow up to the superb Impera.

What Skeleta actually gives us is a collection of tunes that is equal parts an attempt to capitalise and build upon Impera and a very measured and crafted work to get large crowds singing along inside sold out arenas. While there is no use denying that Ghost have been on this trajectory for many a year now, it does leave the long-time listener feeling a bit pushed to the periphery of the juggernaut that is now Ghost with a capital G. Very fitting then, that Forge has debuted a new look Papa, one that is markedly different in the aesthetics department, that has been delivered to us to herald this new step for one of heavy music’s most on fire acts. For those wishing and hoping for a new album/new era, the album seems to prefer to stick with the tried and tested formula of Impera, replete with sing-along hooks and stadium-sized guitar licks, albeit decidedly not as memorable, genre-bending or, dare I say it, exciting.

None of which is to say the album is no good. There is plenty to like and admire on Skeleta, not least the Nameless Ghouls who continue to make a convincing case that they are the very best musicians, live or otherwise, out there. But one does find themselves yearning for more, that the band as a whole is used more for laying down killer riffs, catchy-as-hell hooks and phenomenal sonic blasts that have raised the hairs on the back of necks. That is missing a bit here on this effort, in favour of the formula, the almost paint-by-numbers Ghost that will certainly win new fans, sell out massive venues and break Ghost into the mainstream like never before. And, more power to them for aiming this high but, taken as a whole, Skeleta falls more flat than on any previous effort.

Arguably, this is what happens to any band when extraordinary album sales come beckoning and major music publications come calling and that, frankly, is fair enough. And it is not as if Ghost’s music was ever unobtainable for a larger audience anyway, but it is the song quality that will matter in the long run and, for a musician such as Forge-a veritable maestro of the metal genre, we might expect a more dynamic blend of genres, added to the soup of what has earned Ghost a name for themselves and that they now are clearly reaping the benefits of.

The majority of the songs on Skeleta are competent, well-crafted pop-rock songs that are,

largely forgettable with a notable absence of a real crowd rousing number that not even the aforementioned “Satanized” can really achieve. Penultimate track “Umbra” may come closest to providing the wave of elation that Impera or Meliora had in spades but only exactly that - almost. The ballady songs, “Guiding Lights” and “Missilia Amori,” that Forge could easily imagine (and will surely be a reality on future tours) being sung to the rafters by adoring fans lack the danger and dark brooding of masterpieces like “Cirice” or “He Is.”

And of course, neither a band, nor fans can live in the past-everyone has to move forward but, for a group that have built their foundations on prominent ensembles that have come before them, and Forge’s preoccupation with music notably from the 60s through the 80s, we can be forgiven for pining for those songs that flew in the face of conventionality and demanded to be listened to by all audiences.

Perhaps most oddly, Forge’s usually on-point tongue in cheek lyrics are inducing sarcastic eye rolls instead of appreciative chuckles (see, “The third rider looks cool, on a steed black” on four horsemen of the apocalypse inspired Marks of the Evil One or, “love rockets shot right in between your eyes”.) What may bothersome, is that it could be plausibly argued that Forge has lost himself in the spoofy, goofy narrative of his previous persona, Frater Imperator-the narrative plot of which drew most criticism with the Rite Here Rite Now film. It is a case of, it was funny the first time we heard it but, maybe, it would’ve been nice to hear something different.

Forge and Ghost have always wanted to push the envelope both sonically and theatrically and while they have proved that most fans, both casual and long-time, are behind them for the long-run, it would be an absolute shame if Ghost wound up disappearing into a musical mire of their own creation, people losing interest just as fast as they embrace it, like 90% of the music dominating the airwaves today.

Many will love this effort and declare it another momentous victory for a band undeniably on the up, and record sales seem to prove this in spades. At the same time, there will be some who will be eagerly awaiting where Ghost go from here and whether it will be for the good.