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

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.