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

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