Review: Dan Maynard
Swedish musical genius Tobias Forge is back, back with a new look….a very very new look. If you thought Cardinal Copia was out of the ordinary, Forge has taken the birth of a new Papa V Perpetua is almost like something out of a horror movie. While Skeleta and its music still breathes everything that Ghost is and has been, Papa V and his newly dressed Nameless Ghouls have taken on a more shock horror visual that has given the band a chance to begin to move the canon of the Clergy.
First off the ranks, Peacefield opens with the sounds of church organs and choirs, putting the listener into the world of Papa. Quickly switching to a very 80s rock theme. Forge is a master of album openers. He knows how to build the suspense, he knows how to draw the listener in and he knows what will drive the opening of a Ghost concert….and that is exactly what Peacefield is, a flawless intro to the album.
Peacefield is followed by Lachryma and Satanized, the two singles released prior to the album’s release. Both tracks sum up Ghosts back catalogue perfectly in their own right. While Lachryma shines a light on the more recent albums that reflect a more pop and 80’s element to them, whilst keeping that underlying heavy rock sound that we know and love, Satanized almost mixes old heavier Ghost with a peek into what feels like a newer and more fresh sound. It may not be the most obvious switch into new, but it’s there. The two songs were the perfect singles for release, being a superb summary of the whole album that follows.
After we make our way through the stunning ballad that is Guiding Lights, we dive into De Profundis Borealis, a track that hits a sharp turn with a much heavier tone, faster drums and dirtier guitars. With another sharp turn, Cenotaph keeps the pace but with a more upbeat and fun vibe. Missilia Amori swings back to Peacefield, the more 80s rock tone that opened the album.
Marks of The Evil One and Umbra begin the third act of the album, again keeping the upbeat and heavier rock sound that has mostly driven the album. You can take these two tracks as the third act completely while closing track Excelsis is the somber ending credits. Literally opening with the lyrics “and it’s the end”. Bringing the album to a finish with a six minute rock ballad, building the first three minutes gradually, we soar into a beautiful dueling guitar solo of incredible harmonies and a backing bass that drives the undertone of the solo perfectly. Slowly the track glides its way back from the heavens to the earth and closes out with Forge, a piano and a single guitar, the haunting final line “I am afraid of eternity too” feeds us where the story will further go as we follow Ghost’s journey.
Skeleta. The music, the imagery and our new Papa with his Ghouls and Ghoulettes are a reminder that Tobias Forge and his endless story telling ability is far from done with the story of our beloved Papa. The sixth studio album has shot up as one of my favourite Ghost albums and it will be getting the many rotations it deserves. This band is never anything short of incredible.
SKELETÁ – is OUT NOW
VIA LOMA VISTA RECORDINGS
