IN REVIEW: Ghost - "Meliora"

When Opus Eponymous was released five years ago, Ghost was instantly hailed as a breath of fresh air for metal, striking a weird balance between Sabbath and Megadeth (with lyrics that read like black metal) that had no business working as well as it did. The metal community took notice, and Ghost quickly found themselves touring with Mastodon and Opeth (speaking of "metal" bands without boundaries), and signed to a major label offshoot for their second record. Infestissumam was a good record, but felt more like a continuation than a progression, even coming off a little flat by times.

Meliora, meanwhile, finds the group hitting a scary stride. Opening track Spirit is a hard prog anthem that isn't overstuffed or undercooked. "Throw yourself into the vessel of possibilities" is its first line, as helpful a first line as this album could have gotten. Most possibilities are explored over the album's eight songs (and two short interludes); if you want crunchy, sinister metal check out the heavy and fuzzy From the Pinnacle to the Pit, the headbang-inducing, keyboard-infused Mummy Dust and the Megadeth by way of Yes Absolution. Then, there's the massive Cirice, a delicate song with thunderous intentions. Its monstrous central riff is surrounded by fragile melodies and a huge chorus that make it a fitting microcosm of the album.

The two songs that divert most from metal also end up being its two most notable songs. He Is boasts the album's most striking melodies, including a sticky chorus that will have you singing along in Latin and wondering when devil worship got to be such a sunny affair. Album closer Deus In Absentia, meanwhile, sounds like something I like to imagine Danny Elfman might have co-wrote with Glenn Danzig. Plus, it absolutely revels in its melodic bombast, to the point where a line like "the world is on fire, and you are here to stay and burn with me" sounds less like a threat and more like a victory.

With Meliora, Ghost recognizes their audience but insists on stretching their sound, which is probably the smartest way any band who bears the "metal" tag (whether they asked for it or not) can go about business. They've never shied away from a chance to draw influences and fans from other genres, and this record sees them expand their reach just enough while achieving new heights of creativity. Whether it adds up to their best album is up for debate, but Meliora is certainly Ghost's most enjoyable.

August 21, 2015 • Loma Vista/Republic

Highlights From the Pinnacle to the Pit • Cirice • He Is