IN REVIEW: Ghost - "Prequelle"

As heavy bands who are pigeonholed by the metal community are often wont to do, Ghost has spent the last handful of years putting some distance between their sound and the preconceived notions to what onlookers think they should sound like. Though their campy, Satanic shtick has remained intact, the band's songs have begun to steer toward greater ambitions.

With their fourth record, Ghost's sound and image get yet another overhaul, and they take another giant leap in terms of accessibility. There are heavy moments, to be sure; Faith packs a melodic lead lick and a chugging rhythm that will satisfy headbangers, while lead single Rats brings a suitably metallic riff (and a thrillingly guttural closing). What you'll notice above all else while listening to Prequelle, though, are its hooks; nearly every song on this record boasts a chorus that reaches for the rafters. Some songs, like the deliciously appealing Dance Macabre, find Ghost operating at peak commercial and/or stadium efficiency.

There are also grand, cinematic moments, especially in its closing moments; the six-minute instrumental Helvetesfönster could accompany an episode of Game of Thrones, while closing ballad Life Eternal plays out like the love song from a very cool vampire flick. These flourishes appear throughout the album though, giving it a bombastic, theatrical feel.

If I could be permitted one gripe about Prequelle, it's that there's a slightness to it in that its pair of instrumentals and intro take up 30% of both the track list and the album's overall run time. There's nothing wrong with breaking up the momentum with a showcase of musicianship but, on an album packed with so many huge, singable songs, getting only seven songs proper makes it come up just a bit short.

Still, there's no denying these songs, many of which strike a near perfect balance between the heavy and melodic; it's been a hot minute since we got a true breakout record from a metal band (I'm thinking Mastodon were perhaps the last to do it) but, with so much stage presence and so many prime crowd pleasers, it feels like Ghost has the best shot of anyone in metal to do just that in 2018.

June 1, 2018 • Loma Vista
Highlights Rats • See the Light • Dance Macabre