Catchy little ditty right here. Really strange production job, though.

the cover art hurts to look at.

Someone call the PMRC

I think I’m finally giving up on this band. No energy and excitement anymore, just sounds like a parody of itself

damn is this really what this band sounds like? lmao

eh fuck all of that it’s great

Not on the level of the best arena anthems they’ve made (Square Hammer, Mary on a Cross, Spillways etc) but it’s a lot of fun and that hook is infectious as hell. Amazing solo too

And also wanna say how glad i am that it’s only like a month and a half out. I know it was a movie tie in but Hunters Moon dropping like six months before Impera was not the move

yall clearly need your taints tickled

I’ve needed that for a while now

They used to be more traditional heavy metal hype but yeah this and the last album is just butt rock

Oh? Really? They are? A daring self-reinvention.

i think its fine but not that interesting

Well it's a Ghost song (bad)

Agreed, it’s a Catchy jam.

ghost only has one bad song and that’s secular haze

Whatdayaknow, it stinks

If anything, it’s catchy as hell

They've been butt rock since their second album, keep up. Song's better than anything on the last clunker of an album they did, at least.

I’m convinced that none of you know what butt rock is including me

the cringe scooby doo chase music band is back

Band has been trash since day 1.

Another great song agreed

Sure it's no Square Hammer, but still very solid

“ scooby doo chase music band”
original

New song is fun - hoping for some heavier material on the album that scales back the cheese a little, but we'll see.

This was super boring to me. And really corny to boot, moreso than most of Ghost's corniness.

felt this was a bit "ghost by the numbers" it aint bad but i was kinda hoping theyd progress their sound a bit. Was really hoping for a 60s vibe from satanic panic

It’s a Ghost song! It’s fun! It’s a jam! Nothing groundbreaking though, not that I mind. Sometimes it’s good to just have a simple song to bop to

Very mid, while I've enjoyed their last couple records, I fear that Meloria was peak

What is this, Petra? Annoying ass riff

Why listen to this when King Diamond exists

"Sometimes it’s good to just have a simple song to bop to"

Pretty much, and people have been complaining about Ghost since the moment they appeared anyway so it's not like this is anything new.

God this band sucks so hard.

Dude got metal song of the decade for Square Hammer. He's capable of more than just a simple song to bop to. It's just diminishing returns with this guy.

Yeah, not a fan of this song. It just sounds so flat.

Yep, they sure aren't going back to making entertaining music. Boring AF.

@christ
tbf it was always going be insanely hard to top that song. The second I heard that song damn near ten years ago I knew they’d struck gold. Probably the second best track they ever made behind Cirice.

I feel similarly about Meliora as a whole. so the way I see it is I’m glad they’re going in totally different directions because they’re never going to make a record in that style that can top that, it would just feel like Meliora b sides.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FNrvkl5mCmY&pp=ygUFTG9yZGk%3D Ghost has competition this year because new Lordi is gonna be 🔥

ghost won't even be in the top 3 albums released that week, let alone in 2025 😂

incorrect try again

Is it meh? I can't tell.

Sounds like a B Side from Infestissuman. Seems like a semi forced callback to their roots but it's not great. It's also the worst video they have ever created.

Nice costumes at the end though.

Impera was fun. This bores. Not much of a ghost fan generally.

"What is this, Petra? Annoying ass riff"

Petra slander will not be tolerated. Recant your statement immediately.

no thankee

Ghost sucks hard. I don’t know anyone with good music taste who likes them. They are buttrock shit.

they sound more lifeless than ever

"Ghost sucks hard. I don’t know anyone with good music taste who likes them. They are buttrock shit."

Ironic that you should say this, considering you rated Meliora 3.5 and Opus Eponymous 3.0.

If anything, it’s not catchy at all.
What is this garbage song? "Sounds like a B Side from Infestissuman" [2] (or even worse).

more like sanitized amirite?

everything I could possibly want out of a Ghost single tbh. catchy as hell

not bad, new costumes/personas are REALLY flamboyant, even for Ghost

ikr I love it, let’s get real gay with it

hell yeah

So have they revealed if Papa V is related to the Emeritus bloodline in any way or was he appointed outside of said family?

Also, even though he's been promoted to head the clergy, I doubt Copia is just going to give up power and let Perpetua do whatever the Hell he wants. Methinks a power struggle might be in the cards.

are people really that invested in Ghost lore

new costumes kinda slay tho ngl

It's fun. Lots of politicking and drama. IDK I like it.

i hope this is another instance of leading an album with a weak song

this is fun but not a lot more than that

I mean that tracks, Call Me Little Sunshine is definitely one of the worst songs on Impera

Historically they've always released something super safe first and then something a bit weirder next.

Wtf is this shit

Best mainstream rock band out there

Not a very high bar

they like vaulted over it

“ Best mainstream rock band out there”

Not a very high bar [2]

Also absolutely not lol

Yeah you’re right… Avenged Sevenfold >

So looks like the new album is being produced by Opus Eponymous' producer Gene Walker. An interesting choice to say the least.

oh wow. That actually is really interesting. I noticed it sounded different, not in a terrible way, but imo Prequelle and Impera both sounded very similar production wise so I’m kinda glad they’re switching it up a bit… but god that sounds nothing like opus lol, I feel like opus had a much punchier low end

It makes a bit more sense when I mention that Walker also produced Seven Inches of Satanic Panic, but this is his first time producing an LP with them since Opus. I sense a lot of similar, 70's-lite, rock from this and Seven Inches, compared to Impera more 80's Arena Rock format.

Impera was produced by Klas Ahlund (also producer of Meliora). While Prequelle was produced by Tom Dalgety (Also producer of Popestar and Royal Blood's debut album).

Oh I had no idea he produced the Satanic Panic EP! I hope he gave Tobias a lot of valuable input because that pair of songs are absolute fucking fire.

Gene def has a skill for 60's-70's style Rock. Even Opus, which has a harder edge to it, firmly plants it's feet in that territory. It seems Tobias grabs him whenever he's looking for that specific style. Satanic definitely gives me major Mary on a Cross vibes. Tobias said this is going to be their most "introspective" album, so maybe we might see some Opus-level stuff as well.

Never liked this band. The vocals on this are laughable

bands got riffs and catchy hooks what more can you ask for

A parrot?

I’m hating as usual. Maybe I need to dive into them.

Meliora is legit one my favorite metal records ever. Banger after banger after banger.
Idk if you’ve ever given it a shot but it’s head and shoulders above the rest of their discography, it’s just that none of their most popular songs land on it. Cirice was huge back in the day but they definitely have way more popular tracks nowadays

"He Is" literally gives me goosebumps

I’ll check it wild, thanks for the rec

@wildcard yer not gonna believe this.

I did some research on Walker. Turns out, it's an alias. Gene Walker is a pun on the Swedish word "gengangare", which means "ghost". That alias is used by Tobias Forge himself.

Gene Walker is Tobias Forge.

He fucking got me again. Everytime I think Forge can't surprise me anymore, something else is revealed. I can't stop laughing, of course he would do something like this lmao

huh it’s wild that he produced Opus. I’m not at all shocked that he did Impera tho

I want him to do an LP with Rich Costey again.

That cover of Jesus He Knows Me was straight up savage. He def can handle a whole LP.

I love Ghost, and previous songs have so much energy. I found this one was quite dull... The spoken lines lack the punchiness as previous releases