Review Summary: A spoopy mix of familiar tropes and brushed boundaries
Right off the bat, Ghost has never sounded as bright and energetic as they do on the opening tracks of their fifth album. Getting past the obligatory prelude, “Kaisarion” plays like a mix of alternative rock and classic metal with its peppy attitude and driving crunch while the seventies-inspired flamboyance on “Spillways” feels closer to something that Church of The Cosmic Skull would do. The guitar playing hasn’t been this upfront since 2015’s Meliora and there might even be some glimpses of the celebratory experimentation seen on 2013’s Infestissumam.
That experimental flair becomes even more apparent with a couple curveballs during the second half. I might still be wrapping my head around “Twenties” with its more offbeat rhythm and hissing vocals deeply mired in themes of political corruption, but it has the makings of a grower. “Darkness at the Heart of my Love” is another interesting number with an almost Europop sheen that feels like an extension of the introspective tone on 2018’s Prequelle; the timing feels a little off with the structure not quite catching fire, but the burlesque routines sure to adopt it are fun to imagine.
And through it all, Impera is rounded out by plenty of the sinisterly catchy tracks that have defined Ghost in any era. Lead singles “Call Me Little Sunshine” and “Hunter’s Moon” fit well in this context with the former feeling like a more lighthearted revisit of the “Cirice” stomp and the latter is a spoopy anthem just shy of danceable. Elsewhere, “Watcher in the Sky” is another standout with its heavy chug and simple chorus in the vein of “Rats” while “Respite on the Spitalfields” has the air of finality that comes with each of the band’s closer, but one can detect a more emotional core to the theatrics than usual.
Overall, Impera is another solid development in Ghost’s seemingly unstoppable momentum with a mix of familiar tropes and brushed boundaries. As someone who prefers the heavier side of the band seen on Meliora and 2010’s Opus Eponymous, it’s great to see that energy come back through a noticeably lighter lens. This may also be their most eclectic album to date and its kitchen sink style will lead to different tracks standing out for different listeners. My only real complaint is the missing extravagance a track like “Year Zero” or “Dance Macabre” on here. May album six be the one that gets Ghost into the full-on disco doom I’ve been craving for nearly a decade.
