Review Summary: The grave-robbing arc.
Let’s be honest — Ghost were never the pinnacle of originality.
Masterminded by the unmasked Tobias Forge, this semi-mysterious Swedish project has proudly flaunted an irreverent throwback aesthetic since their unholy inception, unabashedly donning the remains of bygone eras with increasingly burlesque showmanship. What has always been most enjoyable about such blatant borrowing was the unique perversion of genre clichés used to serve an underlying mission — albeit, the upshot was framing Ghost songs as mere promotional propaganda for a facetious Satanic organization. That said, proof of concept was perhaps best exemplified by the abundance of well-received cover songs released throughout the years, straddling an iconic balance between faithful recreation and playfully devious re-imagining. Whether it be the minor-key corruption of The Beatles’ classic “Here Comes the Sun”, taking advantage of the titular homophone to wink at the returning anti-Christ, or with more straightforwardly ironic appropriation ala the Eurythmics’ “Missionary Man”, it always felt like Ghost had some secret message to convey, however unserious, while covertly wearing the unassuming musical outfit of your dad’s favorite classic rockers.
Skeleta completes the act by substituting costuming for direct demonic possession, reversing the roles of puppet-master and marionette as Forge and co. become mere earthly vessels channeling the undiluted power of poppy shock-rock. Indeed, in a move that seems clearly spelled-out in retrospect, far from controlling their influences for diabolical purposes, Ghost have almost fully transitioned into straightforward revival. The signs have been present for quite some time now: 2022’s
Impera took full advantage of a newfound zoomer audience enticed by earlier smash hit “Mary On A Cross” blowing up on TikTok, and therefore leaned further toward AOR-style bangers with sing-a-long melodies, downplaying their former occult-rock edge present since the debut. Nevertheless, this year sees a further development, startlingly displayed with fresh gothic-tinged Halloween-prop costuming for Perpetua and his faithless Ghouls, the whole package love-rocketing at fans on the bombastic music video for lead single “Satanized”. Our first taste of the next Ghost generation, this catchy little ditty, promised more
Impera-style retrospection married with ear-worm choruses. Follow-up singles “Lachryma” and Journey-esque “Peacefield” — this trio leading the charge on the finished album — seemed to confirm expectations that this LP would continue the trend established by its predecessor, moving further out of the musty crypt from which
Opus Eponymous stiffly crawled and into the glare of shiny stadium lights.
After the cornea-sizzling hat-trick that opens
Skeleta, things start to go south, and unfortunately not in the biblical sense. The mid-album slump begins steeply, with the sleepy, sappy “Guiding Lights” quite jarringly pumping the breaks on our erstwhile speedy cruise, draining all the energy built up by the preceding triune and failing to make any lasting impression. Follow-up “De Profundis” smacks of soulless filler, taking up precious space but contributing very little substance, mirroring “Cenotaph” as both offer little beyond lacklustre rhythmic galloping ornamented by lazy crooning. Controversially, I’ll submit that the somewhat-panned “Missilia Amori”, questionably unsubtle lyrics aside, at least offers a much needed change of pace, with its soaring arena-style vocal hook thumping some life into the the record. Thankfully, the remaining tracks close out this album on a much more positive note, “Umbra” vying for top spot and fitting most firmly within Ghost’s BÖC-lite wheelhouse, while closer Excelsis ties the bow with welcomed, subdued drama.
Admittedly, it is difficult not to be a little disappointed with such an inconsistent showing, or to refrain from mourning the loss of the hard-rocking Ghost that once was and could have been again, arguably peaking early with
Meliora. I think, however, that such reflections oughtn’t get in the way of enjoying the streamlined Ghost we have now. Though in some obvious ways
Skeleta is the band’s most immediate and accessible release to date, it is also perhaps the least satisfying to early impressions, and recommends itself to a certain level of patience, paired with a prudent refusal to make the unflattering comparison to stronger versions of Ghost that populate their back catalogue. All issues thrust aside, listeners are left with a fun-loving, tasty-snack version of Ghost, regrettably lacking in satisfying meatiness, but absolutely caked in pretty frosting to make up for it. Grab a shovel and dig in.
