GHOST: Prequelle (HEAVY METAL,Pop): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Between "Opus Eponymous" released in 2010 and "Meliora" in 2015, Ghost's rise was dazzling. In parallel with its growing notoriety, the band has experienced a schism with the departures of several original Nameless Ghouls considering that they are not valued at their true value (financially understand) within the clergy led by Papa Emeritus. This same Papa Emeritus was led to confirm his identity after years of rumours, having revealed that the masked character was Tobias Forge. For this new mass, Ghost leapt back in time to the Middle Ages and made this period known for its epidemics and religious obscurantism the theme of his new gospel. According to Papa Emeritus, this one will not be so because his lineage was brutally interrupted to give way to Cardinal Copia, preacher of a new black cult called "Prequelle".

Ghost's fourth album may be called "Prequelle", but it marks its filiation with its predecessor from the short introduction "Ashes" which places the elements of a medieval setting with a folk rhyme using the theme of the title "Spoksonat" by "Meliora". In keeping with his personal style, which he has constantly refined over the past eight years, the man of the church has written some of his most striking songs with a compositional intelligence and maximum efficiency, combining heavy riffs, vintage and psychedelic ambiences and pop melodies translated into a show with strong theatrical and esoteric dimensions. The cardinal multiplied hits like his boss the blessed breads like "Rats", with a riff that one would think written by Randy Rhoads, "Faith" with a pachydermic rhythm and the magnificent ballad "See The Light" which offers a powerful and delicate chorus that resonate long in the skulls.

By breaking the line of Papa Emeritus, Cardinal Copia also has the ambition to show another face of his brotherhood of masked faithfuls and on several occasions offers bold harmonic options such as "Dance Macabre" with its savoury 80's retro disco sounds or the sublime ballad "Pro Memoria", undoubtedly the top of the disc, rich in subtle orchestrations, a unifying chorus and an irresistible emotional rise. If "Prequelle" is globally the most accessible disc of Ghost's career, the flame of creative exigency is not extinguished and shines particularly brightly on the two epic instrumentals that are "Miasma" which ends in apotheosis with an orgy of solos, guitars and saxophones and the heavy "Helvetesfonser" with cinematographic evocations judiciously taking up the theme of "Pro Memoria" and which recalls that Ghost often drew his inspiration from the progressive rock of the 70's. Without the slight final deflections of the dynamic "Witch Image" and the blackfieldian final prayer with the intense symbolic charge "Eternal Life" which, without contesting their real quality, seem almost dull harmonically compared to the degree of excellence of the rest of the album, "Prequelle" could have claimed the status of Ghost's ultimate album.

Ghost embodies the baroque mix of values of our present by proposing the extravagance of a modern, vintage and festive pop-rock with an undeniable melodic approach, a hyper-thoughtful and evolutive religious and a taste for the morbid of our nihilistic era. This is probably the explanation for the extent of its success. But we can only bow to this clear "Prequelle" in his production, which shows a Ghost moving forward to the direction of an even more affordable, less heavy music because the guitars are competing with all kinds of keyboards, and always more attractive melodically. Without denying his taste for complexity, which pertinently finds its place in the record, this evangelical ceremonial is built for the conversion of the greatest number. - Official website

GHOST

PREQUELLE

AUTRE LABEL

HEAVY METAL