BLASPHEMY ! HERESY!
It’s time for Papa V Perpetua to take his place as the new frontman of the band. Ghost is well known for their lore and ever changing frontman all played by the brilliant Tobias Forge. Normally every Papa gets an album cycle and this time it’s not different, ever reinventing themselves Ghost has quickly become a staple in the modern metal scene.
As soon as you hear the first notes of the album “Skeletá” we get a very strong 80s rock vibe, sometimes lingering to 80s synth metal. “Peacefield” starts with a calming soothing voice to start your journey through darkness with a little hope. The song does have some similarities with 80s classic “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” by Journey, further cementing the 80s rock vibe for the album. “Lachryma” the 2nd single from the album, first showing us a proper look at the new Papa V. The song is very melodic and feels a bit like a break up song especially with the lyrics. “ I’m done crying, Over someone like you, I’m done crying, hope you’re feeling it too now” melodically this song is a little bit heavier than its predecessor
A nice bass riff, screaming guitar and the narrating singing voice of Forge start maybe the most catchiest song on this album “Satanized” leaving hints for this release all over social media and in their playlist (if you put the first letters of the songs on the playlist it would spell out the track name “Satanized” and as the Skeletour is on its way i can’t wait for the entire venue to scream along with this one.
“Guiding Lights” is a slower song that feels like a ballad at times but it’s just hauntingly beautiful. sometimes sounding more like a confession but there’s a clear message in this song and you can definitely hear that it’s supposed to be very heartfelt. they even snuck in a nice guitar solo to really give you that ballad feeling.
Of Course no 80s sounding record would be complete without a song about sex. “Missilia Amori” or as the lyrics go “Love Rockets, Shot right in between your eyes” The song itself is very catchy and it did have me screaming the lyrics out loud.
Overall “Skeletá” brings a new dimension into the Ghost “universe; every song is perfectly placed to take you on a trip through hope, faith and love. With catchy melodies, howling guitars, and some amazing synth solos it’s a very easy to listen to record. With 10 tracks and a runtime of 46 minutes it’s one you can listen to a few times in a row just to get excited.
For new fans this record is an easy way to step into the madness that is Ghost. For older fans this album may seem a little bit too soft and to those people I say. BLASPHEMY ! HERESY!
No, all jokes aside try and give this album another shot to listen to all the complex but easily understandable melodies and lyrics. For me this is one of the best albums of the year so far.
Fun fact is that the Skeletour started before the album was released and people from all over the world already had a preview of some of the songs that were on the album. However due to the NO PHONE rule at the concert there were no spoilers for the fans who are still waiting to see the show. Personally I think this is a great rule because everywhere you look nowadays everyone is filming entire shows and forgetting to really live in the moment.
Writer: Antonie
Rating: 9/10
Release date : 25th April 2025
Record Label : Loma Vista Recordings
Tracklist :
- Peacefield
- Lachryma
- Satanized
- Guiding Lights
- De Profundis Borealis
- Cenotaph
- Missilia Amori
- Marks Of The Evil One
- Umbra
- Excelsis
