Crossfade Reviews: Ghost "IMPERA"

 by Karl W.

Ghost "IMPERA"
[Loma Vista]
Hard Rock/Glam Metal/Heavy Metal

    Now THIS is a band that's fun to talk about and discuss. Swedish metal band Ghost have carved out one of the most iconic and distinct identities of any band in the past 20 years. It's a band with a heavy Satanic bent whose live shows are often portrayed as Satanic sermons and services, with their lead vocalist, Tobias Forge, goes under the guise of Papa Emeritus, the head priest of the church of Satan who goes through various iterations throughout the band's career. The band has amassed a cult following throughout the years and has an interesting sound that has spanned four albums now...and I can't say I'm a huge fan of them? The instrumentation and the theatrics are phenomenal, but I just not a fan of Tobias Forge as a frontman, who just doesn't really have the voice built for the theatrics of this band. Also, a lot of the mystique of the band fell out after a 2017 lawsuit by former members of Ghost over royalty disputes, revealing the identities of many members of the band in turn, including Forge himself. Unfortunately, the early singles of this album were also not wholly received either. Still, I do at least like this band even if I'm not a huge fan, so maybe this could've been salvaged?

    Well...yes and no. Not to say it's an awful album or not worth hearing at all, but something about this album feels a bit empty in comparison to Ghost's other efforts. It's definitely an interesting stylistic choice, as the band pivots closer towards glam metal with this album, like a mix between Def Leppard and Judas Priest, and there are moments where this really works. The first handful of tracks are actually pretty great, with "Kaisarion" being a fantastic fast-paced tune with a soaring chorus, "Spillways" that feels a lot like an ode to Meat Loaf in its instrumentation, and "Call Me Little Sunshine" that feels the most like an earlier Ghost track with their Satanic lyrics and thudding riffs. Honestly, the instrumentation remain the strongest part of this album, as even the weaker moments on this album are backed up by a memorable riff or fantastic solo. The problem lies within some of the weaker hooks of this band's career, with "Hunter's Moon" and "Twenties" feeling rather limp in its execution. "Twenties" in particular is let down by a pretty horrid vocal performance from Forge as well and rather poorly mixed horns, making it the weakest song on the album by far. Even the instrumentals are pretty weak, feeling like filler in comparison to their earlier albums.

    Lyrically, the first track sets up an interesting theme for the rest of the album. Ghost are great at coming up with concept albums, with their last album "Prequelle" taking place during the Bubonic Plague. "IMPERA" sets up a concept of creating an empire under the fist of Papa Emeritus IV, the latest incarnation of the popular character. It is a fair bit more political than most of Ghost's other albums, calling to task a failure to recognize science on "Watcher in the Sky" or the corruption of religious institutions like on "Darkness in the Sky" or "Griftwood". Yet, even still, the political bent on this feels rather limp, as they don't choose to explore the topics further rather than just passing mentions towards the topics. This is far from "SINNER GET READY" by Lingua Ignota, which was a lot more thorough and powerful in its criticisms towards the church. Compared to that, "IMPERA" feels like the surface level arguments of a 15 year old atheist. That's not even touching how the theme of the album is broken partway through with "Hunter's Moon", a song for the "Halloween Kills" soundtrack that was the first single for the album, or the overly goofy jabs at the Ivy League elites on "Twenties".

    I found myself deflating on "IMPERA" as it went along. After a strong opening with only a few minor hiccups, the remainder of the album features some of Ghost's weakest tracks to date. The mystique of the Satanist glam metal band feels lost on "IMPERA", opting for empty jabs at religion and political figureheads that feels like it came from a different band. Granted, it's not like this band has become awful or anything, as the instrumentation is still grandiose, but on this album, it's imperative that there are some cracks in this empire. 

Best Songs: "Kaisarion", "Spillways", "Call Me Little Sunshine", "Watcher in the Sky"

Worst Song: "Twenties"

Light 6/10 (Decent)