Album Review: Ghost - Skeletá
Reviewed by Tim Finch
The band the average “metal fan” loves to hate, Ghost are back with Skeletá, and this time they’re diving headfirst into something a little darker and a lot more raw. The band’s sixth studio album sees the lore expand yet further whilst musically they go off on a more thoughtful tangent.
Much like the recent Skeletour, the album opens with 'Peacefield', the album version being even more stripped back than we saw live, Papa V Perpetua’s vocals taking the reins and introducing himself to the audience.
It’s up to ‘Lachryma’ to take the reins and whip the record into life, the traditional chuggy Ghost riff blasts through, the tempo lifts the mid song segues soar high and the listener is fully immersed in the bands world once more.
There’s a hint of 80’s dark synth influence shining through at multiple points, highlighted by both ‘Lachryma’ and ‘Satanized’, the first single from the album. ‘Guiding Lights’ slows the tempo with it’s ballad-esq stylings which leads into ‘De Profundis Borealis’ which gradually picks up pace until it unleashing it’s galloping riff’s with those distinctive Ghost twangs.
‘Cenotaph’ continues the undercurrent of 80’s themed keys, it often feels like we’re in an 80’s horror/sci-fi soundscape with those note combos that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.
An honest assessment would have this as Ghost’s least accessible album to date. That’s not to say it’s bad, far from it, but this will take a number of listens to sink in, to fully absorb, there’s a lot going on. It will be easy to dismiss the album after one listen, but with time this album blooms on repeated listens into a wonderful opus.
It still sounds like Ghost—big hooks, catchy choruses, and that unmistakable flair for the dramatic—but there’s an edge here that feels new. The polish is still there, but it’s been scuffed up just enough to let some real grit shine through.
Be the first to comment