From the Pinnacle to Impera: Ghost Albums Ranked
Swedish occult rockers Ghost have built a discography that’s not only consistent, but ambitious, theatrical, and sonically rich. With album number 6 – Skeletá – due for release in just a week’s time, we decided to look back at the first five and see how they rank.
Let’s be clear: there isn’t a bad Ghost album. Every release has its place, its standout moments, and its fans. But if we’re ranking them, someone has to come in fifth… so, in one writers opinion, here’s our list from excellent to absolutely essential.
- Infestissumam (2013)
Following the success of Opus Eponymous, Infestissumam took a left turn, opting for ornate production, lush arrangements, and a stronger emphasis on melody. After their debut was dark, doomy and heavy, this album leaned into baroque pop and theatrical rock, making it, at the time, Ghost’s most experimental to date. Tracks like ‘Year Zero’ and ‘Monstrance Clock’ have become live staples, but the album occasionally wanders, making it slightly less focused than what came before or after. Still, its ambition is undeniable, and it laid the groundwork for the more polished grandeur of later releases.
- Prequelle (2018)
Prequelle feels like a victory lap. After Meliora's critical acclaim, Ghost doubled down on 80s influences and grandiose themes of plague and mortality. ‘Rats’ is a fist-pumping opener, ‘Dance Macabre’ is pure pop metal magic, and instrumental cuts like ‘Miasma’ show off the band’s musicianship. It’s a slick, polished record, but occasionally a little too smooth. For any other band this would be the career pinnacle, but for a band with as strong a catalogue as Ghost, this battle is tough and it takes fourth spot on this list.
- Opus Eponymous (2010)
The one that started it all. Opus Eponymous introduced Ghost’s now-iconic blend of Satanic imagery and retro rock charm. Its lo-fi production and 70s Sabbath-meets-Blue-Öyster-Cult vibe gave the band an edge of mystique that caught the metal underground off guard. Songs like ‘Ritual’, ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Con Clavi Con Dio’ are still essential listening. While the album is rawer and more minimalist than what came later, that’s part of its magic. If you were to compare Ghost to Black Sabbath then they both hit the mark with epic, heavy as hell, ground breaking/genre-defining debut albums.
- Meliora (2015)
Many fans still consider Meliora the band’s creative peak and it’s easy to see why. This is where Ghost perfected their formula: massive riffs, dark hooks, haunting atmospheres, and pristine production. ‘Cirice’ earned the band a Grammy, while ‘He Is’ revealed a softer, more spiritual side. From the crushing ‘From the Pinnacle to the Pit’ to the moody instrumental ‘Spöksonat’, Meliora is cohesive, confident, and almost flawless. It’s the sound of a band levelling up and if you were to make career comparisons, this is for Ghost what ‘Master of Puppets’ was to Metallica. The album that made the whole world sit up and take notice.
- Impera (2022)
Ghost’s most ambitious album yet, Impera takes their sound to towering new heights. Tackling themes of empire, decay, and power, the album blends infectious songwriting with razor-sharp production. ‘Kaisarion’ bursts out the gate with power-metal flair, ‘Call Me Little Sunshine’ is arena-ready gloom, and ‘Twenties’ is the band at their most bizarre and theatrical. Every track feels purposeful, and the album’s pacing is masterful. Impera isn’t just Ghost’s best album—it’s a masterclass in modern rock, the album that unleashed them to the masses, their “black album” if you will…
Ranking Ghost’s albums is like picking your favourite Papa, each has its own charm, character, and power. From the stripped-down doom of Opus Eponymous to the dazzling theatrics of Impera, Ghost’s discography is a journey through darkness, melody, and spectacle. And with album number six on the way, time will only tell where that slots into the pantheon of Ghost records.
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