Ghost are a really weird band. This Swedish band promote themselves as a death metal outfit, so you may have thought of other brutal acts from the continent like Suffer or Bloodbath. However, Ghost’s sound is closer to glam rock outfits like The Darkness, minus the leopard print and hairspray. Despite this, anticipation is high for their third album Meliora.
Ghost’s frontman takes on the stage persona of Papa Emeritus III, a satanic priest in skull makeup, but that’s about as metal as things get. Admittedly, Ghost do have fun with this concept, collecting fans and global acclaim with their comic and ghoulish façade. Of all the tracks on Meliora, Cirice is the most bearable. It features plenty of heavy guitar, addictive hooks and Papa shows off his impressive vocal range. The lyrics are catchy and you’ll probably find yourself humming the chorus hours afterward. Cirice is further backed by clean production and some innovative arrangements, which is true of other Meliora tracks, Spirit and Devil Church.
Although Ghost present a reasonably amusing gimmick, they are let down by the fact their music is, for the most part, underwhelming and derivative.
BY BEL RYAN
