Album Review: Ghost - Skeleta

Thinking back, I find it amusing how much time and energy was spent on the debate as to whether or not Ghost was a metal band. The stodgy metal community couldn't seem to figure out if they were allowed to like something that was both cool and successful, because we have come to realize metal is a regressive and conservative society of group-think in many respects.

What we should have been debating is whether or not Ghost is actually a consistently good band. That's been more interesting to consider, as we now find ourselves with Ghost's sixth album, and I'm hard-pressed to say I've figured out what to make of Ghost just yet. On one hand, they write some of the most ridiculously catchy rock/metal out there on the scene. On the other hand, their albums have been patchy collections of songs that veer between greatness and banality.

That came to a head on "Impera", which had some of their absolute best songs as well as some of their absolute worst. It was not a great album, but it was the full Ghost experience. "Skeleta" follows that with a very different experience, which is just as frustrating. Rather than the roller-coaster, this time we get an album that is their most consistent since "Meliora". Of course, that consistency comes by having less true highlights, and even those don't match the magic of "Spillways" or "Cirice" or "Mary On A Cross".

The opening "Peacefield" is the best song here, with the stickiest chorus and most infectious energy. That comes by way of sounding quite a lot like Journey's classic "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)", the similarity meaning it doesn't put a full point on the scoreboard. Once beyond that, Ghost settles into a groove of making songs that have the right elements, but are missing that last bit to take them over the top.

"Guiding Lights" is a somber ballad that works really well, until the guitar solo leads to a few soft backing vocals rather than a full reprise of the chorus to send us off happy. It feels incomplete, and I'm left wanting the payoff for investing the time in the song. But that's still better than "Missilia Amori", where Tobias' chanting of "love rockets" is not at all interesting. It doesn't veer into cringe the way "Twenties" did, but Ghost trying to be heavier than they are is what leads to many of their weaker efforts.

The back half of the album suffers from a lack of energy, bogging down in songs that are trying to be a bit more epic, but don't have the power to be. The closing "Excelsis" is the worst of these, sounding so small and tame compared to how "Respite On The Spitalfields" ended the last album on a massive note. "Skeleta", in many ways, sounds like "Impera" with the extremes squashed down to a more consistent flatness. It might average out slightly higher, but the ride is much less interesting for it.

Ghost has been around long enough that I can say they're never going to be one of those bands that makes appointment albums. They're all enjoyable to a degree, but they are best served by making playlists of their best songs. As what passes for a 'singles band' in metal, Ghost are amazing. As an albums band, they're mediocre. I'd rather think of them in the positive light, but to each their own.

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