ALBUM REVIEW: Impera – Ghost
March 3rd 2020, Mexico City. To the beguiling notes of ABBA’s Arrival, Papa Emeritus IV was anointed. Cardinal Copia had elevated to figurehead of the Ministry of GHOST. Over two years have passed since then, leaving fans wondering what the new world order was going to be. The Children will have their answer with the release of Impera this Friday. Following 2018’s Prequelle, Tobias Forge resurrects the mantle of Papa Emeritus for the band’s fifth full-length album. Translated from Latin as “rule”, Impera is the dawning of a new age in the rich mythology of the Swedish enigma. Previously shrouded in mystery and intrigue, will knowing the identity of the fourth Satanic pope dethrone the new emperor before his rule has properly begun?
Moving on from 14th century Prequelle, Impera roots itself within the Victorian era, though this is no concept album by the traditional means. While Kaisarion depicts the decimation of one empire for another with the “smell of the burning temples”, these events are only ever inferred rather then spoken about directly. What Forge and his hired guns turn their attention to instead is the cracks that form within a dictatorship.
GHOST waste little time in displaying their penchant for the theatrical. Imperium’s soft, melodic opening plants us on a wooden cart rolling toward the outskirts of a new city. Sweeping guitars from Fredrik Åkesson transform into majesty akin to QUEEN. The sound of Ricard Nettermalm’s regal drums usher in this shiny new era. Lilts of melodies and swells of brass tones fill us with promise of Impera living up to its hype.
Lavish 80s inspired guitars instantly cast a rose-tint over Kaisarion’s splendour. The breath-taking wail erupting from Forge puts Papa Emeritus IV firmly centre stage. Though the name has changed, the charisma of the Cardinal is never in doubt. “We’re building our empire from the ashes” comes the proclamation as we are swept up in the excitement and hubbub of major riffs and a bouncy bassline slithering through the second verse. The instrumental elation is infectious as we become a slave to the rhythm and sing lyrics we don’t understand the connotations of first time around. Dystopia is never far behind as these joyous guitars conceal a dark edge. Delving deeper into the lyrics is where we find the malevolence at the crux of this shadow play. A production which is nothing more than “righteous dogma that hides the handmaid’s tale”.
Manipulation of the masses is ripe within Impera. Keyboard-led Spillways seeks to expose a darkness within the empire’s subjects. “You try to rid your mind of malediction” preys on the souls of those who fled to these pastures new to escape a past of unfortunate circumstance. Bubbling guitars crack open the psyche with their happy undertones while a winding solo cruises over the undercurrent of pseudo-salvation. With minds ripe for the plucking, single Call Me Little Sunshine gains new perception. It is also the first track of the album to fully lean into GHOST’s shadier sound. As the song blooms with echoed drums and rounder riffs, it’s the sound of chants at small intervals which sends the message that something isn’t right. The construction of Call Me Little Sunshine is sublime as it misleads en masse with a message of support and courage. Dig deeper into the intoxicating harmonised vocals and the boom of “call me” isn’t that of the saviour but of the devil in the doorway. With a bewitching dual guitar solo, subtle hints of organs, and the arena filling choruses, Call Me Little Sunshine is prime to be a long-term jewel in the crown of GHOST’s rituals.
A claim many have made about GHOST in recent times is they have made a move towards the mainstream. There are some capitalisations upon their ever-growing popularity with Hunter’s Moon featuring on the soundtrack to Halloween Kills (2021), but there is an absence. Should the cover of METALLICA’s Enter Sandman have been included? Had GHOST wanted to appease their fans or gain a cheap pop, absolutely. Though as we effortlessly coast through the 12 tracks there is simply no need for it. That aside it becomes abundantly clear mainstream isn’t the goal as tongue-in-cheek Twenties goes to show. We’re plunged into the sound of the “Roaring Twenties” with its rolling drums and fun inducing brass section. While we’re “singin’ in the rain of pennies” to many other references to days gone by, Forge reprises the role of charismatic party host. The infectious chorus and little-too-fast verses spirit us away into nostalgic frivolity, yet these flapper girls become the target of a timeless perspective: “we’ll be grabbing them all by the hoo hah”. With the slivers of doom shining through the riffs and the bamboozling atmosphere of the song overall, Twenties is out of place on a record which is all about sweeping, slower moving soundscapes.
Exposing the perverse side of society is what GHOST are all about. Instrumental Dominion marks a shift from the city centre to a vast landscape, thus making the cracks easier to dissect. Though that doesn’t mean directness. Darkness At The Heart Of My Love’s nuances of nostalgia with clicking fingers replacing the drumbeat and spectral laughter gives the impression that this “severing of the ties” pertains to a romantic relationship. Forge’s whispered first verse smacks of obsessive ex-partner. The expansive chorus ruminates in the sounds of the 80s as Forge gives us the opportunity to throw our hands to the sky with a chorus jam packed with vocal hooks. While the subject matter has been explained in interviews, the song doesn’t read of religious hypocrisy.
As Impera winds down, GHOST closes with the album’s most ambitious song. Respite On The Spital Fields is as close to an epic as this album will linger. Forge explores his love of Victorian London and gothic horror with a haunting tale of terror brought about by famed serial killer Jack The Ripper. Weighing in at six minutes and 43 seconds, it is a rabbit hole to test our stamina. Yet with seamless transitions between movements of frantic horror and that sweet respite, the near seven minutes simply float by.
At the top of the review, we pondered what GHOST’s new world order would be. Impera subtly honours the band’s doom metal roots within homages to pop icons such as ABBA. Where they had been branded as a niche gimmick in the past, GHOST fully transcends this and completes their metamorphosis. Impera is GHOST’s most accessible album to date, treading the fine line between greatness and perfection. Long live Papa Emeritus IV.
Rating: 9/10
Impera is set for release on March 11th via Loma Vista Recordings.
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