HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Meliora – Ghost

Cast your mind back to 2015. The brain rot factory TikTok hadn’t yet been birthed so the blow up of Mary on a Cross was some years off and few knew the name Tobias Forge. That relatively stayed the same until a messy in-band legal battle a couple of years later robbed us of the shrouded mystery. But before sell out arena tours, film releases and GRAMMY awards, once upon a time GHOST were simply a mysterious cult metal band humbly carving their path to global domination.

Then along came game-changer Meliora. A regal sounding grandiose album with an early 1900s world of tomorrow visual aesthetic, all accompanied with a new Papa at the helm. For many fans Meliora will be knighted as the last good album before the day-one fans got off the ghost train. Or at very least the last one before the band went, dare we usher the word? Mainstream.

Far from an out and out pop album, when you lay out GHOST’s discography, it was here the tinkering of the formulae started to really come into play and the juggernaut phenomena of the band we know today was starting to take form.

The most notable addition to the album cycle was one by the name of producer Klas Åhlund. While the Swedish ghouls were stating their case as the best new band in metal opening for legends like IRON MAIDEN, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and ALICE IN CHAINS. They decided to chance upon Klas who had produced albums with such riff thrashers, Lords of darkness and rock legends as ROBYN, BRITNEY SPEARS and KATY PERRY.

Speaking to Guitar World in 2015, A Nameless Ghoul explained the decision in more detail. Well not quite detail, he simply dismissed any nay sayers by bluntly stating; “And he’s a fucking shredder. So, pedigree aside, it wasn’t that weird at all. It’s just that he’s synonymous with being the pop guy. But with us he was definitely the rock guy.”

So it certainly wasn’t a random batshit decision and we sadly didn’t get our Gothic infused California Gurls (though one can dream). Although not a fly on the wall, you can reasonably assume Klas’ experience rubbing shoulders with the superstars of pop had a significant impact in the formation of the album. But by doing so we arguably get the Swedes’ most accomplished record.

Meliora isn’t just another spooky stylistic record with chugging riffs and creepy Latin verses. Don’t get us wrong, it has plenty of that and even elevates these elements to a much more extravagant level. But this time around the performative aspect of pop is used to their advantage to flesh out not just the sound of the band but also the aura.

Straight out the gates, the introduction of an eerie Theremin makes us feel like watching a black and white horror movie where a horde of village people storm the castle to slay Papa Emeritus.

Meanwhile, the dramatisation of the lurking ticking clock of death in Deus in Absentina sees the band fully step into the roles of the greatest pantomime villains of our generation. One of which they will gladly fulfil with endless lore and stories of the members of the clergy.

Fan favourite and set list regular He Is is an ironically angelic church like hymn and the music video that accompanies it sees Tobias Forge wink at the audience knowing full well, he has his own cult under his thumb. Jump forward to present day where their devout fanbase fill arenas to the brim, dress up like the band and refer to the concerts as rituals. It’s hard to argue it’s not a bit like a cult. Borderline at best.

After bagging a well-deserved GRAMMY for Best Metal Performance with Cirice, the now award-winning Ghouls would follow this album with EP Popestar. The five-song exploration was released separately but also folded into Meliora’s deluxe edition released in 2016. Unlike your run of the mill cash grab ‘deluxe’ edition, Meliora’s included notable songs like ballad-worthy I Believe, cabaret style Missionary Man and understated, boring and quite forgettable single Square Hammer.

Sarcasm aside, this mammoth single ushered in the era of 80’s style radio rock, camp theatrics and an honourable yield to the spooky ABBA accusations that the band are famed for now. The pop ballads and rock nightclub worthy songs featured on Popestar wasn’t even released on a separate effort but as a part of the Meliora cycle. Thus, proving a considerable shift in GHOST’s direction and a whole new monster being born.

Love it or hate it, there are two sets of GHOST fans who tend to clash horns. The old school, failed gatekeepers who miss the stoner rock, chugging riffs of Opus Eponymous and the new guard who shamelessly love the hits like Dance Macabre, Spillways, and Lachryma. The truth is both fans have a right to enjoy both sides and can love it all (spoiler alert, most do).

But the beauty of this quintessential album is it is a merge of the two and when we think of GHOST today, dominating metal forums and radio airwaves alike. Meliora can be pinpointed as the crossroads.

It’s a tale older than rock itself that you can sell your soul to the devil for fame and success. But maybe Tobias Forge did something much more sinister. Maybe he sold his soul to pop.

Meliora was originally released on August 21st, 2015 via Loma Vista Recordings.

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