For the uninitiated, Ghost follows in the footsteps of bands built around a virtuoso and a revolving door of hired session players. Think Peter Gabriel or Chuck Mangione. Or, if you’re not as old as I am, Bruno Mars. Ghost’s charismatic mastermind is Tobias Forge. With each new Ghost album comes a fresh iteration of his persona, Papa Emeritus, and a new lineup of Nameless Ghouls. Equally adept at blending genres as he is at character work, Tobias has a serious knack for cranking out pop-metal tunes that’ll get you bobbing your head and tapping your toes. Skeletá is a synthesis of the themes, song styles, and sonic qualities that make Ghost what they are.
What follows is a breakdown of the tracks that stood out to me on Skeletá, in this album of Ghost classics.
“Lachryma” – The guitar work on this track rips. We’re treated to a hard-panned, overdriven guitar solo over spooky keys right out of the gate. Instruments start filling in one by one, and then Tobias drops in with the vocals. The track trades between grungy rhythm guitars and bright, soaring leads, mirrored by guttural backing vocals and Tobias’s theatrical frontman delivery. Lyrically, “Lachryma” frames the emotions of lost love as a vampire that feeds on your pain. Like any good breakup song, there’s a glimmer of hope that the crying will eventually stop. I dug this one for its horror twist on a time-worn heartache theme.
The next few tracks, “Satanized”, “Guiding Lights”, and “De Profundis Borealis”, stick to classic Ghost territory. They could have easily slotted into Infestissumam or Prequelle. And… that’s kind of the problem. They don’t offer anything fresh to really sink your teeth into. Mid-tempo, mildly sinister, and honestly? They feel a little like filler. While doing research, I learned that Ghost brought in Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare (frequent collaborators with Avicii, Lady Gaga, and Madonna) to help write some of these songs. And yeah, it shows.
Many of these tracks sound less like Ghost and more like somebody else’s idea of what the band should sound like. Or worse yet, like a Ghost A.I.
Tobias is at his best when he’s got his tongue firmly planted in his cheek or is riffing on the greed and ridiculousness of humanity. The music usually follows suit. The next two tracks hit that sweet spot. “Centograph” brings big ’80s synths and prominent drums that push the tune forward. It’s catchy, it’s bombastic, and it’s loaded with hooks and melodies that are sometimes missing from more straight-laced metal. “Missilia Amori” is a grinning teenager’s love song dripping in double entendres and veiled sexual references. Think Kiss’s Love Gun, but with Ghost’s signature wink. Tobias sounds like he’s barely keeping a straight face as he belts over guitars going off like the rockets he’s singing about. If you loved Seven Inches of Satanic Panic, this one’s for you.
“Umbra” – “More cowbell!” is basically a command here. “Umbra” sounds like a séance led by Blue Öyster Cult. The drum production is absolutely killer, panning and shifting across the stereo field like a ritual dance. There are tempo changes, an electric organ solo, and just enough cheekiness to keep things fun. It’s the perfect Ghost track: polished, self-aware, reverent of the past, and juvenile in all the right ways.
It’s the kind of song you blast in a car full of friends, but unless they’re really paying attention, you’re the only one who gets the joke.
“Exclesis” – Not quite as strong as the previous few tracks, but “Exclesis” gets closer to the heart of what Tobias was aiming for with this record. According to the album release notes on Bandcamp, Skeletá is Ghost bringing “the most introspective and inward-focused material of the band’s career to vivid life—and in suitably grandiose style.” And there’s no mistake; “Exclesis” feels like that. It’s the best ballad here, and you can hear more raw emotion in Tobias’s vocals compared to something like “Guiding Lights”. You can actually believe the band is staring down the end and feeling the inevitable sadness that comes with it.
I’m torn on Skeletá. Sure, there’s enough meat on the bone for longtime fans. But if we’re being real, there’s nothing here that feels groundbreaking.
If Ghost wanted to top records like Impera or Meliora (both of which slapped front to back), they needed to break the mold a little. A band that built its reputation on bombast and blasphemy can easily fall into the trap of trying to constantly outdo themselves. I’m glad they didn’t go for pure escalation. But it also feels like they played it a little too safe. The bones for a great album are here. Tobias and his ghouls just didn’t quite take the time to fully flesh out the skeleton.
Skeletá is now available on Loma Vista Recordings and streaming on Bandcamp