When can a formula be considered truly winning?
It's a difficult question to answer, at least for many. For Tobias Forge, however, leader of Ghost, it was clear from the outset.
Point one: Make sure they talk about you, whether for good or bad. Attract as many people as you can, ignore the criticism, and balance every move you make. Base a large part of your work on the aesthetic side. And there's no real debate over this, as Forge himself has assumed the role of a certain Papa Emeritus, who abdicates with every album only to be replaced with a new denomination, followed in his live activity by six masked musicians known as Nameless Ghoul.
Point two: Don’t let appearances take over. Prove that musically, you can reinvent yourself with every album, showing that you are not just a passing sensation. And again, Ghost does not falter, having undergone an extraordinary artistic maturation since their debut "Opus Eponymous" in 2010, leaving even the most critical and doubtful, like myself, speechless.
And so, in the end, Ghost found this winning formula. With "Prequelle", the title of their album released almost two months ago, the Swedish group veers towards a more melodically appealing sound, with well-constructed choruses and compositions made to avoid falling into banality or repetitiveness. This could already be anticipated in a way from the 2016 EP "Popestar", which included the new "Square Hammer" and various covers of pop artists like Eurythmics and Simian Mobile Disco. Tobias Forge thus proves not to be the kind of artist who dwells on a single type of sound, and having recognized that as the formula for success, he continues relentlessly, quite the opposite. It's by no means a bad move, to be clear; I myself praise and follow certain artists who pursue these musical choices, but in the case of a band like Ghost, I can only be glad that they try to diversify.
But all in all, what is "Prequelle" like? If I had to define it in a few words, I'd say it's the kind of album that invents almost nothing, but within its duration manages to capture the listener's attention, achieving its goal, which is to stick in the mind. However, it is important to highlight the difference between simple yet effective choruses, as written above, and the value of the entire piece, which has never been more central in Ghost's career.
For example, we can take the two singles released, "Rats" and "Dance Macabre", both based primarily on keyboards and effective choruses, but structured in such a way that they find their space and time, without wearing out the listener, nor being perceived as songs included just to fill time. Excellent are also the two instrumental tracks, "Miasma", which moves on heavy metal rhythms along with jazz sounds towards the end, while "Helvetesfonter" strongly recalls the progressive sounds of the '70s, from which Forge said he was inspired for the formation of Ghost, especially from Italian groups, and other bands like Blue Oyster Cult and early Uriah Heep. "Life Eternal" showcases Forge's nasal tone, in a ballad as simple yet incisive as few others. "Pro Memoria" moves along the same line but with more keyboard inclusion, while "Faith" represents the heaviest episode of the album with the bass taking the lead.
With "Prequelle" Ghost dared, succeeding in winning. Awaiting further confirmation, this album confirms the state of grace and now complete maturity in which Tobias Forge finds himself, and thus how he will want to use his ideas in future albums. Sure, for appearances, Ghost may also be considered clowns who rose to popularity only because of their mannerisms, but as mentioned earlier, daring can lead to winning. And that's exactly what they did.
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