New Music Tuesday: Ghost, Meliora
Finding new music is one of my favorite pastimes, and I hope to document more of it here. Yesterday I stumbled upon Ghost’s (formerly Ghost B.C.) new album, Meliora.
I’m really into the wackier genres of metal: black, doom, death, deathcore, etc. Black and doom metal have a relaxing effect on me, and when I heard Ghost for the first time, I was immediately delighted.
Formed in Sweden in 2006, Ghost is sort of a tongue-in-cheek satanic horror metal band. Band members are anonymous, wear masks, and are referred to simply as Nameless Ghouls. The lead vocalist goes by Papa Emeritus. Meliora features the third vocalist of the band’s nine-year history, Papa Emeritus III.
The music has elements of 1950s sci-fi and horror films, Scandinavian black metal, and power metal. What really sets Ghost apart for me are the nerdy, clearly-enunciated vocals. I usually don’t like clean singing in my metal, but this modern satanic gospel music wants to be understood.
The music, the art direction, the blasphemy; I love the whole package.