Ghost albums ranked
With Ghost's new album IMPERA having been released over the weekend, I figured now would be a good time to do an album ranking on them. Care to see where their new record stands with one die-hard Ghost fan? Keep reading to find out...
This list is based entirely on my personal opinion.
5. Opus Eponymous
For many artists out there, their first album is usually one of their best, if not their very best. This is not the case for Ghost. Opus Eponymous isn't a bad album, but it's not a very memorable one either. The only songs I ever find myself coming back to listen to are "Ritual" and "Elizabeth". It just sounds like Ghost were another run-of-the-mill metal band, doing very little to set themselves apart from the rest. They would fix that problem immediately after this with Infestissumam, but with their debut, it was not a strong start to their career.
4. Prequelle
Don't let the position where I put this album fool you, Prequelle is a fine album! I really enjoyed it, but for some reason, it just didn't resonate with me quite as well as most of their albums. Still, it easily has some great numbers on it. The Scorpions-esque "Dance Macabre" and the instrumental (that isn't filler, for once) "Miasma" happen to be two of my favorite Ghost songs. It was nice to hear the band tone it down with the heavy metal from Meliora and make an album closer in style to Infestissumam, but also evolving by adopting a '70s arena hard rock sound. But as good as it is, I just couldn't get into it that much. Still, while Prequelle may not be their best, I don't ever see it sitting among their worst over time either.
3. Meliora
The band's third album and arguably their heaviest. Meliora returns to the heavy metal from their debut, but also retains some traces of the poppy psychedelia from Infestissumam. Almost as if Ghost were trying to find some sort of middle ground between styles. I don't consider Ghost a metal band and like it them better when they don't sound like they're trying to be one, but I would be lying if I didn't consider Meliora to be one of their best. It has a great blend of some of their darkest and heaviest tracks like "Cirice", "From The Pinnacle To the Pit" and "Mummy Dust" and also songs more in line with what is now Ghost's signature sound like "Majesty", "Spirit" and "Absolution". Interestingly, I think the best song here is the softest "He Is". I think it shows that Ghost are more in their element when they don't sound like they're trying to be a metal band. While Meliora is very much one of their greatest, I'm still glad it's been their last borderline metal album so far.
2. Infestissumam
This marks the moment where Ghost had found their sound. With Infestissumam, the band almost completely do away with the generic metal sound from Opus Eponymous and instead, focus on pop-influenced psychedelic rock. The end result is Ghost adopting a sound that makes them more unique and their music much more memorable. Early tracks "Secular Haze" and "Jigolo Har Megiddo" set the tone for the record with eerie, trippy vibes mixed with catchy pop-rock melodies, while songs like "Year Zero" and "Idolatrine" are a direct juxtaposition of these two themes that, as one critic noted, is weirdly effective. And to great effect! We even see the band get progressive with "Ghuleh / Zombie Queen", a nostalgic ballad that's also one of the band's most epic tracks. Infestissumam may not well with most metal fans, but to be fair, Ghost have said themselves they don't try to be a metal band. They might've briefly gone back to their heavier roots with Meliora, but this is still Ghost at their most sinister and they proved here that they don't need metal to be so.
1. IMPERA
Maybe I'm still riding high off my enthusiasm on how much I enjoyed their new record, something I may reevaluate when they release their next album, but right now I'm saying it: IMPERA is Ghost's best album. Here, the band take the arena rock musings from Prequelle and kick it up an notch to make their most epic record to date! It kicks off with fast-paced and almost punky "Kaisarion", which immediately sets the uplifting, cinematic tone for the album. Its two lead singles "Hunter's Moon" and "Call Me Little Sunshine" gives us more vintage Ghost staples. Songs "Spillways", "Griftwood" and "Watcher in the Sky" serve as glorious stadium rockers. We also get another bittersweet ballad "Darkness At The Heart Of My Love" before it closes with the epic "Respite on the Spitalfields". About the only time IMPERA falls short is with "Twenties", which is the heaviest song on the album and feels like it was only made to keep fans partial to their heavier music happy. It's not bad, but it's definitely where the record loses its momentum. It also has two more filler tracks, but IMPERA’s flaws are forgivable, because the rest of it is just that great. IMPERA has some of Ghost's best work, by far. Be band might've found their sound before, they have now perfected it. If you're a fan who hasn't listened to the album yet, please do. Even if you might not agree on it being their best, I'm sure you'll be still be happy with it.
Feel free to share your thoughts below, be they in agreement or disagreement with this post.
Thanks for reading!
This list is based entirely on my personal opinion.
For many artists out there, their first album is usually one of their best, if not their very best. This is not the case for Ghost. Opus Eponymous isn't a bad album, but it's not a very memorable one either. The only songs I ever find myself coming back to listen to are "Ritual" and "Elizabeth". It just sounds like Ghost were another run-of-the-mill metal band, doing very little to set themselves apart from the rest. They would fix that problem immediately after this with Infestissumam, but with their debut, it was not a strong start to their career.
Don't let the position where I put this album fool you, Prequelle is a fine album! I really enjoyed it, but for some reason, it just didn't resonate with me quite as well as most of their albums. Still, it easily has some great numbers on it. The Scorpions-esque "Dance Macabre" and the instrumental (that isn't filler, for once) "Miasma" happen to be two of my favorite Ghost songs. It was nice to hear the band tone it down with the heavy metal from Meliora and make an album closer in style to Infestissumam, but also evolving by adopting a '70s arena hard rock sound. But as good as it is, I just couldn't get into it that much. Still, while Prequelle may not be their best, I don't ever see it sitting among their worst over time either.
The band's third album and arguably their heaviest. Meliora returns to the heavy metal from their debut, but also retains some traces of the poppy psychedelia from Infestissumam. Almost as if Ghost were trying to find some sort of middle ground between styles. I don't consider Ghost a metal band and like it them better when they don't sound like they're trying to be one, but I would be lying if I didn't consider Meliora to be one of their best. It has a great blend of some of their darkest and heaviest tracks like "Cirice", "From The Pinnacle To the Pit" and "Mummy Dust" and also songs more in line with what is now Ghost's signature sound like "Majesty", "Spirit" and "Absolution". Interestingly, I think the best song here is the softest "He Is". I think it shows that Ghost are more in their element when they don't sound like they're trying to be a metal band. While Meliora is very much one of their greatest, I'm still glad it's been their last borderline metal album so far.
This marks the moment where Ghost had found their sound. With Infestissumam, the band almost completely do away with the generic metal sound from Opus Eponymous and instead, focus on pop-influenced psychedelic rock. The end result is Ghost adopting a sound that makes them more unique and their music much more memorable. Early tracks "Secular Haze" and "Jigolo Har Megiddo" set the tone for the record with eerie, trippy vibes mixed with catchy pop-rock melodies, while songs like "Year Zero" and "Idolatrine" are a direct juxtaposition of these two themes that, as one critic noted, is weirdly effective. And to great effect! We even see the band get progressive with "Ghuleh / Zombie Queen", a nostalgic ballad that's also one of the band's most epic tracks. Infestissumam may not well with most metal fans, but to be fair, Ghost have said themselves they don't try to be a metal band. They might've briefly gone back to their heavier roots with Meliora, but this is still Ghost at their most sinister and they proved here that they don't need metal to be so.
Maybe I'm still riding high off my enthusiasm on how much I enjoyed their new record, something I may reevaluate when they release their next album, but right now I'm saying it: IMPERA is Ghost's best album. Here, the band take the arena rock musings from Prequelle and kick it up an notch to make their most epic record to date! It kicks off with fast-paced and almost punky "Kaisarion", which immediately sets the uplifting, cinematic tone for the album. Its two lead singles "Hunter's Moon" and "Call Me Little Sunshine" gives us more vintage Ghost staples. Songs "Spillways", "Griftwood" and "Watcher in the Sky" serve as glorious stadium rockers. We also get another bittersweet ballad "Darkness At The Heart Of My Love" before it closes with the epic "Respite on the Spitalfields". About the only time IMPERA falls short is with "Twenties", which is the heaviest song on the album and feels like it was only made to keep fans partial to their heavier music happy. It's not bad, but it's definitely where the record loses its momentum. It also has two more filler tracks, but IMPERA’s flaws are forgivable, because the rest of it is just that great. IMPERA has some of Ghost's best work, by far. Be band might've found their sound before, they have now perfected it. If you're a fan who hasn't listened to the album yet, please do. Even if you might not agree on it being their best, I'm sure you'll be still be happy with it.
Feel free to share your thoughts below, be they in agreement or disagreement with this post.
Thanks for reading!
