If you have ever found yourself wondering what it would sound like if Foreigner and early Black Sabbath had a one-night stand and created a baby, then have I got the band for you. Last week, I covered underrated alt-country rockers, Slobberbone in the hopes that the 3-5 people who read this were able to enjoy them as much as I do. This week we take a trip to, uh, the deeper south by way of Sweden with a band that has a satanic cult concept, but an arena rock sound.

Ghost

Prequelle

2018

For the uninitiated, Ghost may seem like an over-the-top gimmick. The band of Nameless Ghouls is led by a satanic anti-pope dubbed, “Papa Emeritus(I, II, III, Nihil, IV),” with the exception that the band was led by “Cardinal Copia” for this album before he was elevated to Papa Emeritus IV. If all of that sounds like insane gibberish, it is, but the band lore is as important as the music, so let’s unpack that a bit more.

Back in the day Ghost was a complete and total enigma. No one knew who the band members were, or more importantly, who Papa Emeritus was. That all changed in 2016 when several of the now former band members sued one Tobias Forge, losing, and unmasking him as Papa and the creative driving force behind the band itself.

Now that Forge is firmly ensconced as the creative driving force, and I am not questioning that he wasn’t to begin with, Ghost recorded and released Prequelle in 2018. The marketing behind each Papa album cycle is always a thing to behold, the first Papa debuted with the band’s first album, Opus Eponymous, which is a bit more Sabbath-y and less arena-rocky. Anyway, he was “retired” in 2012 and a new Papa was introduced, Papa II. After the so-called “Infestissumam cycle” he was summarily dismissed and Papa Emeritus III, a far more arrogant and flamboyant Papa was introduced.

With Papa Emeritus III coming on the scene, the band started to gain traction and released Meliora and a couple of EPs with originals and covers, including their most popular song “Square Hammer.” In 2017, Papa III met a far more ignominious end, being dragged off stage while an elderly Papa, then known as “Papa Zero,” later “Nihil”, mysteriously claimed that the party was over.

Just to be clear for all of the hyper religious folk out there, this is all elaborate performance art, a gimmick, it’s not meant to be some sort of real Satanic cult hellbent on bringing about the end of days. Tobias Forge has said in interviews that he subscribes to Satanism, but who really knows. Bob Dylan said he hitchhiked to New York. He is Swedish, and Sweden is a bit more of a secular place, while in America, there are a huge percentage of people that think we really should be a Christian nation. The Swedes are far more welcoming of blasphemy as performance art than we ‘Mericans are.

If you were to visit the band’s YouTube page, the vignettes from the Prequelle era are there. I am sure at his point y’all may be over the band lore. Long story short, Papa Nihil is revealed to be the father of the previous three Papas, and has no spawn left to take over. Enter Cardinal Copia, and even more flamboyant and somewhat goofy band leader. It is strongly implied that the good Cardinal may be an illegitimate child.

All Ghost album art is usually pretty spooky or depicts very vivid occult imagery. Prequelle is no exception, and along with there being a special box set out there that I do not have, the original release has a horseman on the cover in five different places. On the version I have, he is on the bottom left. The back cover has a mock stain glass window art of some of the characters from the Ghost universe.

The concept of the album itself is a loose retelling of the Black Death. It is a fun coincidence that I got really into the album during Covid.

Track by Track

1. Ashes

A mostly instrumental track with Tobias’ kid singing “Ring a Ring o’Roses” in the background. This is only significant because it is said that the poem or some variation thereof originated during the Bubonic Plague.

2. Rats

I can guarantee that after you listen to this song you will never hear the word “rats” the same way ever again. It is a real earworm, and the accompanying music video is, uh, interesting. It was released as the album’s first single. Really really prescient in these pandemic times, but a closer listen and it is really more of an indictment of organized religion.

3. Faith

This is probably the most underrated song on the album. The ultimate nod to arena rock, but also with a sprinkling of Sabbath as I previously described. It is definitely one of the highlights of the album and features an excellent guitar solo.

4. See the Light

Not the strongest song on this LP. It resembles more of an early 2000s nu metal track. It is very formulaic and not as fun as the bulk of the songs on this album. If I am playing the record through, I don’t skip it, but I also don’t seek it out.

5. Miasma

A purely instrumental track. It is really good and builds to a great crescendo and saxophone solo. When it was played live, the sax solo was performed by Papa Nihil, who would have to be helped to the stage by two stagehands, only to bust out youthful dance moves while blowing on the sax.

6. Dance Macabre

Many of you know I am not a fan of ABBA, but Tobias Forge is. Like “Rats”, this one will stick with you and you’ll find yourself jamming to its dance rock disco riot sound. The video of the song takes place in the late 60s and features the young Papa Nihil before he was Papa Nihil. It is a bit of fun storytelling dressed up in a raucous dance number. Don’t sleep on the wordplay in the lyrics either, “Just wanna be/wanna bewitch you in the moonlight.”

7. Pro Memoria

“Don’t you forget about dying/don’t you forget about your friend death/don’t you forget that you will die.” Some of the critics think this song is a bit cheesy, but I think it fits well on this album. It is basically a long reference to Memento Mori. It slows the tempo down a bit and has a surprisingly radio-friendly sound. The lyrical content is not that radio-friendly, though.

8. Witch Image

A harder and more melodic jam. Like “Faith”, it is supremely underrated and would take some warming up to get into it. It fits well with the whole Black Death theme. Lyrics about feasting on flesh and what not. It is pretty catchy, and I stopped skipping it after several listens when it grew on me.

9. Helvetesfönster

This baroque style instrumental track may seem out of place on here, but again, Black Death, medieval Europe, etc. It literally translates to “Hell Windows.” So, yeah.

10. Life Eternal

The last song on the album is the perfect coda. The song asks if you had eternal life, what would you do with it? it is very epic towards the end when the song builds to a crescendo where the word “forever” is sung repeatedly. The band made a video for the song in March with footage from the last stop, in Mexico City, on the last tour before Covid where Papa Nihil drops dead before his sax solo and Cardinal Copia is promoted to Papa Emeritus IV.

Bonus!

Part of this album cycle tells the story of Papa Nihil’s beginnings. It is depicted in “Dance Macabre.” Some of the vignettes allude to his past performance and wooing and subsequent fallout of his relationship with Sister Imperator. In 2019, Ghost released Seven Inches of Satanic Panic, an EP that purports to be Ghost songs from 1969 performed by Papa Nihil.

Side A–Kiss the Go-Goat

One of my favorite homages to late 60s-style rock, the video is fun too.

Side B–Mary On A Cross

Another excellent homage to upbeat 60s rock with some of the most foot-stomping drumming you’ll probably encounter on this fine Saturday.