Album Review: Ghost - Meliora

Ghost - Meliora

Loma Vista Recordings - 2015

10/10

Following a slight surge of popularity after their sophomore release, Ghost would reach what I call mainstream attention with Meliora. Naturally, the slight tamperings with a warmer sound on the previous album lead to the higher leap towards pop-oriented tunes for the third go around. While there’s certainly still some traces of the metal riffing, things move away from Black Sabbath/Mercyful Fate influences and more towards Led Zeppelin/Deep Purple influences meeting Blue Öyster Cult. The end result means ditching the colder atmosphere for good, and bringing on occult rock songs that would fare well on a hot summer evening.

But instead of shying away from that lack of metal grounding, this is where I see Papa (III) and co. reach their full potential from a songwriting basis. So much is offered under this rock ‘n roll scope, without needing to borrow a lot from the heavier riffing templates. There’s a strong foundation of 1970’s accessibility, greater emphasis on the theatrical elements, and the most even mix of hard and soft we’ve ever seen from them. Not to mention, the linear flow from song to song is on point, and these ideas are spread out nicely enough.

Looking at the heavier end of the scope, Meliora manages to fuse crushing rhythms with melodic accessibility, and with several outlets as well. “Absolution” dials in doomier licks under a minor tint, exposing its welcoming side with a catchy chorus and softer piano garnishes. Contrary to that, the menacing “From The Pinnacle To The Pit,” with its thunderous bass intro, uses operatic vocal technique and brighter colors in the bridge, leaving the chorus to follow up with dense riffs and whispered vocals. Figure it the “Con Clavi Con Dio” of this record. Then of course, you have the only full-rounded heavy metal song, “Mummy Dust,” which, save for the synth droppings, comes close to the levels of Opus Eponymous. The warm atmosphere is still there though, allowing it to fit in.

Transitioning into that song from the one lone power ballad leads into the softer discussion. True, Ghost had tampered with balladry before this, but none hit the full-scale tone that “He Is” managed to bring in. Soaking itself in worship-esque pools, it rides primarily on acoustic guitars, smooth singing, and a mild buildup to the resolution. Integrating softer parts worked wonders for other tracks that made them a bit more theatrical. My personal favorite “Cirice” nears epic feels with its soft but eerie intro, hard riffing, clean piano-backed breaks, and beefy leads. A similar approach is taken for closer “Deus In Absentia,” but further focus on explosive drum/bass combos takes precedence for this one.

All that leaves us with is the stripped down rock ‘n roll tunes. Opener “Spirit” admittedly took longer to grow on me than the rest, mostly because its alien-like intro contradicts a bare-bones center, but over time I found that to add to the charm. Same can be said about the steadier “Majesty,” which hearkens back to the organ-synth style used on the earlier discs to compliment a less bumpy ride. One complaint I had with Ghost’s latest record was the amount of non-song interludes, but the ones here work well, similar to the ones on Black Sabbath’s Master Of Reality. “Devil Church” and “Spoksönat” both contain quick memorable passages, and the latter seems extra special, as it became the bridge on “Rats” from the next album.

All controversy aside, this is not only my favorite Ghost record, but one of my favorite albums of the 2010s. Some may be shy to call it a metal release, and if that helps them sleep at night, that’s fine. But from a compositional standpoint, this is truly some immaculate work. There aren’t any records by the band that I dislike, but this is the one that I can’t find a loose end even if I look closely.