Some of life’s greatest things were the result of accidents. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by accident. Coca-Cola was invented by accident. And, for their fifth album, Ghost have accidentally written a rock opera.
For an album about the rise and fall of glorious empires, it’s only fitting that ‘Impera’ is Ghost’s most boldly bombastic, unabashedly grandiose album to date, glittering with theatricality in a way that makes Phantom of the Opera look minimalistic. Hell, this might even be the album that converts theatre kids to the metalhead cause.
After the stately opening march of Imperium, Kaisarion waltzes in with a hair-raising vocal trill that could have Meat Loaf scrambling out of his coffin to join in the fun.
The soaring Spillways, meanwhile, wears its ‘80s campiness well enough for it to feel gloriously retro rather than derivative, as does the shameless hair metal swagger of Griftwood.
The Swedish metallers handle it with such effortlessness that it never feels like they’re being self-indulgent. The unsung hero of the piece, though, comes later in the form of love-song-in-disguise Darkness At The Heart of My Love, which may be the best song Prince never wrote.
But there are a couple of minor slip ups that beset Impera’s charge to success. The glinting metallic chug of Watcher In The Sky outstays its welcome a little too long, without bringing enough new ideas to justify rumbling on for nearly six minutes.
Even then, it’s easier to forgive than the clunky, jarring Twenties and its bizarre rhyming couplets. Fortunately, though, these moments are outshone by the quality of the rest of the record. Ghost are more than ready to bring devilish fun by the truckload to arenas and beyond.
Ghost Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sat April 09 2022 - MANCHESTER AO Arena
Mon April 11 2022 - LONDON O2 Arena
Wed April 13 2022 - GLASGOW OVO Hydro
Fri April 15 2022 - BIRMINGHAM Resorts World Arena
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