Ghost's new studio album, Skeletá, introduces a new character, Papa V Perpetua, and frontman Tobias Forge delves into introspective territory, exploring emotions like hope, regret, sorrow, and love. I'm not a big fan of the band, but I loved the album Impera (my favourite by the band) so much that it went straight to number 1 in my personal top 10 of 2022.
This new album features the usual production quality and some very cool songs and moments like the single Lachryma or Satanized (I love the drumming on this one, maybe my favourite of the album), the pace of The Profundis Borealis, the solo section of Umbra, and a good 80s-style ballad like Guiding Lights.
Skeletá is overall a quality record you expect from Ghost, but the general inoffensive feeling stays with me throughout the listening, without creepy moments or something new or a little out of the ordinary, especially in the second half of the album, with lots of "heard that before" moments. It's overall enjoyable, but, in my opinion, it doesn't dare and it doesn't add much to the Ghost's discography.
Rating: 65/100Top tracks: Satanized, The Profundis Borealis, Guiding Lights.