. . .
Metal fans are fickle. We love to discover bands, sing their praises to friends, and recommend their albums on chat boards. But boy, do we hate when bands achieve success. Plenty of people are ready to attack, armed with anonymity.
Ghost is a textbook case of this. Not a year ago the band was an underground darling. Fenriz talked them up in his blog. Fans passed around Opus Eponymous – then only available in Europe – like a relic. Live reviews extolled The Undead Pope’s stage presence. Comparisons were made to King Diamond and Blue Öyster Cult. But long before they closed Maryland Deathfest this summer, the knives were unsheathed. I even wondered if it was too much too soon when The Undead Pope graced the cover of Decibel.
I was wrong. Ghost is more vital now than ever. Metal needs them. That’s right, I said metal. Calling Ghost classic rock or retro is another way of trying to take the band down a peg, to somehow delegitimize them. Do you really think your local classic rock station will ever play a song praising human sacrifice or mocking the Lord’s Prayer after “D’Yer Mak’er”? It’s unlikely.
Here’s why Ghost is one of the most important bands on the scene.
. . .
Songwriting
Does anyone doubt Ghost’s songwriting prowess? I recommended Opus Eponymous to a friend, a talented musician who toured the indie rock circuit throughout the ’90s. He is in no way an extreme metal fan. He was hooked on the first song. I could play this album for my mother, a Carly Simon devotee, and she’d find something to like.
We’ve toiled for too long under the illusion that metal should be inaccessible except for a chosen few. That wasn’t the case for Judas Priest, a band that captivated the world with “Living After Midnight”. When you strip everything aside – the expertly crafted image, the communion wafers, the breathless press releases – Ghost is about songs.
The Journey Factor
When I was a kid, I owned a 45 of the Journey single “Any Way You Want It”. I played it until it was scratched and beaten. Roughly half the songs on Opus Eponymous have the Journey factor, particularly “Con Clavi Con Dio”, “Ritual”, “Stand by Him”, and “Satan Prayer”. I can’t get them out of my head. How many bands can do that? It’s like trying to bottle lightning. Most bands are lucky to do it once. Ghost does it throughout their entire debut. It bodes well for future albums.
. . .
. . .
Secret Identities
Having a secret identity is cool again, thanks to Ghost. It’s been boring in metal for years. Everyone knows Oderus Urungus from GWAR is Dave Brockie and “E” from Watain is Erik Danielsson. There is probably a tour map of Des Moines pointing out where the members of Slipknot live.
I’m so attached to Ghost’s anonymity that I intentionally avoid sites aiming to out them. They’ve created a genuine mystique. I like to imagine there are demons under the black robes and that The Undead Pope’s face looks just like his mask. When I was a kid, I hated the attempts people made to out KISS. There was something tantalizing about the Unmasked album despite the horrible songs. The cartoon on the cover sold the album. When KISS finally removed their masks, they were revealed as the Starchild, The Demon, The Cat, and the Spaceman.
Recruiting
Our metal tribe needs new members. Without them, labels can’t sell albums, bands can’t tour, and new generations of bands don’t form. You can’t just walk up to a kid on the street and hand them Noisear, Gridlink, or Altar of Plagues. They need to be seduced. Ghost offers the ultimate gateway experience. I see The Undead Pope becoming an effective recruiter, much like Eddie or Anton LaVey. He is metal’s own Uncle Sam.
Cover Songs
Metal cover songs have also become stale, perhaps because Six Feet Under has released about 10 albums of nothing but covers. With one song, Ghost has raised the bar on metal covers. They could have done the easy thing, like cover Mercyful Fate. Instead, they took The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” – a paean to hope – and turned it on its head.
. . .
Ghost – “Here Comes the Sun”
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Stage Presence
Thfew who have seen Ghost play have described a show bordering on transcendence that somehow didn’t take itself too seriously. I regret missing their performance at Maryland Deathfest. I’ve watched every video I can find, and the show looks captivating. There’s a minimum of movement, yet you are transfixed. I’m there in the front row this fall.
The Devil
The Devil hasn’t been this fun or scary in years. Most music praising Satan is inaccessible to all but a few extreme metal listeners. What’s more subversive than an album that could be translated into one of those Rockabye Baby! CDs? Ghost is scary because you find yourself singing lines like “This chapel of ritual / Smells of dead human sacrifices” in the shower.
Theatrics
Metal is about presence, an intangible “it” factor. It’s about projecting an image. It’s why bands wear corpsepaint, pose in front of snow-topped mountains, and wear more spikes than a porcupine. Metal has always has an operatic bent. Ghost understands this and uses it to their advantage.
Marketing
Every band – even the uber-kult– is looking to get noticed. They want to sell records. And metal fans like merchandise that enhances the emotional connection they have with artists. Take shirts, for example. Metal fans love shirts, and Ghost has the best shirts. Did you see the Deathfeat shirt with The Undead Pope as the Statue of Liberty? Brilliant. I’m waiting for them to release a special edition of their next album with a custom-made incense burner, Ghost pendant, and one-size-fits-all Undead Pope robes.
I don’t think they’ve taken this far enough. Ghost could take over the merchandising world like The Misfits. The Undead Pope could become the new Crimson Ghost. Where is The Undead Pope limited edition action figure? Bring on the Ghost bobbleheads. What about a lunchbox and Thermos? Are you listening, Metal Blade?
There is a gimmick involved – many, in fact — but Ghost is far from a gimmick band. They are tremendously savvy musicians as skilled at showmanship as they are at music. Metal hasn’t been this fun in years.
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Photo by Metal Chris
. . .
GHOST – NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
w/ Enslaved, Alcest
Sep. 23 – Springfield, VA – Jaxx
Sep. 24 – Millvale, PA – Mr. Small’s Theatre
Sep. 25 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
Sep. 26 – Cambridge, MA – The Middle East
Sep. 28 – Quebec City, QC – Impérial
Sep. 29 – Montreal, QC – Cafe Campus
Sep. 30 – Toronto, ON – Opera House
Oct. 01 – Columbus, OH – Outland Live
Oct. 02 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
Oct. 03 – St. Paul, MN – Station 4
Oct. 05 – Winnipeg, MB – WECC
Oct. 06 – Regina, SK – The Exchange
Oct. 07 – Edmonton, AB – The Starlite Room
Oct. 08 – Calgary, AB – Dickens
Oct. 10 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
Oct. 11 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
Oct. 12 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
Oct. 13 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
Oct. 14 – Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
. . .
I think I hate songs.
Nick, go to bed!
Yeah I’m with you. Couldn’t make it to the MDF, but I’ve seen enough videos to convince me. I’ll be front-and-center 9/24 in Pittsburgh. Plus Argus opening that show, for an added bonus.
That Beatles cover is the best song of 2011. It’s even better than ‘Ritual’.
100% agree with this post. I like them, and I didn’t think I would. They remind me of the Satan of Rosmary’s Baby and hark back to the Coven as well. It’s the mysterious seductive devil, not the gore splattered obscene extreme blasphemy one we know from so much metal. Over time silly black metal has made evil/satanic themes totally sterile and impotent. I say Ghost have made Satan kinda cool again – and why the fuck not.
Good article, but I’ll be the stick in the mud and say I like them and see the appeal, but I don’t get all the hype. Of all the great bands out there, THIS band gets all the hype?
I listened to this about 10 times and then put it on the shelf and haven’t gone back to it since. It’s not that it’s bad. I think it’s quite good, but definitely not something I’m going to listen to over and over. Maybe I’m just an old fuddy dud.
I’m becoming convinced each day that ghost are something of an “alternative genre” equivalent to whoever gets hyped up in pop these days… especially with how they cause people to be divisive over them. Some love ‘em, some hate ‘em, some don’t see what all the fuss is about, etc. etc.
Anyone who releases cool albums in an economic downturn can be a stick in the mud.
same with me – acknowledge the appeal it carries for other people. overhyped? sure! It’s interesting how the metal press has promoted an otherwise mediocre band (to my taste). something in me doesn’t want to allow that these dudes steal the show for other, more talented artists (again, my taste); but still I see good things happening for metal if Ghost brings in new listeners to the genre.
another point: passages of this piece of writing are utterly un-journastilic: stating that “Ghost has the best shirts” cannnot be supported by facts. ethics demand that you have to keep a critical distance.
This is an opinion piece. He doesn’t have to cite facts.
even opinion pieces are not free to distort the facts – ask lawyers.
but this surely does not apply here. I think it’s just superfluous to state that they make the best shirts, write the best songs or anything – it’s hard to argue that because there is no parameter
Completely agreed on every point, sir. Great article.
Interesting piece, though I still feel that it doesn’t answer how else Ghost connect to metal aside from the subject matter. Musically, aside from the issue of song-writing that you’ve mentioned, how else does Ghost fit in to what we recognise today as metal? Something about the guitar technique? The drumming, even?
I think we can mostly agree that Blue Oyster Cult and Deep Purple were borderline, right? I.e., some of the riffs were metal-style, and it was pretty heavy. Ghost is like those, but heavier and more obviously metallic. I agree it’s a close case, but I think Ghost falls into the metal category based on the music alone (yes, the guitar and drum techniques), even ignoring lyrics.
Was playing Ghost in the truck for a friend, and said “listen to this second solo, its awesome.” He was like, “Dude, I thought you were playing some old BOC song.”
Ghost are interesting. Hence the popularity, backlash, etc.
I think Bill Cosby made a great point once when he was taking about cigars. He said many people described cigars for their “earthy” flavor or autumnal aroma. But he said the only thing that mattered was that when he took the first few puffs it would taste like a good cigar. Ghost is a good cigar. Enjoy it; don’t overanalyze.
Céline Dion is a secret identity and some lyrics about Satan away from being featured on Invisible Oranges. Work on that, Céline.
Count me among those who is 100% on-board with this elegant summation of Ghost’s appeal. I love this band, I love the album, and I love simply anticipating seeing them in Chicago with Alcest and Enslaved this fall. I have to remind myself, “Oh, hey, there are two other bands I LOVE also playing that show. Huh. How ’bout that… BUT GHOST! YES! Duh-nuh-nah-nuh, duh-nuh-nah-nuh [starts humming the opening rumble of 'Con Clavi Con Dio'].”
They will sell many shirts that night. To me. I want a Nameless Ghoul bobblehead! Also, way to infiltrate the lair… Cosmo loves to snipe at Ghost, and his posting this article is a testament to its quality. Top-notch.
Ghost isn’t metal
K.Ann, I’d be inclined to say they are part of a contemporary movement (which would include Graveyard, among others) that are reviving an earlier brand of what you might call “proto-metal”.. relevant to (but not fully part of) the metal scene in a similar way to hard rock pre-metal bands such as (perhaps) Iron Butterfly or Sir Lord Baltimore…
this article sucks. 90% of this article isnt even about music. this is like an essay about “Ghost”’s marketing, something that i think is pretty transparent and self-explanatory. you even repeat some of the reasons you like ghost (which attests to their scarcity). there’s not exactly a whole lot of ground between “not being inaccessible in terms of songwriting” and “the journey factor”. hey, how about this: i think ghost sucks because their riffs are reactionary and retro in the worst way. they dont offer an interesting way to look at the past. they just offer previous music styles refried in your best friend’s shitty pressure cooker. their lyrics maybe satanic, but they dont exactly evoke moving occultist imagery or the depths of human misery (aka early UNEARTHLY TRANCE). good songwriting? sure. well-arranged? definitely. a band that contributes a new voice to metal? hardly.
now knowing the pope’s identity, i do kinda wish i never knew, as its hard to look at videos or pictures of ghost now without visualizing him as his normal self. but on the other hand, since finding out about them a couple days ago, i cant stop listening to his poppier/garagey rock band, so im actually sort of annoyed that i didnt know of the band sooner. and when listening to them, i cant help but imagine not only ghost playing the songs, but trying to imagine how they would interpret them in their own style, as the songwriting is basically the same.
I would really, really like to catch this tour, but the show nearest me that’s convenient to get to timing wise would call for an 8 hour drive each way. Is it really worth it?
A fantastic article. Completely agree with it. Just the other day, as I logged in to edit my own blog, I found Heavy Blog Is Heavy actually purporting to have outed The Undead Pope’s image. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know. But it really irks me – why do some people feel the need to kill the mystique? That’s part of the whole appeal of this band – as well as some of the finest music I’ve heard in a while.
And yes, the moment I heard ‘Ritual’, I was sold. I was humming or singing that song for days afterwards.
The members of Ghost were outed as early as October 2010.
Agreed on most points, but I’ll never listen to the album on a regular basis. That said, though, I will be front and center on 10/14 at The Troubadour (!)
Perhaps the most important point made by Justin is recruitment. I get the feeling that our community is aging and in need of some revitalization.
I agree on all points with this post. When I first heard of Ghost, I immediately thought “there’s no way that this band could possibly NOT completely blow.” Then when I first HEARD them, I was really impressed with the quality of the material, but I worried that it would be something I’d listen to a couple of times and then put on the shelf. That maybe I was being influenced more by the initial hype than I figured. Then I *couldn’t stop listening.* I’ve gone back to this album more times than I can care to admit. I’m incredibly cheesed off that I managed to be too broke to make it to Maryland Deathfest, and they’re not coming anywhere remotely near me on the upcoming tour (sometimes being in ATL is a major disadvantage). And I COMPLETELY agree on the need for more aggressive merchandising. Ghost should — nay, NEED to be — the next KISS. If for nothing else than to recruit more allies to the side of Our Dark Lord.
(In fact, the only issue I have with the post is that Justin didn’t use my Lucifer Rising fan edit video of “Here Comes the Sun,” but that’s just because I’m a self-important git. I won’t link to it to avoid being overly spammy, but it’s YouTubin’ around.)
Thanks Aleck. I’ve seen the video and it’s great. Nice work!
Meh, I still think they’re kinda dull and uninteresting.
Metal needs new blood and I’d rather ghost bring em in then saw… suicide silence.
Ghost exhibit what attracted me to king diamond, something mystical and beyond my initial understanding. The mystique of metal is often lost and as you point out in the article traded in for inaccesibility.
I miss the days when I was 15 and was scared my catholic parents would hear my slayer albums (turns out it wasn’t such a huge deal to them…) it was dangerous to be metal. character defining, ghost doesn’t bring this back, but rather reminds of that time.
I will disagree on the devil part because evil is a thing that’s meant to be dangerous and I can’t see any danger in Ghost. It’s fun music for sure, the whole concept may seem impressive, but there’s nothing “dangerous” about them. I understand exactly what you mean, but every thing in art, life, or theory has its own characteristics and Ghost don’t seem to make it when it comes to this part. They’re interesting though for sure.
p.s.: Didn’t mean to reply to your post. My keyboard sucks.
The first time I sat down and listened to Ghost, I was like “is this what they were talking about? hmm…well, shit – it’s not metal.” Of course, there is a spectrum of heaviness but I really don’t think Ghost are even on it. I listened to the record and found it cheap. It does not satiate. If I could only have 500 albums, this would not be one. So, I find it curious, really that they were on the cover of Decibel and on this blog – they’re not metal – and I would just as soon never think about them again.
I like Ghost for the hooks, pure and simple. But I still find them problematic. The lyrics stand out for the wrong reasons, and the gimmick starts to grate on my nerves the more I’m exposed to it. I don’t mind theatrics, but a ’schtick’ is just that, and it only goes so far. I’m reserving full judgement until album two: if they can go somewhere from here, or if they’ve shown all their cards.
I thought Ghost were pretty good at MDF, but I was already pooped out from 4 days of non-stop extreme metal and it was already 1am Monday morning when their set was rolling. Maybe now that they’re playing a smaller venue in Chicago with Enslaved (one of my top 3 Norwegian bands), the experience might be more enjoyable.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing Enslaved in Chicago. I’m equally excited to see the crowd reaction in Chicago.
After listening to Ghost for the first time just now, I have two thoughts:
(1) Without the subject matter and the band’s persona, no one would be talking about this band. This all seems very gimmicky and manufactured to me.
(2) How are the Enslaved fans (who know nothing of Ghost) going to react to this??? (I have this image in my head of the locals (hipsters) tapping their feet happily to Ghost while angered Enslaved fans look on disapprovingly)
Dark Ambient is full of weird and dark characters with alter egos, costumes, “dark and moody” music and subject matter, and we wouldn’t classify that as metal or important to metal in any way, would we? (No)
How is Ghost any different, how are they important or going to get anyone into metal? Everything but the music might lead one to believe this is metal, but my ears are hearing something else entirely. Blah.
I’d be willing to bet that 30% of Bottom Lounge clears out after Ghost is finished playing.
“Angry” Enslaved fans? LOL. Enslaved hasn’t been relevant since the early 90s. Their fans aren’t angry; they’re old.
30% sounds reasonable.
…. and you’re never to old to be angered (annoyed?) by chicago hipsters.
Somehow skipping the possibility that there will be a lot of metalheads, not hipsters, that want to see Enslaved & Ghost.
This is the first genuinely moronic article I’ve ever read on this blog. Are you trolling or trying to establish a name as the Rob Enderle of metal?
Metal *needs* bands with crossover appeal to middle-aged Carly Simon fans? Namedropping Judas Priest’s most banal song is somehow a good thing? And then you drag Journey into it? Thank goodness Ghost have arrived so that metal can be made more like Journey! The genre would be washed-up without them.
Your case that we need over-hyped, marketing-focused bands on the fringes of metal to suck in even more people who don’t really like the genre and dilute the camaraderie and community of the scene is so topsy-turvey it beggars belief.
Metal doesn’t nee Ghost; they are the latest flavour-of-the-month false metal fad that, with luck, won’t have any lasting effect.
THANK YOU DAVE. im not even necessarily against the idea that metal could benefit from more accessible bands, but honestly ghost is the worst example of that type of shit. i know a ton of bands that are heavier, catchier, better songwriters, AND more satanic
Definitely not trolling. But there might be another first here: the first time a prominent tech analyst has ever been name-checked on IO. Bravo!
What would be wrong with attracting a few middle-age Carly Simon fans? Are we so restricted as a group that we can’t accept older listeners or like Journey? I don’t think metal should be more like Journey. I do think we could use a few more songs with replay value. Inevitably, the “scene” you describe would be elitist which strikes me as a problem.We should welcome more people who want to get into metal, not reject them.
Ghost is also fun, something sorely lacking in metal.
In any case, thanks for reading, even if you hated it. Cheers.
Since I’ve started reading this blog, I’ve noticed something that, to me, is very puzzling. I’m talking about the idea that, apparently, there is this huge crowd of metal aficionados who, somehow, only like formless music without any replay value.
Judging by this article and some others by Cosmo, you guys seem to think that these people, or should I say “we”, don’t wear out albums, don’t fall in love with songs, don’t know their lyrics nor any little bit of music in it… We only listen once, forget all about it and move on. That’s fucking nonsense. Every music fan is in it to find music that will make them want to put it on repeat all day long. That’s what we all do. That’s fucking replay value we’re looking for, whether we’re talking about black metal, grindcore, death metal or whatever else one’s into. But what replay value is there in a song I don’t even like to begin with?
You guys need to stop assuming that a) just because one doesn’t like Ghost (or any other band on the rock side of things) it means they hate songs and replay value altogether (it feels dumb just typing these words, I don’t even know how one can feel this way), and b) if it doesn’t have a typical verse-chorus-chorus structure it’s not a song and can’t be enjoyed just as much.
I can’t even fathom how one could say “we need more songs with replay value”. I don’t even know what that means. If you find any music you like at all, you find songs with replay value. This is very strange to me.
@sick — Thanks for your comments. I won’t speak for Cosmo (who likely disagrees with this post) but I will say I don’t think that’s the vibe here at all or the impression any contributors have of hardcore listeners. We’re all just as passionate about discovering music and have given countless bands a platform. We do this because we love the music, not because of any impression or judgment calls. Do I happen to think there is too much formless music out there that could use more traditional structure? Yes. Would I ever make a blanket judgment about fans of music I’ve loved my whole life? Never. Cheers.
at the risk of trolling, overanalyzing, and just being an asshole, i feel it necessary to point out that ghost is simply not a great example of accessible metal. can we really say they hold a candle to Kvertelak? can we really say they’re trump the dozens of “fun” death ‘n’ roll bands out there? but we all know why we’re sitting here reading/debating an article about Ghost instead of Kvertelak or even the Cumshots: because they have a ton of non-music related gimmicks. hell, that is best evidenced by the fact that at least 6 out of the 9 listed reasons in this article for Ghost’s “relevance” are decidedly NOT ABOUT MUSIC (theatrics, secret identity, etc). Geez, this must be why people hate Ghost: they’re distinguished from their also-accessible metal brethren because of stupid shit like makeup
That’s one of the issues that music journalists (including myself) have to bear in mind – when we talk up a band or a musician, how much are we focusing on the music itself?
Alright, there is absolutely no reason to be going off and attacking Neil Schon’s afro.
On second…go ahead. You know why? Because I listen to the Doobie Brothers. Pfft!
“false metal” is the Godwin’s Law of Internet metal discussion.
I don’t like this band, I have never liked this band, and I probably never will like this band. I don’t think the songs are all that great and I’m not sure that they’re even a metal band.
And yep, I don’t think they’d have received half the attention or hype without their masks and cool cover art. Sure, they’d still get some hype but not nearly this much. Good job to them and all that, but… no thanks.
I think Ghost is the bee knees. I enjoy every track on “Opus…” and was in awe of them at Maryland Death Fest. I’ll be seeing Ghost again at The Troubadour as well. There are plenty of friends within my circles that give me shit for listening to them, but I don’t care. Never do care what people think of my musical tastes. Man, I can’t wait for Sade at the Honda Center next week.
Excellent post. From start to end. Hail Ghost!
Nope, sorry, hate it. I checked out Ghost several months ago and I didn’t get it. After reading Justin’s well reasoned praise I tried again. I listened to “Here Comes…”, “Death Knell” and “Ritual” and was totally unmoved. Sounds like limp late 70’s AOR, which I had more than my fill of back in middle school.
I can’t see Ghost as a gateway drug that brings people into the wonderful world of metal because whatever you call what they’re doing, it’s nothing like what *I* call “metal”. Hell, they’re more likely to get people into Electric Six or Broadway musicals. Acts like Kylesa or Mastodon (assuming they keep going in the direction they’re going) will be the real “gateway” bands.
Nice article. I agree with a lot you’ve said. I pointed in a “Opus Eponymous” review that, even if I like the band, I can’t overlook the marketing side. And let’s not forget that other bands like Blood Ceremony or The Devil’s Blood have done this kind of retro-inspired-satanic metal thing before. But off course: Ghost gained critical acclaim and worldwide attention. I like them, but I have mixed feelings…
Cheers.
VERY commendable job on Opus Eponymous, love everything on it. Looking forward to seeing them live. Keep up the amazing work Ghouls.
I have nothing against new blood in the metal scene; I’m not one who thinks it should be a closed elite club or anything. It’s fine to proselytise. Welcome, noobs, I’m not usually as rude as I’m being today!
What I am extremely dubious about is this business of twisting the definition of metal to try to attract people who don’t actually like the genre. I tend to describe this as “false metal for people who don’t like real metal”.
I see no value in pretending that Ghost is a metal band (and this is irrelevant to the fact that I don’t like Ghost—I’d say the same about other occult rock bands that I adore such as The Devil’s Blood or Sabbath Assembly) because I see the reasoning as this:
1) Pretend Ghost is metal.
2) Trick people who like Ghost but don’t like metal into thinking they like metal.
3) ???
4) Profit?
The result is that you just broaden the definition of metal so that it becomes meaningless, but I don’t think you’re finding new support for the bands who are still playing what was previously called metal. If we redefine Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift as metal, it’ll suddenly be the most popular genre in the world! Am I going to submit an article about how metal “needs” Taylor Swift for Cosmo’s consideration? Well, perhaps I’ll leave that hanging.
If we swell the legions of metal fans by using Ghost to lure in Carly Simon fans (and I guess also those hooked on Don’t Stop Believin’ too?) does that help bring a new audience to the likes of Argus, While Heaven Wept, In Solitude and all the other bands playing real metal? I guess you think yes and I think no.
It’s my opinion that the heavily-marketed bands around the fringes of metal thrive at the expense of the core metal bands. Publicity is a zero-sum game and every moment spent going “blah blah blah Ghost this, Ghost that” is attention that is taken away from actual metal.
Ghost are not heavily marketed. They are not signed to Roadrunner or Century Media, but to Rise Above and Rise Above, that is Lee Dorrian and two other stoners. If you order something from their webstore it always arrives a month later than planned. They have neither the budget nor the personnel for big media campaigns. In fact, Ghost is not that big. They still do mainly support slots for medium sized bands like Paradise Lost and Enslaved.
And it’s strange that you think people cannot go from Ghost to In Solitude, as both bands are quite similar and often mentioned together.
Well, over here they’re signed to Metal Blade. Maybe not the biggest label in the world, but I think of them as one of the “big metal labels” for sure. And they were on the cover of Decibel, which is kind of a big deal.
Metal Hammer too, along with the frontman for Skindred, Rob Halford, Alice Cooper, etc.
That’s the Decibel editor taking a risk, because they like the band so much. He know he will sell less copies of that magazine than if he’d put Trivium or Mastodon on the cover. Likewise with Terrorizer putting Enforcer on the cover.
Nerd fact:
The melody for the end solo in Stand By Him is taken from this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI6f1×0IjIo
Haha, awesome. Sounds like Peter Schilling covering Golden Earring… or Ghost, for that matter. It might be shitty, but I don’t mind this kind of shit in the first place.
And let’s not forget Satan Prayer which contains elements of the Asterix theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-83UM1UxcA
The list goes on and on. The album is perfect for a “name that reference” drinking game.
Also, I like this article because it clearly made some people MAD AT (false?) METAL as well as MAD AT OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS. “how dare ye editorialize my precious webspace!”
mission accomplished, Justin… keep up the good work!
Well, I gotta say that I can see the point about false metal, in the sense of being so far musically removed from metal. I feel that Alcest aren’t metal either, because musically it’s very much distanced from it.
I feel that Black Sabbath aren’t really the blues, because they’re so far removed from it.
You can hear the influences of blues rock and hard rock there, but later on it gets meatier.
I dont get why everyone refuses to accept Ghost as metal. Yes, the songs are catchy, the gain on the guitars are not turned up to 11, and it sounds like some cult recording out of 1975… but by that logic wouldn’t pretty much everything recorded before 1982 not be metal either? Have you never listened to old old Sabbath? or Priest? or Maiden? or Mercyful Fate? or even the first couple of Megadeth albums? The guitars on all of that stuff has nowhere near the balls of what we have grown accustomed to over the last 25 years but it doesn’t make it any less metal. I would argue that Ghost songs are even less bluesy the majority of that stuff. The tonality is pretty dark all around whether or not it’s coming off as aggressive or in-your-face. This is not to say that Ghost is any better than any of those trailblazers but none of those bands even utilize this type of retro sound anymore. What amazes me most is the amount of bitching and moaning on this site from people about over-compressed, Pro-tools, perfectly clear production and an album comes out that actually sounds kind of vintage and there’s still a bunch of haters. I guess you can argue that it’s totally metal just to hate everything though…
Exactly. Ghost is not extreme metal, but it’s definitely metal. In fact I remember people in 1988 complaining that Slayer was not metal, but noisy punk. Van Halen, Iron Maiden and Savatage, that was real metal!
People complained that South Of Heaven was noisy punk? I remember people complaining in 1986 that my mom’s boobs smelled funny. I just assumed they were retarded.
People complained that Slayer were not metal in 1988? What? They were already the second most popular extreme metal band at the time.
Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits, Reign in Blood, South of Heaven, Live Undead, and Haunting the Chapel had all already been released.
The only people who thought Slayer were a punk band in 1988 were people who didn’t listen to Slayer, metal, or punk.
They were already the second most popular extreme metal band at the time.
Yes, and extreme metal was a rather fringe element of metal at the time. South of Heaven is not really Appetite for Destruction in terms of popularity, is it?. And the real metal connoisseur at the time listened to Operation: Mindcrime.
To be clear: my point is not that South of Heaven is a bad album. In fact Slayer are one of my favourite bands and South of Heaven is undoubtely one of their best albums. My point is that although extreme metal currently is the dominant style of metal, that used to be different and that if you look at it that way, then, yes: Ghost is metal.
Extreme metal was by no means fringe in 1988. Metallica had already sold millions of records by that year. In fact, it’s safe to say that most of the heavier bands of that time already had the majority of their best albums behind them by then.
No, the only people people who thought Slayer were “noisy punk” in 1988 were people who thought ZZ Top were metal. Others into more mainstream bands (read – hair metal) were fully aware of the existence of the thrash scene. It just wasn’t their preference.
Never questioned your opinion of SOH or Slayer. Just disagree that people mistakenly thought of Slayer as “noisy punk” in 1988.
Cheers!
It seems to be something like this…
Real metal bands don’t care about image, except when they do. Real metal bands don’t care about fashion, but must wear leather and spikes and denim. Real metal bands don’t follow trends, but shouldn’t play in ways that aren’t directly referential of metal as it exists today, unless they’re “old-school”, in which case they should be directly referential of metal as it existed at some point in the past, but still not referential of any form of music that ever contributed to metal or from which metal today might take influences.
So metal is, basically, populist music than only YOU truly understand.
Comment of the week!
Agreed. Winning!
yeah man, right on, fuck metal, lets listen to alternative rock and get off on how unmetal it is
Just bought tickets to Columbus show… Ghost, Alcest, Struck By Lightning, and Enslaved for $15 – talk about value during a recession!!!
I bought this album after hearing the cover of “Here Comes the Sun” (which is awesome and, of course, isn’t on the album…) and wasn’t blown away. The Beatles these guys are not. However, I don’t get the hate they inspire in some people in the internet comments sections of the world. I really need to stop reading comments on metal web blogs (and oftentimes the posts on the blogs themselves…), as they make me vicariously embarrassed to be associated with metal. The attitude that is frequently espoused that “THIS music is the enemy of MY music” is fucking childish and smacks of insecurity.
I still say Ghost should cover “Wouldn’t it Nice”…
http://thatshowkidsdie.com/2011/01/19/its-the-night-of-the-witch-some-random-thoughts-on-ghost/
Oops, I meant “Wouldn’t it BE Nice”.
Ghost’s vocals are completely unfit for mainstream consumption. Comparisons to Journey are almost on, but they never seem to mention the complete disparity, vocal-wise, between the two bands. For all their inanity and crap arena songs, they had Steve Perry, who can belt out songs.
I don’t understand why Ghost is getting all this attention all the sudden when it seems The Devil’s Blood, a much better band in a similar vein, are left unmentioned.
Ghost’s evil pope is no Steve Perry, but he’s a decent enough singer. Not that this will propel them into the mainstream; this sort of ironic tribute thing never works for large audiences. You simply need to have too much genre knowledge to ‘get’ them. Enforcer and Cauldron have the same problem.
The Devil’s Blood’s songs aren’t nearly as catchy as Ghost’s – they lean more towards the prog end of the spectrum – and they have an even more limited singer.
Graveyard, who have a really good singer and are straightforward bluesy hard rock, do have mainstream potential. In fact, their album entered the Swedish album charts at no. 1.
Just the fact that there are 73 comments on this…Ghost is clearly valid in some way.
And why does is matter if they are metal or not. I enjoy MUSIC. A ton of Black Metal pushes the definition. Alcest doesn’t fit nicely either. Deafheaven? Another one that is amazing.
As a music fan, I think it’s an interesting listen and look forward to the live show here in SF.
Graveyard is by far the best “retro metal” band out there. No silly costumes or Satan bullshit (aren’t Satanists just Christians, but somehow even dumber?), and have better (to me anyway) songs and vocals. Hisingen Blues is probably the album released this year that I’ve listened to the most.
But long before they closed Maryland Deathfest this summer, the knives were unsheathed.
Sorry, but I’ve been bagging on Ghost since the beginning of this year in my Bleeders’ Digest columns over at MetalSucks.
As I’ve stated before — strip away the so-called “cool” gimmicks and you’ve got nothing but another annoying alt rock band that most metalheads wouldn’t give two shits about.
Right, writing the “I haven’t listened to metal in years” column at Metalsucks of all places really validates your opinion.
Hey, bowing headds! Glad to see you read my column. Appreciate the support.
Oh, and it is probably those other 21 years I’ve spent in the music business, specifically heavy metal, that lends me a smidge of credibility. I could care less if anyone “validates my opinion.”
Deathspell Omega have been cool and secretive for years. Ghost ain’t got shit. Fuck this site loads incredibly slow.
This sounds all right, would have appreciated a few more links to any kind of description of who they are or what they sound like besides the cover song, since I’ve never heard of them. I do kinda dig the classic 70’s metal/rock vibe going on here. Now that I HAVE heard of them, my first reaction is that you all should check out snail face, a joke band by some friends of mine that is 10x better. They’ve got aliases, and costumes, and a concept album about yeti’s. Download it for FREE!
http://wordclock.com/snailface/
Hour of 13 is an excellent genuine metal alternative to shit like Ghost
Ghost rules! Damn the haters!
Bullshit, dude. This article is well-written but neglects one thing:
They’re not metal, and they don’t matter. And you’re addressing everything about them BESIDES the music, anyway. Saying “Ghost is about songs” is like saying “Albert Einstein was about physics.” Of course they fucking are, IT’S A BAND. BANDS ARE ABOUT SONGS/MUSIC, THAT IS WHY THEY EXIST. If some snide cunt tries to tell me that any band legitimately puts out albums and tours just to show off how good they are playing their instruments, I will break them in half. That doesn’t fucking happen. Other than that, their songwriting is just about average. It displays no particular quirks or compositional ingenuity, like that which is displayed by pretty much any METAL band that put out an album in the late 80s/early to mid 90s. It’s just generic rock verse-chorus shit, which has much more in common with pop music as opposed to metal. Because this band is not metal. Since when does death/black/thrash/doom/heavy/grindcore/any other legitimate metal subgenre sound like this? Oh, it doesn’t? Word. More on that later.
So, that first, probably crucial point is bogus. Let me run through the other points:
The Journey Factor
You are praising this band for reasons that are at odds with metal and at home with any rock/pop band. You’re saying “this band matters because they are catchy and accessible”. HOW THE FUCK IS THAT WHAT METAL IS ABOUT? Here’s some history for you: extreme metal was formed in reaction to accessible, inoffensive, catchy rock music. Venom started singing about Satan and playing angry because they wanted to scare people. So did Possessed. And Death. And Bathory. Hence why you don’t hear (true) death/black/any other kind of extreme metal bands that sound nice, pretty and flowery. Metal is not supposed to be friendly, it is supposed to be threatening, contrarian and scornful. Metal is fucking violent and misanthropic, complex and inaccessible because it is at odds with the mainstream. It is about every aspect of society that mainstream society does not want to think about. It’s the wild animal that will burst into your home and unexpectedly eat two members of your immediate family. It’s the psychotic, axe-wielding serial killer that’s going to unapologetically butcher your five year old daughter in her sleep. It’s the iconoclast that will obliterate and disgrace any aspect of any religion for the sole fact that religion talks down on what it wants to do.
So, what does Ghost have in common with metal? Fucking NOTHING. They are the antithesis of what real, abrasive metal is about. And if you deny that, you are wrong, to put it bluntly. The only thing that this band has which is relevant to metal are lyrics, but that honestly is meaningless given that the music is at odds with it from the get-go. Fuck that shit.
Secret Identities
Who cares about this again? Uh, just you, buddy. Nobody gives a fuck about secret identities, other than it lends some air of mystery to the band… if they’re mysterious to begin with. It would make a band like Deathspell Omega be even more sinister and impenetrable, although it’s basically confirmed that Mikko is the vocalist and Hasjarl is the guitarist. However, with a band like Ghost? Their music is catchy and accessible! It has no substance and doesn’t focus on anything other than aesthetic! It doesn’t make them any cooler, or add any atmosphere. It just means nobody knows who the members are.
Although, it’s known that the vocalist is in Repugnant now. So that makes this point invalid anyway.
Recruiting
You’re basically saying they are entry level, catchy, accessible. That sounds like pop/rock music to me, not metal. However, there are entry level bands that are actually a good example of METAL and can introduce people to the best of the genre. Do you really think anybody that doesn’t listen to metal will hear this band and say “wow this is some sick metal, I should check out more”? No. Because this band is like some perverse fucked up inverted Odd Future– rock music for people that listen to metal, as opposed to hip hop for people that don’t listen to hip hop. Which is retarded, given that this band is nothing special in terms of rock (that is to say, they’re utterly vapid and shallow– they are)
Cover Songs
This is pretty pointless too. Nobody really cares about covers unless they’re legitimately somehow better than the original (in most cases they are not), not anymore than posting it on Facebook, saying “holy shit awesome” then forget about it entirely.
Stage Presence
This is part of them being a good live band (hint: they’re not). However, being a good live band has nothing to do with actual quality of music. Any band could put on a good show if they play well. So that’s bogus.
The Devil
They have morbid, Satanic lyrics, okay. Not of any particular quality, basically run of the mill interpretations of metal’s lyrical hallmarks. And they present it in a way that doesn’t seem menacing. How is that impressive, or of any note whatsoever? Or something to brag about? That’s saying “We think Satan is cool but we don’t have the balls to make anybody actually KNOW we think Satan is cool.” Having evil lyrics and poppy vocals/instrumentation is retarded.
Theatrics
They have an image and stick to it. Cool. What about the (problematic) music? Oh. This has nothing to do with that, given that their music gives off the vibe of pretty flowers and good times. Right.
Marketing
This has nothing to do with being good. I don’t give a shit about how a band is marketed if they suck. Taking over the merchandising world? Does anybody REALLY give a shit?
In short, this article is bogus, and this band is honestly a real problem. Just as much as Rings of Saturn, Brain Drill, Viraemia, or any stereotypical generic deathcore and other assorted shit. Only, this band is an insidious problem, because Ghost fools people into thinking they are metal.
You know what’s even more fucked? The vocalist of this band sings and plays guitar for REPUGNANT. WTF? How do you go from wild ass Swedish death/thrash to this shit?
It’s just generic rock verse-chorus shit
Like this?
Hence why you don’t hear (true) death/black/any other kind of extreme metal bands that sound nice, pretty and flowery.
Then what about this?
Metal is fucking violent and misanthropic, complex and inaccessible
So this isn’t metal?
@Steve O: Comment (and dissection) of the year!
Thank you Corey. Would like to say I quite enjoyed the articles you wrote for MS.net.
@Martijn: British Steel is a pretty mediocre Priest album, that’s basically the only good song from it, other than Metal Gods, firstly. Second, no, not really, it’s basically just hard rock.
Neither of Cynic’s two albums really count as any form of extreme metal with that particular album being essentially progressive rock, so no, I wouldn’t say that’s metal either. Though, Focus is one of my favorite metal albums period and counts as genuinely progressive, IMO, but it has more in common with jazz fusion and progressive rock than metal. However, the difference between Cynic and Ghost is that all of Cynic’s recorded material is that Cynic are not trying to be a metal band. Both of Cynic’s albums are amazing, regardless.
Finally… Whitesnake? Really? HAHAHAHAH! If that isn’t a joke, then no, of course they aren’t.
Also, I feel I should note that while Breaking the Law is hard rock, it also has BALLS.
No, Y&T. But Whitesnake would have been a good example too.
What you do, is change the definition of metal so that it excludes bands that are generally accepted as metal bands, such as Cynic, Judas Priest and Y&T. These bands are not extreme metal – although Priest are regarded as one of the founders of that subgenre of metal – but they are certainly metal.
Like I wrote before, that can be done the other way around too. Venom got bad reviews for their first albums. They couldn’t play, they couldn’t sing, their guitar solo’s sucked. That wasn’t what metal was supposed to be. Metal, that was Y&T, Iron Maiden and Scorpions.
Either way, whoever the hell Y&T is/was, that wasn’t metal whatsoever.
Also, no I don’t… in my mind extreme metal encompasses any legitimate metal subgenre– you have death metal, black metal, thrash metal, doom metal, heavy metal, grindcore, speed metal, etc. and that’s basically it. Any true metal band can be considered one of those, or some combination of them. “Generally accepted” doesn’t cut it if it isn’t true, a lot would say shit like Liferuiner and Attack Attack and Whitechapel and shit is metal, when they aren’t.
Cynic’s demos were pretty much death/thrash (as in, the two mixed together) with progressive tendencies. As I said, Focus has more in common with jazz fusion and progressive rock and Traced in Air is literally just progressive rock. (Focus is better anyway)
That Priest album/song is hard rock and not metal, as I said, as was basically all of their 80s output. Sad Wings of Destiny, in comparison, is a slab of glorious heavy metal.
What you’re talking about is stuff that is “supposed” to be metal, not “is” metal.
You guys. Seriously.
Every time you use the words “real metal” in ANY context, you make yourself look embarrassing.
“Ghost isn’t REAL metal, they just dress up and dance around and-”
Stop it. You look embarrassing.
“Death and Bathory and Venom and namedrop namedrop namedrop are REAL metal, you are all just-”
No, dude, seriously, please stop it. You just…you just look embarrassing.
“This tungsten steel alloy is REAL metal, but unfortunately too brittle for many practical applications.”
Well, I guess you got me there.
Ghost are a pile of shit and anyone who likes them is a fucking idiot. I can perhaps excuse young kids who don’t know any better, but for older Metallers who’ve been exposed to the real deals like Mercyful Fate, there is no excuse.
Don’t be fooled by Rise Above either, Lee Dorian is as cynically corporate as they come, spent the 90’s and early 00’s slagging off Metal and is cashing in now that it’s cool again. Not to mention his label’s blatant price gouging and flimsy half arsed packaging.