If you're an active member of the metal community, you must have certainly heard of the Swedish heavy metal group - Ghost. They are easily one of the most hyped bands to have come out of the metal scene in a long time and this hype is a result of both - their mysterious stage persona, and their uncanny music style.
Meliora is Ghost's third studio album and they are in top form. The band has notably polished and evolved the 70s-rock influenced metal sound that they brought to the scene with their amazing debut record, Opus Eponymous in 2010, with better songwriting and some brilliant instrumentation. The vocal and guitar melodies are catchier, and the intricate harmonies backing them are a testament to Ghost's ingenious musicianship. While the 70s rock scene still remains a major influence, Ghost's sound has slightly expanded and hints of progressive rock and thrash metal can be heard in their music. Another improvement I felt were the vocals, which sound sort of theatrical and fit perfectly well with Ghost's equally theatrical musical style.
The strongest highlight of Meliora is definitely the instrumental arrangements. Throughout the album, Ghost has made use of synths, pianos, acoustic guitars, choir vocals, harps and so much more to create a layered blend to complement their catchy melodies, yet none of the songs ever feel stuffed or congested. The tracks Cirice and He Is are prominent examples. Ghost also realizes that the tiniest of details can make significant differences like the ticking sound of a clock used in the last song, Deus In Absentia during the silence between the drum beats.
I feel that with Meliora, the band has finally succeeded in painting a vivid image of the dark and blasphemous world which they tried to portray with their previous albums, but only remained a vague idea up till now. The lyrics and the hypnotic vocals in each song do more than enough to create an overall atmosphere of the album and bring Ghost's world of Satanic Popes and ghouls to life.
Meliora is a major leap forward for Ghost.
Favorite Songs: Cirice, He Is, Deus In Absentia, Majesty
My Rating: 8/10
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