#13 - Top of 2018

Ghost - Prequelle (Loma Vista)

The journey of the weirdest superstars of the decade continues, as Ghost released their 4th full-length album, to critical and commercial acclaim. The album continues on the same creative vein with the previous work of the group, mixing 80s pop rock and metal - lite elements along with satanic imagery and lyrics, while preserving an overall fun factor that has made the band as popular as it is. The album has 9 tracks (+ intro), that keep the listener on its feet while at the same time the band successfully transcends mere imitation and establishes its own musical identity, more strongly than ever, clearly demonstrating that they are their own superstars right now.  Tracks like "Rats", "Dance Macabre", "Faith" and "Life Eternal", are among the best the band has ever written and while theatrics still remain a focal point for the band in this age of image, this would still be a great album regardless of all that. There are multiple superstar collaborators in the album (Mikael Åkerfeldt [Opeth], Vincent Portare [Avicii]) and a stellar production by Tom Dalgety (Royal Blood, Pixies), whose work might be the true superstar of the album as the production mixes modern and old-school evoking enthusiasm and nostalgia at the same time. Ghost are not overrated, nor are underrated. They are correctly rated as one of the hottest acts of this decade!

95.2/100

Below are the music videos for "Rats"  and "Dance Macabre".