Ghost "Impera" (2022)

 

 

Ghost's evolution through the shades of nostalgic Metal has been remarkable to say the least. With humble beginnings emerging from the lurching fog of old-school Doom Metal, the band have navigated a musical history pinching inspirations from Heavy Metal, Scandinavian Pop and Psychedelic Rock. Led by the outfits brainchild Tobias Forge, this fifth full length Impera strides forth boldly off the back of Prequelle's Arena Rock encroachment. Fully embracing American Rock vibes of the 70s, they dazzle once again with a little touch of Glam Rock echoing in the passing winds.

On the first few spins it all felt so obvious. Kaisarion's intro baked by sun soaked guitar leads, an ascending falsetto yell and the epic build to crunching Hard Rock riffs felt like a page out of someone else's book. But who? Spillways's piercing piano chops and Tobias's vocal line again echo's some creative genius of the past. It goes on throughout the album. Queen, Led Zeppelin, Boston, Dio? These songs continuously evoke the emotive rumble of classic Rock anthems. Yet not once do Ghost plagiarize.

As more repetitions sunk in, I couldn't deny how fantastically written these songs are. Even the initially disappointing Hunter's Moon finds its place in the track listing. The album swoons through one vibe another another. Tobias's impeccable singing, both in pitch and persuasion is accompanied by a fine and expansive instruments. These arrangements have their key distinctions glistening in the forefront with a lush backdrop of soft synths, organs and glittering acoustic guitars. The whole affair is a slick and dynamic groove, adapting to a songs purpose. Instruments drop in and out to perfectly compliment one another when it is apt to do so.

The variety is stunning. Most song pivot of the Arena Rock vibe with detours into Power Ballads and the like. The one true Metal song that hails back to Opus Eponymous, Twenties, suffers its own stiffness. Led in by a dramatic break in tone, Dominion's grueling trumpet orchestration bluntly pivots out of the utterly anthemic Watcher In The Sky. The metallic lurching riff and ghoulish key tones set a stage for Tobais's creepy groans but the chorus is woeful and garish. All to kitsch for my taste.

Other than that blemish Impera is a mostly flawless embark further into the depths of musical history. Knowing this is their angle made me initially skeptical but pure class of songwriting is undeniable. Every song is flush with sing along hooks, stunning melodies and memorable lead guitars lines. Its got me excited for where they might venture next but as for now its another quality collection of song to enjoy for the coming months and years. Ghost have more than proven themselves as legends!

Rating: 8/10

Queen "Queen" (1973)

Arriving at their debut release, my expectations had been lowered by the underwhelming Symphonic Rock of Queen II. Surprisingly, this is an easier to digest record. Full of the eclectic diversity and variety that Queen are known for however its yet to find distinction. The production is clunky and dated, the musical influences obvious, worn on the sleeve, yet the songs it births at this point in the bands infancy are much more distinguished and fun than the following record. Brian May also kicks the record into gear with burst of Heavy Metal eruption on Doing All Right very akin to some of his best moments. He quite often finds stirs of Heavy Metal energy to inject.

The song swings between polarizing styles in a playful manor and whats encapsulated in that one track can be heard throughout as the band sway from soft and folksy Progressive Rock into bursts of Heavy Metal and Classic American Rock. The song Son & Daughter even goes into Doom Metal territory as the slow, sludgy guitar grooves carry their texture into the light, very Black Sabbath. Much of the record plays with these obvious familiarities but they always come with a spice of instrumental playfulness as keys and guitar leads add colorful upheavals in practically every song.

Some of the lyrics take on a biblical tone, the track Jesus being a prime example. I am unsure if its a song of praise or a mockery but the tone is a shambles, making an ugly appraisal out of layered voicings which had been used beforehand so effectively as burst of immediacy on songs like Liar. Overall its far better than its predecessor but not exactly its own animal yet. All the markings of what make this band so fantastic are here, ready to be developed. From here onward we only have the 80s and 90s albums left to explore!

Favorite Tracks: Doing All Right, Seven Seas Of Rhye

Rating: 6/10

Queen "Queen II" (1974)

The iconic cover art of the British Rock legendss second full length is an infamous one but that is mostly thanks to its revival within the Bohemian Rhapsody music video. This record may have otherwise fallen peril to the sands of time if Queen had ended the road here. That is just speculation of course, its a reasonable collection of songs that seem to relish in experimentation and the freedoms of Progressive song writing but little of it goes above and beyond. For me the genius of their sound is closer to an embryonic form, the tones Progressive Rock and a strong shimmer of Glam Rock overwhelm and restrain the diversity that would unfold in albums to come. I could be alone in this though as it seems critics adore this record. Is that retroactive or of the time? Either way I think hearing whats to come has dulled the spark in this second chapter as the styles of Rock and Metal of the era dominate the overall tone at play.

Queen II has a very strong vocal element with many layers of over dubbing creating a sense of grandiose and theater which would be done tastefully later on. In this instance its use is a little excessive and interjects the music like a synth instrument. There are times when it works and others not so much but it is certainly a showcase for Freddie's voice who gets to deploy a fair range of styles in the second half of the album. The whole thing however plays like an aimless journey, each song meanders through its motions with hardly any stand out moments. Its got a consistent tone that pivots with sudden music shifts and Roger Taylor puts his stamp in the middle of the record with The Loser In The End deploying his unique sound.

The records production is a little murky. Mustering roars of Heavy Metal energy from Brian May's guitar often end up in a clatter of collisions compromising clarity. They are often some of the best moments but with a lot going on musically it escapes the recording fidelity. Its clear Queen where being ambitious however many of the compositions and musical stunts pulled off may have been fresh and exciting at the time, it now sounds a little less grounded by the impressive song writing they would develop. Queen were young and youthful and its no surprise they would go on to do great things but at this point they are short. Its a strong, solid record but one that feels like its fallen to time, living in the shadow of sounds outgrown.

Rating: 5/10

David Bowie "ChangesOneBowie" (1976)

On my musical journey Bowie had always been a destination Id planned on visiting but given his recent and unfortunate demise it prompted to pick up some of his records, something about the cover and name of this one made me feel like this is where I wanted to start. The months rolled by and with every passing listen familiarity crept in but no true understanding of his acclaimed genius became apparent. Its not often I listen to Glam and Folk Rock, it made me release the nuances of music your accustom to makes it much easier to digest and understand. In recent weeks though many of these songs have really got into my head and I find myself singing along, which is a great sign. One thing that became swiftly apparent was a lack of concept, direction or theme, the inclusion of a live performance a little odd but the records flow stylistically shifts from an arty tone to Glam Rock with slight Country tinges on some songs. It hit me like a slap in the face when I looked it up online, its a greatest hits or compilation released in the midst of his acclaimed peak, the seventies.

So now I'm familiar with this selection of his songs but I more often prefer the album experience to understand the music and I don't have to many musings on this record either. With it not being what I'm used to its hard to find the words to express. One song that really stuck a chord with me was "Changes" with its lyric "Time may change me but I can't change time"... Deep and profound it gave me much to ponder over but then I thought "Ive heard this before!" and it hit me. Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit lifts the line on a track adding a "So fuck it" to the end of Bowie's introspective statement. My teenage self never found any meaning in Fred's butchering of the sentiment, or maybe I was to young to understand it.

To comment on a few other tracks, "Space Oddity" has quite the emotional progression as fictional astronaut "Major Tom" makes his way to the moon, slow, brooding and fragile strings build a subtle tension that blossoms into a moment of wonder with a shift of pace and inclusion of a flute lead, Bowie singing about sitting in a tin can. The guitar then brings a momentary groove to the track before enigmatic strings snap us back to the setting. Its scenic and quite the narrative song with a lot of charm. "Suffragette City" packs a punch with overdriven guitar riffs making quite the racket and jiving piano chords being played with force. Its fast, upbeat and climaxed by a tonal guitar solo in the middle of the track. I really enjoyed this and will continue to listen to more of Bowie's record. Next time it wont be a compilation.

Rating: 8/10