The band ‘Ghost’ is essentially what would have occurred if ABBA and Black Sabbath had a child, the funky, occult-rock themes continuing throughout their latest album release: ‘Impera.’

The distribution of three singles prior to the album let the fans of Ghost know they were in for a treat, however no one could have guessed the storm that was to be unleashed. Impera has smashed expectations, reaching number 1 for US album sales, as well as number 2 on the Billboard 200 and UK charts. It’s also reached number 1 on many European charts such as Sweden, Germany and Finland. For a metal band to settle this high on the charts is almost unheard of nowadays, and demonstrates the greatness of this album and band.

Ghost’s previous album ‘Prequelle,’ was a concept album about the Black Plague (ironically, this was in 2018, before covid 19). ‘Impera’ isn’t so much a concept album, more a social commentary. For the making of this album, Tobias Forge – the frontman – took inspiration ‘The Rule of Empires,’ a book about the inescapable fall of empires. In this review, I’ll focus on (in my opinion) the defining songs of the album.

‘Kaisarion,’ is described by Forge as “the violent start to this new empire.” The song mainly focuses on the collapse of the Ancient Egyptian empire, and the continuation of this cycle. Despite this morbid tone, and focus on the stoning and brutal murder of Hypatia, the song itself is upbeat and is in a major key, which is very abnormal for Ghost, and any rock song in general.

‘Call Me Little Sunshine’ was a single released on 20 January 2022, and in my opinion is the one of the standout songs of the album. It has references to Aleister Crowley (linking to the cover art, which also does). ‘Sunshine’ directly references Lucifer, as he is also known as morning star or light bringer. If you listen to this song once, you won’t be able to stop – the complex harmonies and catchy riffs will not leave your head for days. The booming ‘call me’ in the background of the chorus, adds to the intricacy of the song, making it an awesome listen.   

‘Darkness at the Heart of My Love,’ is personally my favourite from the album; I don’t think you could have a more ‘ghost-sounding’ song title than this! When asked about this ballad, Forge replied “this is about people promoting all of these values under the guise of being God-fearing and righteous while they practising none of it. It’s just for cash and power.” The first time I heard the chorus, I was hooked. Not thinking the song could get any better, I was blown away when the drums came in at the second chorus.

The final song of the album ‘Respite on the Spitalfields,’ is a perfect finisher, and a close second on my favourite list. Forge explores his love of Victorian England and his fascination with Jack the Ripper throughout this song. The cyclical structure of the album is symbolic of the rise and fall of empires: the guitar at the end of this song calls back to the first song of the album.

Overall, my rating of Impera is 10/10. It is worth noting that I’m certainly a bias listener, as Ghost is my favourite band… but I encourage you to give it a listen, it may surprise you (in a good way, that is).