GHOST - MELIORA [LP]

1 Spirit  2 From the Pinnacle to the Pit 3 Cirice  4 Spöksonat  5 He Is  6 Mummy Dust  7 Majesty  8 Devil Church  9 Absolution  10 Deus in Absentia  2015 release from the Swedish metal band. A band rife with contradictions, Ghost B.C. preach extreme Satanic viewpoints over surprisingly lightweight Heavy Metal, and it's members maintain a strict vow of anonymity, both on record and on-stage, where they obscure themselves under monks' cowls, except for their lead singer, whose skull-faced makeup, cardinal robes, miter and thurible reflect an anti-Pope, instead. As a result, the band's rare concerts come across like an occult ritual, and their 2010 debut album, Opus Eponymous, totally defied expectations with its surprisingly accessible melodic rock sound, reminiscent of '60's Psychedelia, '70's doom, and '80's New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Just how long Ghost's musicians will manage to keep their identities secret as their notoriety grows remains to be seen, but that only touches the surface of the band's multi-layered enigma. While their identities were still cloaked in mystery, the band released their highly anticipated second record, Infestissumam, in early 2013, followed later that Autumn by the Dave Grohl-produced covers EP If You Have Ghost.