ABBA metal - A review of Ghost's Prequelle

At this point, Ghost needs no further introduction. You either love or hate the theatric project mocking religion and mixing europop, occult rock music and classic heavy metal. Prequelle continues where Meliora left us three years earlier. The lyrics have become a little bit more sinister while the musicianship has become a little bit softer. 

Tracks like ''Pro Memoria'' and ''Life Eternal'' are so saccharine that even someone who occasionally listens to pop music as I do finds them shallow and uninteresting. The few heavier songs with gripping riffs like the gloomy ''Rats'' and the dynamic ''Dance macabre'' work much better but will rather appeal to gothic rock than to heavy metal fans. The band surprisingly included two instrumental songs on the new album with the vivid ''Miasma'' with its melodic organ and saxophone sounds as well as with ''Helvetesfönster'' that almost has a relaxing neo-folk vibe with elegant acoustic guitars and piano sounds. These two instrumental tracks make for more than a quarter of the regular edition's running time. The special edition includes two cover songs, a gloomy and simplistic rendition of Leonard Cohen's ''Avalanche'' and a numbing and soft interpretation of Pet Shop Boys ''It's a Sin''. Both songs are brilliant in their original versions and even though Ghost doesn't improve them, the band makes these tracks sound like their own and the tracks' lyrics blend in perfectly with the gloomy concept behind Prequelle.

To keep it short, Ghost's Prequelle is an entertaining record with a lot of diversity but the material isn't as consistent as on previous outputs in my opinion. I would even say this is Ghost's weakest studio record so far but it's still slightly above average. The two instrumental tracks are very positive surprises and the first single including its overture are also great but the rest of the record is of an average quality. None of the songs has the gripping enthusiasm of previous single ''Square Hammer'' to give one precise example. Fans of old date and people with a weakness for melodic pop and rock music with sinister stylistics will still like the record for what it is. However, Prequelle will only make the band more controversial as those who disliked them before will hate them even more while those who appreciated them in the past will quickly judge the naysayers as closed-minded individuals which can already be witnessed on social media. Someone described Ghost as ABBA metal because it unites heavy metal stylistics with the charismatic pop music of the legendary Swedish quartet. In the case of Prequelle, this description is particularly accurate.

Final rating: 75%