Tag Archives: pop music

It’s the Night of the Witch: Some random thoughts on Ghost.

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My “real life” has a nasty habit of getting in the way of my “metal life”.  A while back I had planned to start a regular “Band of the Month” feature for this site.  But “real life” concerns such as family, wife, work, etc prevented me from having the time or inclination to feature a new band each and every month. Undeterred, I had hoped to resurrect the feature for the new year and make Ghost 2011′s inaugural Band of the Month.  Then shit happened, as it often does, and I didn’t finish the piece in time.  Even though I’ve come to realize that regular features are for people with more free time on their hands than I (and in honor of the stateside release of their debut album), I present a discussion of Scandinavia’s premier Satanic pop group, Ghost.

Sweden’s Ghost is a very special band indeed.  A theatrical stage show, an anonymous membership, over-the-top Satanic lyrics and a beyond-infectious sound have brought the sextet a great deal of attention within the metal underground, and with good reason.

Despite the underground buzz, I’m not so sure that I’d call Ghost a metal band. There are hints of Mercyful Fate and Blue Oyster Cult in their melodies, but to me they’re more along the lines of occult hard rock or even power pop.  Yes, the dreaded “p-word” is actually the first thing that comes to mind when I listen to Ghost’s debut album, Opus Eponymous, which has finally been released domestically thanks to Rise Above’s deal with the fine folks at Metal Blade.  While pop music might be the bane of many a metalhead’s existence, I am not among them.  A well crafted pop song is one of life’s most sublime pleasures, and the members of Ghost (whomever they may be) understand this implicitly.  In fact, the less I think of Ghost as a metal band and the more I think of them as pop music, the more I enjoy them.

There is an interview with Glenn Danzig in the book Lucifer Rising where he discusses the idea that the devil would not appear to us as something frightening or horrific; the devil is a master of temptation and would manifest himself as something enticing and seductive.  Ghost similarly realize that you’re not going to seduce the masses with black/death metal, you will only preach to the converted.  Songs like “Ritual” and “Satan Prayer” are Satanic hymns that even the most mainstream-minded of music fans could potentially enjoy.  Of course there is the question of the lyrics, but do pop music fans even pay attention to lyrical meaning, as long as it is catchy?

There is one other very intriguing musical comparison that hadn’t occurred to me until several others pointed it out… The Beach Boys.  I’m a bit disappointed in myself for not thinking of it right away myself, as my wife is a pretty big fan of them.  Something about the way the vocals are produced, particularly during the choruses of songs like “Elizabeth”, “Stand By Him” and “Satan Prayer” definitely evokes Pet Sounds, albeit with lyrics about Elizabeth Bathory and black masses. I wonder if Ghost was actually influenced by  Brian Wilson’s layered vocal harmonies and psychedelic pop stylings.  Ghost should cover “Wouldn’t it Be Nice”.  That would be creepy and awesome.

Just as intriguing as Ghost’s music is the mystery surrounding the band’s membership.  There are rumors that members of Repugnant and Watain are involved, but nothing has been confirmed as of this writing.  I even saw one very far-fetched theory that suggested Fenriz was the band’s drummer, but anyone who’s read a Darkthrone interview in the last decade knows that the man detests playing live.  Whomever may be involved, I find it fantastic that they have been able to keep themselves anonymous in the age of the internet.  It only adds to the subtle creepiness of their music and the hooded menace of their stage show, featuring what can only be described as an undead Satanic Pope on lead vocals.  I suppose some would see the theatricality and willful air of mystery as silly or trite… these are probably the same dull tools praising all the faceless/soulless metal currently flooding the market played by dudes who look like the cashier at your local convenience store.  The internet has taken away our sense of wonder and awe, leaving us to long for the days when bands like KISS and Alice Cooper seemed like  insane, mysterious superheroes.  Ghost is music for the kids who stood in front of the mirror with an upside down tennis racket and pretended to be Gene Simmons (I can’t be the only one, right?).

Ghost is a difficult band to pin down.  Are they a particularly stellar entry into the recent occult rock movement (ie The Devil’s Blood, Jex Thoth, etc.)?  A group of true-blue Satanists looking to spread their gospel to a mainstream rock/pop audience?  Are they a doom band or a black metal band as some would have us believe?  Are they the bastard children of King Diamond, Brian Wilson and Buck Dharma? There are no easy answers.  Whatever they are, I happen to think they’re pretty fucking brilliant.

http://www.myspace.com/thebandghost

Nachtmystium – Addicts: Black Meddle Part II

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First off, let’s talk about what Nachtmystium‘s Addicts is not.  It isn’t a black metal album and it isn’t a psychedelic album.  Nor is it a psychedelic black metal album or any other sort of mashup of those two genres.  Do you want to hear my theory about what Addicts is?

Addicts is a pop/arena/dance rock record, and a damn good one at that.

Yes, I firmly believe Blake Judd and Co. want to have a good ol’ fashioned whiskey, cocaine and groupie-filled rager at the local enormo-dome, and dammit, I want in.

Addicts starts off in semi-traditional black metal fashion with “High on Hate”, but surely even this song is too melodically and vocally infectious to be considered “true” BM.  The track might be there to fool the listener, or it could be Judd waving a symbolic final adieu to his roots, as if to say “I can do this shit in my sleep.”  However, the band incorporates black metal elements throughout the album, so this could be more of a long farewell than a hard goodbye.

After that is where things get really interesting.  ”Nightfall” sounds like the Sisters of Mercy and the Misfits gettin’ jiggy in the depths of hell.  Then comes “No Funeral” a song that could be an outtake from the Faint’s classic Danse Macabre album with its death-disco synths and processed-sounding drums.  This jam is catchier than herpies at Studio 54, and I can just imagine a gaggle of dolled up Suicide Girl-types bumping and grinding to it.  Hopefully this song will garner a video filled with tons of drug and alcohol abuse, curvy trollops and sparkling bling.

From there, we get “Then Fires”, an arena ballad that’s positively drowning in a junkie’s shit, piss ‘n’ vomit, followed by the title track that sounds like a great lost ’90s alternative rock anthem.  It’s possible that I might be losing it, but I swear there is a part in that song where the guitar tone reminds me of Sebadoh’s Bakesale album.  These songs hammer home Nachtmystium’s pop sensibilities in spite of the bleak lyrical content.

Unfortunately the next two tracks, “The End is Eternal” and “Blood Trance Fusion” are filler that should have been left off of Addicts.  I would have much preferred a couple more certified club bangers like “No Funeral”.  These songs display the remaining vestiges of Nachtmystium’s ties to black metal and are the album’s weakest moments because of it.  ”High on Hate” is a sufficient enough nod to the past.

The album redeems itself with “Ruined Life Continuum”, a song that sees everything coming together for the band; the electronic/synth touches, the big rock dynamics and the Sisters of Mercy/Joy Division-esque drive.  ”Every Last Drop” brings things full circle by recalling the Floydian qualities of Nachtmystium’s previous album, it is the band’s very own “Welcome to the Machine”.  Yakuza’s Bruce Lamont provides some haunting guest vocals while the band weaves a dark, trippy soundscape to close out Addicts on a haunting note.

Obviously, Addicts is not a perfect album.  Judd needs to get rid of the black metal trappings altogether and let his freak flag fly.  At this point, the band’s ties to black metal aren’t doing anything but holding it back.  The vocal approach also needs to change in order for Nachtmystium to realize their full potential.  Judd’s screams and rasps are too one-dimensional to adequately compliment the music.  Finally, the lyrics and album art are both equally garrish.  I understand they are meant to paint a picture of the dangers of addiction, but the music could be served by a bit of subtlety in both departments.

In spite of (or possibly because of) these faults, Addicts is a compelling album, and one I can’t seem to stop listening to.  It is a snapshot of a band in transition, a band that could just as easily rule the world or go down in flames.  Either way, I’m on board and ready for that coke party down at the enormo-dome.

Oh, one last thing, I’ve included the Faint’s “Let The Poison Spill From Your Throat”, just so you can dig the stylistic similarities.

In defense of KISS.

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It seems like a lot of people I know don’t like KISS.  Because of this, I can’t help but suspect that I may be surrounded by communist subversives.  Of course it could be that I grew up with KISS (and Gene Simmons in particular) as a household name, being introduced to them by my uncle at a very young age.  Or it could be that most people I know for some reason don’t think that the following things are awesome: blood, fire, makeup, battle-axe shaped bass guitars and catchier-than-herpes nuggets of 3 minute, 3 chord pop rock.

I’m guessing it has something to do with the later.  KISS are not a heavy metal band, or even a hard rock band.  KISS is a pop band.  A mindless sugar-rush of sweet, tasty choruses and juvenile lyrics wrapped in the aforementioned fire, blood and makeup.  Once you have that in mind, it might make it easier to appreciate them for what they really are.  ”Calling Dr. Love”, “God of Thunder” and “Deuce” aren’t fucking high art or rocket science, they are the musical equivalent of a bag of Halloween candy.  Anyone assessing KISS based on any other criteria needs to get it the fuck together.

(above: “God of Thunder” my favorite KISS song and the closest they ever got to heavy metal in my opinion)

And although KISS might not be a heavy metal band by any stretch of the imagination, they are arguably the second most important band to influence heavy metal after Black Sabbath.  Their theatricality/imagery, catchiness and swagger, (not to mention the invention of what would later come to be known as corpsepaint) had wide-ranging and lasting effects on everyone from GWAR to the late Dimebag Darrell to the black metal scene in its entirety.  Bands ranging from White Zombie (“God of Thunder”) to the Melvins (“Goin’ Blind”) to Nirvana (“Do You Love Me”) and beyond have all seen fit to cover tunes penned by the grease-paint adorned quartet.  And let us not forget about the monumentally  atrocious Kiss My Ass tribute album, featuring such artists as Garth Brooks (or is that Chris Gaines) and uh… The Gin Blossoms.

(above: “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” aka KISS’ “disco song” and also one of their most successful hits.  Hey, I dislike disco as much as the next metalhead (except for the Bee Gees, those dudes were hella sick), but try to tell me this isn’t a catchy lil’ fucker of a song.)

Of course along with KISS’ imagery came accusations of satanism and other such nonsense.  According to some members of the god squad, KISS was an acronym for Knights In Satan’s Service.  I’m not quite sure how anyone could listen to “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” or “Hard Luck Woman” and get satanism out of it.  Or maybe anyone that wears face paint is automatically a satanist in the eyes of jesus freaks.  Watch out for Bozo kids, he’s going to see that you roast in the fiery pits of hell!  But I digress, the “controversy” brought on in typical fashion by the lord’s most ignorant followers only helped make KISS that much more appealing to rebellious youth, even if they were really singing about sex instead of satan.  Come to think of it, that was probably even more appealing.

So maybe now those of you that have previously scoffed at my enjoyment of KISS have a better understanding of my reasons for being a fan.  Sure, they have made numerous missteps, such as taking the makeup off, firing Peter Criss and Ace Frehley and releasing tons of clunkers in the song department (I cannot comment on their latest album as yet), not to mention basically becoming nothing more than money-grubbing media/merchandising whores.  But again, KISS is a pop band, so things like artistic integrity and cred should be viewed as non-issues.  Fun haters be damned, I’ll be cranking “Cold Gin” while you’re bitching about what a terrible band KISS is for all of the wrong reasons.  KISS my ass, indeed.