CD Review: Ghost B.C. – INFESTISSUMAM on Loma Vista Recordings
A Music Review by Joseph Timmons : Xombiewoof Magazine
On the evening of the seventh day, while the good lord rested, when his back was turned, from the darkness a great evil sprang, unholy souls with an essence black as pitch, Papa Emeritus II and the Nameless Ghouls came forth, and we do delight in the harmonies of the damned.
OK, that, I just came up with, but I have to say this is a band that I have been waiting for and it has been a long time coming. I was first enlightened to the presence of Ghost (also known as Ghost B.C. in the United States) just a short time ago, a well-kept secret of an underworld society I would gather.
Ghost are easily recognizable due to their eccentric on-stage presence (five of the group's six members wear hooded robes, while the vocalist appears in a skull mask and a cardinal outfit) and highly secretive nature of their identities, with the members being referred to as "Nameless Ghouls”, they have collected a cult like following, nay, an assembly of worshipers that will follow them to any and every performance possible.
I have spoken to some critics and Ghost has been often compared to groups such as Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Mercyful Fate, and Witchfinder General, but really they are an “Un-wholly” new “Religion” of a performance group. Ghost has a sound that is symphonic and resonates on a very deep and enchanting level, no speed driven, illegible lyrics or instrumental solos that last for 30 min, their creative talents are complete and self-evident, and the cathedral like organ music and soft alluring tones of Papa Emeritus II suck you in and convert you to allegiance.
I do not think of them as “Black Metal”, but the spirit ( no pun intended) is there, the lyrics are where the darkness exists, the subtle accents on specific words, like “Suffer, Little Children, To Come Unto Me”, a lyric from Idolatrine, or as the phrasing in “To the sound of the end of day, Mesmerized the assembled sway” from Monstrance Clock, which I would think is not so much a reference to the worship of Satan, but as to how the mind of man is weak and wants only to follow blindly our self-proclaimed leaders. And there is my favorite song on this collection of Black Hymns – Secular Haze, is it a prayer to Lucifer, of testament to the deceiver that lies within the government leaders. I enjoyed the dark and playful nature of this fantastic group of talented musicians who seek out fans that understand their music, not just the mindless who would smash their heads against the wall because they are told to, Ghost B.C. is a force of intellectual magnificence, Hallowed be their name!
The image of a “Dark Pope” soaked in a satanic visual image is a mocking affront to social normality and goads harsh critics of their music and image to make of them a forbidden fruit, which only sweetens the taste of their darkness. Their fans have collected and grown exponentially on sites such as Facebook and YouTube, although their official videos are limited, Fan created videos and Fan Art spreads like wildfire and their presence on the internet is vast and in every conceivable language. There are detractors that claim this is the second coming of the Devil, which leads to speculation that people want to embrace their dark desires and “Bath in the Blood of the Innocent”, or it could be the masses wanting to hear the voice and music of ones who would be understanding and compassionate to their want for powerful and imaginative verse.
Really, what is “Evil” and what is “Holy” and where does the truth lay; this is a question for the papacy, as for me, give me Ghost B.C. I rate this album 10 out of 10, for all the “good” reasons, I enjoy the priest and minions of the Dark One, come join the converted, attest to the new covenant to an old god.
Revel in INFESTISSUMAM
Uncle Anton would be Proud…….. Mwaaahahahahahahahaha.
Joseph Timmons is not an advocate of the Dark Lord, But took great joy and artistic license to have a great deal of fun with this review.
Enjoy the sprit (again, no pun intended) of this review article and get a copy of INFESTISSUMAM, Available on CD, Vinyl in your local Record Stores and on iTunes.
