Under The Influence #45: Suffer No Fools on “Meliora” by Ghost

These days credited as a solo project of Swedish singer songwriter Tobias Forge, who performs under the names Papa Emeritus and Cardinal Copia, Ghost recorded their third studio album “Meliora” back in 2015 with the title from the Latin for “the pursuit of something better“. It won a pair of Grammy Awards for both it’s lead single “Cirice” and the album itself while the riff based single “From The Pinnacle To The Pit” has some Led Zeppelin influences.

Suffer No Fools bassist Alex Bain comments: “More than probably any album in the last ten years ‘Meliora’ by Ghost has had a profound impact on my attitude to music and specifically in regards to composing music. Musically it’s an album that transcends genres, whether you’re a fan of rock or metal, or anything in between then there’s something for you in this album. Tracks like “Cirice” display an adept songwriting hand that somehow manage to marry crushing, plodding riffs with an eloquent and melodic overtone. Sonically it’s an absolute beast too, with the powerful stomp of the aforementioned ‘Cirice’ you also get growling bass lines in ‘From the Pinnacle to the Pit’ that sound like they’re gonna blow your speakers (in the best possible way). The vocals manage to stay in your mind long after you’ve finished listening to the album, you’ll find yourself humming the melody of ‘He Is’ more than you thought possible! While the softly lilting voice of Tobias Forge may at first sound at odds to the music it accompanies, his eerie yet commanding voice perpetuates the image of a Satanic ritual in procession, precisely the visual image that Ghost portray. It’s the interplay of the intricate riffing and melodic vocals that make this album truly stand out. It takes absolute skill to compose music that works so succinctly on both levels, manages to toe the line of both major, minor, and chromatic phrasing , while still being catchy. All these factors make this album a huge influence on the music I write, and will continue to do so many years from now.

We Die As We Live” by Suffer No Fools is out now.

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