Seven Inches of Satanic Panic

For me, Ghost singles go one of two ways: they land a hit in spectacular fashion (Square Hammer, From the Pinnacle to the Pit) or they miss by miles (Rats, He Is) - there is no in-between. I abandoned the hope of enjoying an LP of theirs after Meliora dropped but I regularly come back for new singles, just in case Toby pulls another banger out from under his cassock. Thankfully, Ghost not only deliver with Seven Inches of Satanic Panic, they might have actually rejuvenated my hope of connecting with another Ghost LP.

Both tracks here are easily some of the best stuff the band has put out in years. Keyboard-driven, 60's rock with eerie lyrics and a good dollop of camp. It's nothing Ghost haven't dipped their toes into before, but the song writing blows those other projects out of the water. Kiss the Go-Goat is a classic slice of macabre cheese with some great shouts by Forge, though the pre-chorus' goofy Latin feels a touch awkward and out of place. Absolutely in keeping with the bands aesthetic overall, but it just doesn't connect with the song around it. Mary on a Cross might be the better track of the two: an even catchier chorus, a wall of synthesisers, a snare sharp enough to cut glass and of course, enough reverb to lose yourself in the wonder of it all. It's simple but clean and good god are all those hooks catchy.

For the first time in a half-decade, I'm actually looking forward to a new Ghost album; certainly if it sounds anything like this wonderfully goofy single. A full-length, psychodelic rock album from Ghost? One with a half-dozen hooks on each track? Another chorus to stop me constantly humming Mary ooooonaaaaaa, Mary oooonaaaa crooooss to myself constantly? Yes please!

Seven Inches of Satanic Panic is meant to introduce the new persona of Papa Nihil incarnated by Tobias Forge, the lead singer and mastermind behind occult rock band Ghost. This release is inspired by psychedelic rock music from the sixties that could come straight from the soundtrack of a William Grefé movie. This unusual approach makes for a rather controversial release that might not be appreciated by those who enjoyed Ghost's dark, heavy and occult side but could please to fans of classic rock music with cool, dreamy and uplifting vibes.

The opening ''Kiss the Go-Goat'' is based upon simplistic songwriting and a silly but quite catchy chorus. The quirky, psychedelic and melodic instrumentation is certainly danceable. The track works as an unusual experiment but might feel out of context if played during a regular live show of the band. ''Mary on the Cross'' is playful, mellow and floating. The chorus is less poignant but the musicianship and songwriting is a little more adventurous. Especially the keyboard sounds bring the spirit of the late sixties to life.

In the end, Ghost's Seven Inches of Satanic Panic works as an experimental release that should please fans of psychedelic rock music of the late sixties. It's certainly interesting to hear the project try out some new soundscapes even though hippie culture might not be the cup of tea of numerous fans of the unique group. Two songs of this genre make for a brief yet interesting exploration but the next album should have some more depth, energy and uniqueness again. At the end of the day, this release is for avid collectors and die-hard fans only.

Ah, Ghost, the name the likes of which send metal elitists into a tizzy. Just the name itself invokes either a love for the tropes of the past or a disdain at the concept that they are, loosely speaking, a metal band.

This is really more a single than an EP so I'll try to keep it brief. The two songs on this album are entirely enveloped in the tropes of the late '60s. This wouldn't be a bad thing if there were a few more songs to make this complete. Kiss The Go-Goat Isn't a bad song, it's actually worth listening to but it's so absurdly familiar with their past works that you wonder how much longer they're going to follow the tropes. If you said to me "Hey Steve, I heard this new song by Ghost and it sounds like something from the '60s", this is exactly what I'd envision them making.

The second and final song on this EP, Mary On A Cross is another absolutely average song. I know Cardinal Copia hasn't always had a range but most times that works to his advantage. Generally when you listen to a Ghost song, the somewhat droning voice of Forge is accented by a backup band of nameless ghouls that are powerful enough to hold your interest. That was certainly true in Meliora but it seems to be lacking here. I get what they were going for, a retrospect of late '60s music done half a century later. In Academia, the saying is "if you quote one person it's plagiarism, if you quote ten people it's research" and Ghost would be wise to learn this. Everything about it sounds a little too close to something like The Lovin' Spoonful or The Mamas and the Papas.

All in all, if you really long for the days of peace, love and draft dodging, Ghost's Seven Inches of Satanic Panic is a perfect holdover for you. I respect Ghost as an artist, but maybe next time spend a little time researching more than one or two past artists to make your own style of music awesome. I know you have it in you, the first three albums are loaded with great songs, but what is happening now is the band is now becoming mainstream and that leads to poppy songs that don't last in a person's memory.

Ghost has proven to be such an ever-evolving species of band drawing upon multiple eras of heavy metal, hard rock, prog rock and psychedelia that you can never quite predict where Tobias Forge is headed next. Once I saw the gaudily bright colors that would provide the cover for Seven Inches of Satanic Panic, a limited edition, wait for it...7" record, I kind of figured he'd be taking us back on a tour of the 60s, or rather the 60s as filtered through Cardinal Copia's imagination. True enough, that seems the primary influence to these tracks, though he's definitely trying to keep them consistent with some of the other Ghost material off the latest two full-length albums, so the differences are superficial at best.

"Kiss the Go-Goat" is a slab of 1968 hard rock circa Iron Butterfly or Steppenwolf, with a stock, predictable, main riff drizzling acidic little leads and organs. Forge's vocals tether it directly to the Ghost canon, but there are a few differences like the mildly fuzzier rhythm guitar tone and so forth that I wouldn't mind hearing an entire album based around. The chorus and bridge definitely feel like other songs you've heard by the Swedes, and overall I was left slightly wanting for some catchier nuances here...for all its experimentation at dialing back yet another decade, this one doesn't have a lot to stand on. "Mary on a Cross" is more somber and atmospheric, and strangely enough captures the nostalgia of the intended era more successfully, even though it's driven by a standard hard rock undercurrent like a "Dance Macabre", which is similar. But it's the vocal harmonies and the way the organs are implemented that sell it, and I like the little break where the beat disappears after 2:30 where it makes you feel like Tobias is crooning at a high school dance 50 years ago, before the rest picks right back up.

The production is pretty good, that's never really an issue on Ghost studio recordings, but I think the two tunes here are among the least impactful of their career the last few years. I don't mind them, but it's easy to understand why they'd be better placed on a novelty item like this EP rather than on a full length where the stakes are higher. Who knows, though, perhaps Forge was thinking of heading even further back in time, channeling earlier chronological influences, and wanted to send this thing out as a crowd test to gauge the reaction. To that extent, at least to me, I would consider it a success, as I think an entire album of better written tunes in this style might be fun...like a Strawberry Alarm Clock meets Ghost effort. But as far as its inherent value, I don't think I'd be including either of these on a playlist of my Forge favorites...most of the material on Meliora and Prequelle sticks with me more than either of these, although they were innocuous enough ear candy for a couple spins.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

I think, at one point, there was a part of me that really respected Ghost. Not just for their sound, but... what they were doing. I mean, they had a really good gimmick four to six years back. 'Meliora' and 'Infestissumam' are maybe still what I would quantify as Ghost at the top of their game - it sounded like a band that knew what they were fucking doing. It was honestly funny, because I really - truly - believed that Ghost had found a sound they liked, that they could persist with. But I guess good things really can't last when a band stops taking their gimmicks and sound so seriously and cash in on their cheese instead - because, at the end of the day, this "EP" exemplifies why Ghost, in their current state, fails in each and every avenue of their sound. Part of me doesn't even know who to blame.

Their popularity? Well, that kind of became a given. The hounds of popular media will bite into anything they find to be hip and cool, and Ghost hit a hard niche for people - enough to get on Stephen Colbert, which is commendable for what that performance was. 'Prequelle'? As bad an album as it was, and as bad as events that led up to its release were, it was probably their logical step forward - even if that album's sound ended up creating an unsavory aftertaste in the mouths of the fans who cherished Ghost's sanctity in their olden sounds. No, at the end of the day, I think the only real thing I can even blame for this product existing at all is the idea that, at the end of the day, the past Ghost is dead - replaced by a corporate shell, a faceless mongoloid who literally asked why he didn't win two Grammy's in a fucking music video (check the video for "Kiss The Go-Goat" - it happened and it's cringe as fuck). It's almost kind of insulting - why did they find it necessary to descend towards this kind of attitude with their music?

What do we have to show for that product, as well, eh? Seven minutes of boredom - but I guess seven's enough to make a sly dick joke in your title. I'm sorry, but we of the Metal Archives already have metal about penises that dwarfs any kind of bullshit you're endorsing. Please crawl back into your cesspit. Regardless - if the droll style of 'Prequelle' didn't kill you already, this will. Fuck, now that I think about it, are these songs even different? Like, they have the same fucking melody, speed, and groove to them. It's like two replicant songs. What a fucking joke!

This isn't an EP - it's two singles and a bullshit excuse for musical evolution if I've ever seen it. Just don't buy into this shit and move on. Ghost really doesn't deserve praise for this. More power to you if you like it, of course, but... personally, I truly cannot be bothered anymore by this band. They've finally devolved into boredom and what I could literally only describe as your poster excuse for being "lame". But, that's kind of what it is. Take it or leave it. I'll gladly get the fuck out of this circus act.