Whilst it’s hard to deny the pop-rock grandeur of earworm nuggets like Kaisarion, one of the standout tracks from Ghost‘s new album, IMPERA, the band’s gentle yet relentless evolution from their early, earthy esoterical Blue Öyster Cult meets Mercyful Fate origins to today’s easily-accessible, fast-food-flogging, NASCAR-sponsoring version of Tobias Forge‘s musical vision is one worth lamenting.

For a band that once featured in ‘the world’s 50 most evil song’ roundups, the neutered Mary On A Cross – Catholic-baiting title aside – is purely laughable, and about as evil as The Damned‘s Grimly Fiendish flirtation with Anthony Newley in the mid eighties. Lost chances and all that…

Similarly, Darkness At The Heart of My Love, well written though it undoubtedly is, just doesn’t carry the latent, smirking sophistication of much of this band’s best work, preferring instead to trade in the sort of arena rock tropes currently to be seen at your nearest Idol/…’s Got Talent Coronation Anthem audition. If you were there at this band’s inception, it’s all a bit weakening.

Still, as noted, grudgingly, everything here is superbly written and performed, at least if you are willing to dial down your expectations as to what a Ghost album should actually sound like. And if that expectation factors in sounding like a Nightflight Orchestra castoff, then tracks like Dance Macabre are going to keep your spotify playlists topped-up and current for months to come… Me? I’m off back to that debut and my memories…

IMPERA is out now.