Ghost / Impera(1LP/28 page Booklet)

Impera is Ghost�s imperial coronation: the moment the Swedish satanists stopped pretending they were just a retro gimmick and became the biggest, most shamelessly theatrical rock band on the planet. After Prequelle�s plague-doctor melancholy, Tobias Forge (now fully embodied as the gilded Papa Emeritus IV) decided to write about the rise and fall of empires. The result is 12 tracks of pure imperial pomp: Queen-sized harmonies, ABBA-level hooks, Iron Maiden twin-guitar heroics, and lyrics that sneer at religion, capitalism, and human stupidity while wearing sequinned robes. Recorded in Stockholm with pop maestro Klas �hlund (Britney, Katy Perry), it�s the glossiest, most radio-ready metal album ever made without ever feeling safe.