Ghost: I must be in the extreme minority...

[modernwizardry]

I was reluctant but people kept telling me I would like it. Finally bought the album a few weeks ago and loved it instantly. The second half of the album was stronger in my opinion. The vocals are not the greatest and I don't get the comparison to Mercyful Fate/King Diamond. They sound like Blue Oyster Cult more than anything.

There's plenty of other "retro bands" as well. This is nothing new at all. Just good tunes.

 

[edgeofthorns]

...to each their own I guess. It's not my thing, but neither was the Hell stuff that we talked about here several weeks back.

~Brian~

 

[VenomGA]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this album and would sh|t to see them at PP

 

[Wandrail]

I don't really get it either. I have heard all these comparisons to Mercyful Fate, and if that were true I would probably love it. Instead, it's just really boring with a retro gimmick. I can see where it has a certain appeal to some, but the music itself just doesn't grab me in any way, and sounds nothing at all like MF. Not to say I want a band to come along that just rips off Fate, either...

 

[mel_progson]

I think they're great for a bit of fun. In a world of loud, compressed productions this was a bit of a breath of fresh air. In saying that, seeing Hetfield in a Ghost shirt really made me want nothing to do with em anymore hehe.

 

[nomisofsiman]

Black Mountain is a band with a very similar retro, psychedelic sound, and are probably heavier than Ghost, but they aren't promoted to the metal world, they're a band for people looking for dark 70s-style rock. That would be the obvious audience to promote Ghost to, but someone in their management must have come up with the clever idea to present them as a "metal" band, knowing that they would fill a hole for the metal audience, while the 70s-retro-rockers would just say "eh, I already listen to enough bands like this".

Love Black Mountain, but I don't think they're a good comparison. Definitely retro but Black Mountain definitely is rock. Ghost is a much heavier version of BOC I would have to say and aren't quite as psychedelic as Black Mountain. I do agree though that is interesting how many metal fans have been liking this as it is quite different than what is usually popular in metal nowadays.

 

[Mardoch]

I checked out the posted clips and I guess I just don't get it. It seems very average to me. Is it mostly the show that does it for people?

 

[Metal_Camden]

Is it mostly the show that does it for people?

I believe so. I think you will only get the "haunting" in a live setting. Also, apparently even the guitar tone was completely different too live. I know someone mentioned a "meh' production on the cd, but everything I have seen and heard, it should be called "Ghost: The Experiance".

 

[Corsair]

I dunno, there is a lot of King Diamond/MF DNA here. The Drums remind me of Satyricon's most recent output.

I dig. This is the first I've heard of them. I doubt i'd be able to sit through an entire album of this, and it'd probably just make me want to listen to the bands that inspired them. I think I enjoy -what- they're doing more than what it sounds like.

 

[TribunalRecords]

i LOVE this album. i am the first person to admit that gimmicks work and for these guys it's working out great for them. simple, basic and to the point. Satanic metal that takes the focus off shredding and put's it back on to the songs.

 

[Corsair]

i am the first person to admit that gimmicks work

Don't say crap like that. If gimmicks didn't work, no band would ever use them; most successful bands have made use of them at some point or another.

 

[ApolloFC]

Still haven't listened to this band. Haven't even heard of them until Glenn posted the topic. Should probably investigate on my free day today.


Edit: eh.. Its alright. I wouldn't buy anything from them.

 

[Midihell]

Definitely not a hipster. But, I like these guys. Then again, I'm also one of those people who like the over the top cheesiness of Hell. If you like'em, great. If you don't like'em, great. To each their own. ymmv \m/ \m/

 

[AeonicSlumber]

Love this band, got to see them in NYC last month and it was intense, son. Pits everywhere -- who would've thought that a band like that could get such extreme fans? Crowd was more extreme than a Converge show.

If you don't like them, whatevs. Opinions are like assholes and everyone has one. What I can't stand though, is people calling them a hipster band or saying only hipsters like them. To me, that's a red flag for "massive metal dork trying to reconcile what he doesn't get," and that's something they do quite often [1]. They did two US shows in their entire career so far, and I went to one of them -- almost everyone in the crowd (if not everyone) had long greasy hair, serious BO, Sabbath shirts, Pentagram shirts, etc. No v necks, bright colors, glasses without lenses, Florence and the Machine shirts, to be found. In fact, I go to hipster neighborhoods all the time, read indie rock blogs etc and NOBODY mentions Ghost. The only time my Ghost shirt was ever recognized in a hipster part of town was by some stoner metal beardo with long hair and a bullet belt.

The massive scapgoating of Ghost by nerds is just another excuse for said nerds to try to reconcile why such a new band gets a cover feature in Decibel. Shit, half of the reason why people found out about this band in the first place is because Fenriz hailed them -- I seriously would not call Fenriz a hipster. But yeah, alot of metal dorks (nobody on this board thankfully) who start these rumors a) have no idea at all about the hipster scene beyond a few stories about hipsters and b) assume a band that they don't like that gets alot of press/success clearly must be in with whatever crowd actually gets laid/buys records/is popular. It's typical, and it's kind of sad.

[1 scientific proof that metal dorks who perpetuate this nonsense are irreconcilable hypocrites - http://www.metalsucks.net/2011/07/11/how-metal-nerds-choose-what-bands-to-like-a-scientific-model]

 

[nomisofsiman]

Love this band, got to see them in NYC last month and it was intense, son. Pits everywhere -- who would've thought that a band like that could get such extreme fans? Crowd was more extreme than a Converge show.

If you don't like them, whatevs. Opinions are like assholes and everyone has one. What I can't stand though, is people calling them a hipster band or saying only hipsters like them. To me, that's a red flag for "massive metal dork trying to reconcile what he doesn't get," and that's something they do quite often [1]. They did two US shows in their entire career so far, and I went to one of them -- almost everyone in the crowd (if not everyone) had long greasy hair, serious BO, Sabbath shirts, Pentagram shirts, etc. No v necks, bright colors, glasses without lenses, Florence and the Machine shirts, to be found. In fact, I go to hipster neighborhoods all the time, read indie rock blogs etc and NOBODY mentions Ghost. The only time my Ghost shirt was ever recognized in a hipster part of town was by some stoner metal beardo with long hair and a bullet belt.

The massive scapgoating of Ghost by nerds is just another excuse for said nerds to try to reconcile why such a new band gets a cover feature in Decibel. Shit, half of the reason why people found out about this band in the first place is because Fenriz hailed them -- I seriously would not call Fenriz a hipster. But yeah, alot of metal dorks (nobody on this board thankfully) who start these rumors a) have no idea at all about the hipster scene beyond a few stories about hipsters and b) assume a band that they don't like that gets alot of press/success clearly must be in with whatever crowd actually gets laid/buys records/is popular. It's typical, and it's kind of sad.

[1 scientific proof that metal dorks who perpetuate this nonsense are irreconcilable hypocrites - http://www.metalsucks.net/2011/07/11/how-metal-nerds-choose-what-bands-to-like-a-scientific-model]

Interesting that they bring out pits, though that may have to do more with who they were playing with. When they play with Enslaved, I have a feeling it probably won't be as extreme.

I fully agree with your second paragraph plus. It seems whenever some band gets popular and such, they're labeled hipster or "not metal" if they aren't in line with the strict standards a lot of fans have for metal bands.

Btw, @ Panera.

 

[Corsair]

Interesting that they bring out pits, though that may have to do more with who they were playing with. When they play with Enslaved, I have a feeling it probably won't be as extreme.

I fully agree with your second paragraph plus. It seems whenever some band gets popular and such, they're labeled hipster or "not metal" if they aren't in line with the strict standards a lot of fans have for metal bands.

Btw, @ Panera.

I love it

I think it's important to point out that Metal nerds basically -are- hipsters of a different sort.

 

[J. Golden]

Certainly the "gimmick" is nothing new not even Ghost's gimmick. I dare say that got just as much from these guys as B.O.C.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0XtdjDzQy4&feature=related[/ame]

But many bands have done this from Arthur Brown, Demon, Cloven Hoof, jeez Halloween.
I don't get much Mercyful Fate in Ghost I think that is a stretch from people who don't have anything else to reference. But Sorcery, Blue Oyster Cult, maybe Demon yeah that can be heard.

 

[skyrefuge]

I'm sure it has less to do with their management and more with the fact that the band is a Swedish supergroup of sorts made up from various death and heavy metal bands and that their debut EP (released before the hype and well before they landed any kind of management) was released on a metal label.

Oh, ok, so then they're more like Ulver, who have a fanbase still mostly made of metalheads due to their history/background rather than the actual style of music they play. I realize no one discovers music in a vacuum, so if it takes a band who once released some black metal albums to guide some metalheads into listening to minimalist experimental music, that's cool. And the same if it takes a band with metal roots and satanic imagery to lead them into listening to 70s-style psychedelic rock.

Love Black Mountain, but I don't think they're a good comparison. Definitely retro but Black Mountain definitely is rock. Ghost is a much heavier version of BOC I would have to say and aren't quite as psychedelic as Black Mountain. I do agree though that is interesting how many metal fans have been liking this as it is quite different than what is usually popular in metal nowadays.

Yeah, Ghost is definitely more "metal" than Black Mountain, and Black Mountain is further into the psychedelic realm, though I think a fair bit of that is just because Black Mountain covers more varied territory, while Ghost stays pretty rigid in their structures.

My main point is that if you found an uncontacted tribe of pygmy bushmen, played them some Black Mountain and, say, Sabaton (or Slayer, or Symphony X), and then asked them which band Ghost sounded closer to, I'm pretty sure they'd say Black Mountain. And then stare at you as if you were an idiot for asking such a stupid and obvious question.

Love this band, got to see them in NYC last month and it was intense, son. Pits everywhere -- who would've thought that a band like that could get such extreme fans? Crowd was more extreme than a Converge show.

That just seems bizarre, as if the audience wasn't even listening to the music being played and was just drunk and wanted to mosh. I guess their live sound must be a LOT different than on record. I figured it would have just been some nice relaxed headbanging while lighting up a doob between songs.

Neil

 

[AeonicSlumber]

Interesting that they bring out pits, though that may have to do more with who they were playing with. When they play with Enslaved, I have a feeling it probably won't be as extreme.

I fully agree with your second paragraph plus. It seems whenever some band gets popular and such, they're labeled hipster or "not metal" if they aren't in line with the strict standards a lot of fans have for metal bands.

Btw, @ Panera.

Yeah Sergeant D rules. His old metal inquisition blog and his new column in MetalSucks are all gold. I feel like we were separated at birth because I scream "amen" at my monitor at half the shit he says.

Actually though, that show was just Ghost. There were two local opener band but everyone there was for Ghost. Was like 150-200 peeps in a small, poorly ventilated (which added to the intensity) LES club.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

That just seems bizarre, as if the audience wasn't even listening to the music being played and was just drunk and wanted to mosh. I guess their live sound must be a LOT different than on record. I figured it would have just been some nice relaxed headbanging while lighting up a doob between songs.

Neil

To be fair, there is something to be said about the physical/visual aesthetic of the costumes, the mystery, the hype/buzz. It DEFINITELY added to the fun and the intensity. That has nothing to do with my enjoyment over the tunes themselves, but the aforementioned qualities definitely bring a special something to the show. That is definitely for sure.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBAyyacWPMQ&feature=related[/ame]

Here's some video I just found from a quick youtube search, no shots of the crowd during the heavy parts, but you can tell by the shakiness of the camera and all the arms furiously pounding that this is not a group of arms-folded hipsters.