Ghost Signs Major Label Deal Valued At Almost $1 Million

[Exploding Ned]

Savior Machine did it better. 20 years ago.

Why were people so quick to dismiss them, yet embrace Ghost en masse? Perhaps it's that "God/Jesus imagery is serious, but Satan stuff is just schtick" denotes a band's acceptance amongst the masses. Foolishness. /conflict

Still laughing at "trollfarts" and "what a fraggle"

Haveta go back and listen to Savior Machine, forgot about them. Any ones in particular you'd recommend?

 

[sh0kr0k]

Savior Machine was (is?) amazing, but I don't see the Ghost comparison.

"Opposite sides of the same coin," perhaps?

I've included time markers to jump to for those who don't want to/have the time to sit through all of the videos.

Savior Machine in 1995 (jump it to 1:30... or 3:30... or watch the whole thing)

Ghost in 2011 (jump to 1:00)

Savior Machine sometime in 2006 or before (jump to 1:30 again)

Ghost in 2011 (jump to 0:50)

Savior Machine from 1993

Ghost from 2010 (duplicate, works here too)

Honestly I don't see how Savior Machine sounds at all anything like Ghost. They're more of a goth rock band and Ghost is more of a trippy retro rock band.

See above ^ You're right that they're not direct clones of eachother but I think there's still enough there to draw a comparison beyond just the costumes and stage show, though both of which would still weigh heavily for comparison basis. High-tuned guitars, strong drums, interchange minor-key somber goth metal/rock for minor-key somber stoner retro metal/rock, +/- religious/social context, and voila. Broken down further, the only difference I see, aside from lyrical content and vocal prowess, is a bit more bouncy drums and a little heavier guitar riffing.

This is coming off as though I dislike Ghost. That is completely incorrect. Afterall, they're just like one of my favorite bands.

But this sort of thing DOES happen. There are bands who get lost in the shuffle all the time and sometimes those bands were super ahead of their time. Blessed By A Broken Heart never really got huge and are/were were pretty innovative for what they're doing - combining 80's hair metal theatrics with punk and hardcore moments. But they just fell by the wayside while Escape The Fate, Asking Alexandria, and similar bands are starting to take off. It happens.

Sad, but true. Breaks my heart

Haveta go back and listen to Savior Machine, forgot about them. Any ones in particular you'd recommend?

Yes, sir! I'm rather partial to the darker, slower stuff. Particularly the pieces from the Legend trilogy. I'll post the vids to help my case, though this one does more to disprove my point, heh. Jump to 1:20 here since the long intro was there to allow him a minute of prep for the symbolic blood staining of the UN flag.

This song gives me chills! Blood-soaked flags, chains, APOCALYPSE! (Are those drums and that rhythm not 70's rock inspired? 2:46 )


And lastly, this one comes before that one ^ in the order flow of the show/symbolism, but I'm putting it last as my final discussion point for those still not convinced. I feel like playing this backwards would be the next Ghost single.


I didn't mean to turn this into Savior Machine Promotion Headquaters. Now let's talk about Mercyful Fate.

 

[TribunalRecords]

No offense, but Saviour Machine are Christian band and you automatically limit your market from the get go. Ghost on the other hand are a gimmick band promoting Satan. which naturally goes over better in the grand scheme of metal? i love Saviour Machine and Ghost and can see similarities, but SM are not a gimmick and preach a message that turns some off so naturally they didn't get as big. plus a 3 part concept album on the book of Revelations? a bit much for some.

Hasn't the singer been battling cancer?

also in the early days i thought they were more like the Christian Queensryche.

 

[sh0kr0k]

No offense, but Saviour Machine are Christian band and you automatically limit your market from the get go. Ghost on the other hand are a gimmick band promoting Satan. which naturally goes over better in the grand scheme of metal? i love Saviour Machine and Ghost and can see similarities, but SM are not a gimmick and preach a message that turns some off so naturally they didn't get as big.

That's what my first post in this thread was about.

plus a 3 part concept album on the book of Revelations? a bit much for some.

Fair enough, though that wasn't until the second half of their career.

ETA: It doesn't change anything, but just to clarify for the fun of it, while the entire Legend trilogy is based on Biblical prophecy (1st=OT, 2nd=NT minus Rev) specifically only the 2-part 3rd installment is about the Book of Revelations. The imagery is more historical in the first two parts, so possibly easier to swallow than trumpets and ascending deities. Kinda.

Hasn't the singer been battling cancer?

Yes, he is quite ill. We will likely never see the completion of the Legend trilogy and he has stopped doing interviews, as far as I know. The good news is SM are still doing a handful of acoustic sets in Europe this summer, and they performed last year here in the U.S., though at the time I couldn't imagine something I wanted to see less than an acoustic Savior Machine set. Video footage has proven me foolish on that.

also in the early days i thought they were more like the Christian Queensryche.

I can see that. Especially in "Ludicrous Smiles."

 

[AeonicSlumber]

The Christian rock/metal scene is a weird one from a business standpoint. There are bands like As I Lay Dying that do really well but it's only really because they tour with other bands and appeal to the "Scream The Prayer" crowd as well as the Warped crowd. Demon Hunter, as a counterpoint, does pretty well despite only really touring with other Christian bands, but they're a lucky rarity. If you can get in with the scene and stick out, you will have a loyal fanbase for life, because let's face it, there's an extra connection with the fans besides the music and that does go along way. Even as an atheist I appreciate that to some degree. But sticking out like that is definitely alot more work, and the band might not be as accepted if it toured with "secular" bands as well.

It's an interesting topic of discussion for sure.

 

[dcowboys311]

The Christian rock/metal scene is a weird one from a business standpoint. There are bands like As I Lay Dying that do really well but it's only really because they tour with other bands and appeal to the "Scream The Prayer" crowd as well as the Warped crowd. Demon Hunter, as a counterpoint, does pretty well despite only really touring with other Christian bands, but they're a lucky rarity. If you can get in with the scene and stick out, you will have a loyal fanbase for life, because let's face it, there's an extra connection with the fans besides the music and that does go along way. Even as an atheist I appreciate that to some degree. But sticking out like that is definitely alot more work, and the band might not be as accepted if it toured with "secular" bands as well.

It's an interesting topic of discussion for sure.

As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Norma Jean, etc started to get pretty big at the beginning-middle of the 2000's, the time when Solid State and Tooth and Nail reigned supreme and the surefire way to get your band noticed and liked was to sing about Jesus. If they didn't have that initial bump in popularity during the time of Jesus-core, I doubt they'd be doing as well as they currently do.

 

[Exploding Ned]

"Opposite sides of the same coin," perhaps?

I've included time markers to jump to for those who don't want to/have the time to sit through all of the videos.

Savior Machine in 1995 (jump it to 1:30... or 3:30... or watch the whole thing) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh_Ykna-W5U

Ghost in 2011 (jump to 1:00) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMwQrL8Bf1g

Savior Machine sometime in 2006 or before (jump to 1:30 again) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toUUTIg-kfY

Ghost in 2011 (jump to 0:50) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ0HN4alZYs

Savior Machine from 1993 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNA05RLojkM

Ghost from 2010 (duplicate, works here too) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaAb421KUhk


See above ^ You're right that they're not direct clones of eachother but I think there's still enough there to draw a comparison beyond just the costumes and stage show, though both of which would still weigh heavily for comparison basis. High-tuned guitars, strong drums, interchange minor-key somber goth metal/rock for minor-key somber stoner retro metal/rock, +/- religious/social context, and voila. Broken down further, the only difference I see, aside from lyrical content and vocal prowess, is a bit more bouncy drums and a little heavier guitar riffing.

This is coming off as though I dislike Ghost. That is completely incorrect. Afterall, they're just like one of my favorite bands.

Sad, but true. Breaks my heart


Yes, sir! I'm rather partial to the darker, slower stuff. Particularly the pieces from the Legend trilogy. I'll post the vids to help my case, though this one does more to disprove my point, heh. Jump to 1:20 here since the long intro was there to allow him a minute of prep for the symbolic blood staining of the UN flag. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLZVHg5GhZ8

This song gives me chills! Blood-soaked flags, chains, APOCALYPSE! (Are those drums and that rhythm not 70's rock inspired? 2:46 )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KepsB-D2zv0

And lastly, this one comes before that one ^ in the order flow of the show/symbolism, but I'm putting it last as my final discussion point for those still not convinced. I feel like playing this backwards would be the next Ghost single.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3X07mItJuw

I didn't mean to turn this into Savior Machine Promotion Headquaters. Now let's talk about Mercyful Fate.

Thanx for the clips and info. I certainly remember Saviour Machine now. Alot to like there, definitely. I've been into goth rock/metal since the 80s, Fields Of The Nephilim, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, alot of lesser known bands etc... and the Bowie/symphonic bits make SM even more interesting. Now I'll have to sit down and pour over all the lyrics so I get it all. Thanx sh0kr0k for making me have to work now!

But yeah I get the correlation you're talking about now. I'm not as much into Ghost as Saviour Machine, but still both very good bands.

BTW the first Ghost video (handheld)... the 'camera operator' needs to either drink less or film less :Spin:

 

[AeonicSlumber]

As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Norma Jean, etc started to get pretty big at the beginning-middle of the 2000's, the time when Solid State and Tooth and Nail reigned supreme and the surefire way to get your band noticed and liked was to sing about Jesus. If they didn't have that initial bump in popularity during the time of Jesus-core, I doubt they'd be doing as well as they currently do.

Tooth and Nail/Solid State are still going strong actually. And they've put out some records/bands of recent such as Mewithoutyou that I dig alot. The dude who books Summer Slaughter and owns Sumerian Records also books a tour called "Scream The Prayer" which is an all mosh4christ kind of thing fest that does well. Impending Doom is a Christian band that is doing really well right now and I think 7 Horns 7 Eyes and Hundredth will also do pretty well. But I do agree, those 3 bands particularly catapulted the scene. However it is interesting that bands like Demon Hunter, who only really tours with other Christian bands and similar acts can sell 20k records in one week. That's almost entirely Christias first and metal/hardcore fans second buying those records I'd bet, which is why I find that scene so interesting.

 

[dcowboys311]

Tooth and Nail/Solid State are still going strong actually. And they've put out some records/bands of recent such as Mewithoutyou that I dig alot. The dude who books Summer Slaughter and owns Sumerian Records also books a tour called "Scream The Prayer" which is an all mosh4christ kind of thing fest that does well. Impending Doom is a Christian band that is doing really well right now and I think 7 Horns 7 Eyes and Hundredth will also do pretty well. But I do agree, those 3 bands particularly catapulted the scene. However it is interesting that bands like Demon Hunter, who only really tours with other Christian bands and similar acts can sell 20k records in one week. That's almost entirely Christias first and metal/hardcore fans second buying those records I'd bet, which is why I find that scene so interesting.

Yep, it's definitely an interesting scene and one that deserves further research.

FYI mewithoutYou is no longer with Tooth & Nail. They self-released that last record. Definitely an incredible band, though -- honestly one of my top 5 of all time.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

Not sure if that first sentence was sarcastic, but cool I didn't know that about Mewithoutyou. I love them. Some of his lyrics are really well written too.

 

[sh0kr0k]

Despite the death trend, A Hill To Die Upon, Hope For The Dying, and Your Chance to Die are, as I've been told, the latest sensations though I'm not certain if they've made it to the mainstream market yet. They're pretty decent, I recommend checking them out. Did you know that P.O.D., Switchfoot, Evanescence, and Flyleaf also got their starts in the Christian scene?

Side note: there are pretty crazy rumors of an Extol reunion and/or DVD release AND, even more potentially, a new RECON album! \m/
Second side note: here is a really decent and active forum I've become part of in the past week that is devoted to both Christian and secular metal. I'm enjoying it so far. Check it out? http://thecmr.forumotion.com/ Please be nice; I'm warming them up to ProgPower

This is a great discussion, should we start a new thread? Or is that inviting all kinds of troll bait?

 

[dcowboys311]

Despite the death trend, A Hill To Die Upon, Hope For The Dying, and Your Chance to Die are, as I've been told, the latest sensations though I'm not certain if they've made it to the mainstream market yet. They're pretty decent, I recommend checking them out. Did you know that P.O.D., Switchfoot, Evanescence, and Flyleaf also got their starts in the Christian scene?

Side note: there are pretty crazy rumors of an Extol reunion and/or DVD release AND, even more potentially, a new RECON album! m/
Second side note: here is a really decent and active forum I've become part of in the past week that is devoted to both Christian and secular metal. I'm enjoying it so far. Check it out? http://thecmr.forumotion.com/ Please be nice; I'm warming them up to ProgPower

This is a great discussion, should we start a new thread? Or is that inviting all kinds of troll bait?

An Extol reunion would be awesome as long as they pretend that last record never happened.

 

[Justin G]

An Extol reunion would be awesome as long as they pretend that last record never happened.

Exactly.

 

[J-Man]

Savior Machine did it better. 20 years ago.

Why were people so quick to dismiss them, yet embrace Ghost en masse? Perhaps it's that "God/Jesus imagery is serious, but Satan stuff is just schtick" denotes a band's acceptance amongst the masses. Foolishness. /conflict

Still laughing at "trollfarts" and "what a fraggle"

Agree 100% Saviour Machine was awesome, I found out about them in Greece in 2002. But I also have not heard anything from Ghost, and have only heard about them thru this forum, I am not dismissing them, i will give them a listen in the future maybe and see what all the hype is.

Update:
Listened to the clips Tammy put up, quite good, but really not my cup of tea, not like Saviour Machine, sorry just can't get into them.

 

[TribunalRecords]

Despite the death trend, A Hill To Die Upon, Hope For The Dying, and Your Chance to Die are, as I've been told, the latest sensations though I'm not certain if they've made it to the mainstream market yet. They're pretty decent, I recommend checking them out. Did you know that P.O.D., Switchfoot, Evanescence, and Flyleaf also got their starts in the Christian scene?

Side note: there are pretty crazy rumors of an Extol reunion and/or DVD release AND, even more potentially, a new RECON album! m/
Second side note: here is a really decent and active forum I've become part of in the past week that is devoted to both Christian and secular metal. I'm enjoying it so far. Check it out? http://thecmr.forumotion.com/ Please be nice; I'm warming them up to ProgPower

This is a great discussion, should we start a new thread? Or is that inviting all kinds of troll bait?

Your Chance To Die are pretty good, they have opened for us in SC and their female screamer is a beast!

EXTOL reunion? nice, they just need to do the heavy stuff!