Impera

Leave it to Ghost to celebrate their imperial phase with a literal concept record about empires and the rise and fall thereof. Papa Emeritus IV (a.k.a. Tobias Forge) approached his fifth missive from the underworld like a proper Swedish pop record: he hired a producer best known for working with acts like Robyn and Kesha and co-songwriters who contributed tunes to Madonna and Avicii. So, yes, if you’re getting Alice Cooper circa Trash vibes, you aren’t wrong – but it results in some devilishly catchy pop metal. Whether it’s the Satan Pan Alley jingle “Twenties,” slasher theme “Hunter’s Moon,” or the Cerberus-headed earworm of “Kaisarion,” “Spillways,” and “Call Me Little Sunshine,” this could practically be a greatest hits in one album.