Delayed due to the widespread impact of the pandemic, Ghost’s highly anticipated 2022 album, Impera, faced a significant postponement from its original 2020 release timeline. This situation transformed the album’s dark narrative and themes surrounding modern emperors into something that felt somewhat out of sync with the current political landscape. Initially intended to launch shortly after the U.S. presidential election, Impera arrived during a different era, reflecting more on the tumultuous period from 2016 to 2020 than the hopeful “let’s move forward” sentiment many were expecting from the new Biden administration.

Fast forward to 2025, and we find ourselves in a drastically different political climate, with Donald Trump back in power and global relations appearing more precarious than ever. Ghost’s sixth offering, Skeleta, resonates deeply with the universal anxieties of our times, channeling these themes into their music. The Swedish progressive hard-rock band has an exceptional talent for recontextualizing age-old dilemmas—such as plagues and empires—as urgent contemporary issues that we must confront today.

The themes explored in Skeleta feel intensely personal, particularly as band leader Tobias Forge, performing under the alias Papa V Perpetua in this album, delves into his own psyche. He expresses his internal struggles through the haunting lyrics of “Satanized,” where he confesses, “There is something inside me, and they don’t know if there is a cure.” This line hints at a unique form of demonic possession that seems to mirror the broader ills affecting our world today. Ghost has never shied away from overt themes, and this exploration of inner conflict likely reflects larger societal concerns.

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Despite the overarching themes of turmoil, many tracks delve into the complexities of love and emotional pain on a more personal level. This introspective approach lends a sense of brooding theatricality to the music found in Skeleta. True to Ghost’s signature style, the album opens with “Peacefield,” which begins with an ethereal chorus before transitioning into a glorious five-minute homage to ’80s arena rock. The emergence of power ballads, which became more prominent in Impera, continues to captivate Forge’s artistic vision.

The influence of the 1980s permeates the album, characterized by sharp synths, soaring guitar solos, and powerful vocals that harken back to an era known for its catchy hooks and extravagant hairstyles. Tracks like “Missilia Amori,” with its playful references to “love rockets,” serve as prime examples of this nostalgia. However, despite the engaging sound, Skeleta ultimately feels like a hollow venture. While Forge remains dedicated to his craft, Ghost as a band appears to be a mere shadow of the innovative progressive metal group it once was fifteen years ago. Much like Forge’s evolving stage persona, Skeleta seems to represent a diluted version of the band’s earlier, groundbreaking work.