Meliora
| Meliora | ||||
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| Studio album from Ghost | ||||
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Publication |
August 21, 2015 |
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| Label (s) | Spinefarm Records | |||
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Title (number) |
10 |
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running time |
41 min 35 s |
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| occupation |
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Klas Åhlund |
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Meliora ( lat. : Better ) is the third studio album of the Swedish heavy metal - band Ghost . It was released on August 21, 2015 via Spinefarm Records and reached number one on the Swedish and Finnish album charts. The song Cirice was at the Grammy Awards 2016 in the category Best Metal Performance award.
Emergence
At the end of 2014, the band started work on their third studio album. The tour of the previous album Infestissumam was just two days over when Ghost started pre-production for Meliora . The main aim was to "sort out excess material" from the new songs that had been written so far. Singer Tobias Forge , who used the pseudonym Papa Emeritus III on this album , had ideas for the album Meliora as well as ideas for the following album Prequelle . Conversely, songs were also used for the album that were already used during the debut album Opus Eponymous and Infestissumam , such as Mummy Dust or He Is .
Was produced Meliora Klas Åhlund, the previously mainly in the field of popular music appeared, and among other things, Eagle Eye Cherry , the Sugababes or Katy Perry has worked. According to Tobias Forge, Åhlund has the same musical interests as he and the other band members. When the band got in touch with Åhlund, it turned out that he had long wanted to work with a heavy metal band, but had not yet found a suitable band.
“Of course we never asked him to compose for us. Klas could put his stamp on the songs - which he did. And I think that in the end they got better. "
The album was recorded at the Riksmixningsverket in Stockholm , EastWest Studios and Ameraycan Studios in Hollywood and The Village Studios in Los Angeles . Mixed was Meliora of Andy Wallace that while Brian Lucey mastering took over. The album cover was designed by Zbigniew M. Bielak. The limited LP version of the album contains the song Zenith and a radio edit by Cirice as a bonus . Music videos were shot for the songs Ciricie , From the Pinnacle to the Pit and He Is .
background
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While the debut album Opus Eponymous is about the arrival and the second album Infestissumam about the presence of the Antichrist , the songs on Meliora deal with the absence of God . According to one of the nameless ghouls, the lyrics deal with the emptiness that arises when there is no god and no one is there to help. Another member added that it is also about the modern man who is looking for the meaning of life .
The song He Is is dedicated to Selim Lemouchi from the band The Devil's Blood . One of the nameless ghouls played him a demo version of the song in 2010 and mentioned that he was unsure whether the song would go with Ghost. Lemouchi replied that Ghost would be a "gang of idiots" if they didn't record this song. In 2014, Lemouchi committed suicide . He Is's text deals with love and death , devotion and passion.
Majesty has two meanings, according to one of the nameless ghouls. For one, it would be a hymn to the dark god of the underworld . On the other hand, the song paints a picture of a group of people who, in a ruined world, idolize an authority that clearly looks down on people. People would love someone who only gives back hate. Cirice and Devil Church were originally a nine minute instrumental. Only when a refrain emerged were the songs separated from each other, not least at the suggestion of Klas Åhlund.
reception
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Reviews
For Thorsten Zahn from the German magazine Metal Hammer, Meliora shines with “Synthie-Pomo, piano kitsch, irresistible choirs and satanic lyrics as sweet as honey. With Meliora, Ghost offer the perfect occult metal fair with a balanced mixture of humor and seriousness ”. Zahn awarded seven out of seven points. Reviewer Suzy from the Austrian online magazine Stormbringer wrote the ghost with Meliora "having found the way to infernal rule". “ Blue Öyster Cult is elegantly mixed with Abba and King Diamond has also stopped by”. For the "career-defining" album, she awarded five out of five points. Andy O'Connor from the online magazine Pitchfork Media was more critical . Meliora would "show the vocal limitations of singer Tobias Forge". Apart from three tracks, “no song would be essential or ready to headline festivals”. O'Connor awarded 6.2 out of ten points.
Chart placements
Meliora debuted at number one on the Swedish and Finnish album charts. The album peaked at number eight in the United States. In Switzerland the album was number 14, in Germany number 19, in the United Kingdom number 23 and in Austria number 41. The single He Is reached number 64 in the Swedish singles charts.
Awards
Both the album and the single He Is went platinum in Sweden .
In addition to the Grammy Award, Ghost won the Swedish Grammis Music Prize in the Best Hard Rock / Metal Album category . At the Bandit Rock Awards of the Swedish radio station Bandit Rock , Ghost won in the categories Best Swedish Band , Best Swedish Live Band and Best Swedish Album . At the Loudwire Music Awards of the US online magazine Loudwire , Ghost won the categories of Best Metal Album and Best Bassist .
Meliora Redux
In September 2016 the album was re-released under the title Meliora Redux . In addition to the album, this version contains a second CD, which contains the song Zenith and the five tracks from the EP Popestar . Meliora Redux reached number five on the Swedish album charts.
Individual evidence
- ↑ GHOST Wins 'Best Metal Performance' GRAMMY Award. Blabbermouth.net , accessed June 17, 2018 .
- ↑ a b c d Wolfgang Liu Kuhn: Much enemy, much more . In: Rock Hard , September 2015, page 26
- ↑ Dorian Gorr: Ignorance is a blessing . In: Metal Hammer , September 2015, page 74
- ↑ a b c Richard Bienstock: Nameless Ghoul Talks Ghost's New Album, 'Meliora,' and Staying Anonymous. Guitar World , accessed June 17, 2018 .
- ↑ Eike Cramer: Ghost: New song 'Majesty' in the stream. Metal Hammer. Retrieved June 17, 2018 .
- ↑ Chart sources: SE DE AT CH US UK FI
- ↑ Thorsten Zahn: Ghost - Meliora. Metal Hammer. Retrieved June 17, 2018 .
- ↑ Suzy: Ghost - Meliora. Stormbringer, accessed June 17, 2018 .
- ^ Andy O'Connor: Ghost - Meliora. Pitchfork Media , accessed June 17, 2018 .
- ↑ GHOST's 'Meliora' Certified Platinum In Sweden. Blabbermouth.net, accessed June 17, 2018 .
- ↑ GHOST Wins Swedish GRAMMIS Award For 'Best Hard Rock / Metal' Album. Blabbermouth.net, accessed June 17, 2018 .
- ↑ Jonas Lööw: Storslam för Ghost på Bandit Rock Awards 2016. Rockbladet, accessed on June 3, 2018 (se).
- ↑ Loudwire Staff: 5th Annual Loudwire Music Awards: Complete Winners List. Loudwire, accessed June 3, 2018 .
Web links
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