“Eeerie, yet beautiful” - Album Review, Skeletá by Ghost

Album Review: Skeletá by Ghost

Release date - 25 April 2025

Words by Jenna Stoch

Photo credit: Mikael Eriksson/M Industries

Ghost’s Skeletá is not just an album, it's a full-blown theatrical experience. From spine-tingling guitar solos to hypnotic rhythms and soul-stirring ballads, it plays out like the soundtrack to a rock opera you didn’t know you needed. Each track pulls you in, shakes you up, and leaves you wanting more. Here's my track-by-track breakdown:

Peacefield

Eeerie, yet beautiful. Within seconds, you're hit with a holy sht* moment, this riff is banging. The melody is insanely catchy, and the flow? Seamless. I got goosebumps. It gives Separate Ways vibes, but metal. That guitar solo? Felt it in my stomach. I had the urge to scream the lyrics. And don’t even get me started on the drums, just sick.

Lachryma

Starts with this soft 80s rock vibe… and then BAM! Guitars, drums, and it’s ripping. Feels like a rainy, gloomy day, but the kind you lowkey love. There’s something epiphanic about it. I honestly didn’t want it to end.

Satanized

Five seconds in and I’m obsessed. The tune, the vibe, the aura. Ghost are masters at storytelling, you can see the resistance, the tension. The whole thing drips with drama. The rhythm is hypnotic, and then that guitar solo hits. Straight goosebumps. Gave me Phantom of the Opera vibes… but heavier, more intense. The brief softer part just pulls you deeper into the trance. I’m not gonna lie, this song satanized me.

Guiding Lights

Emotional as hell. It sways like an 80s ballad with a touch of ABBA. Feels like a rock musical moment. Soulful and cinematic. You can almost picture it playing under a spotlight on a stage.

De Profundis Borealis

Hauntingly beautiful. It starts ghostly and ethereal, then morphs into a head-banger with heart. There's this subtle sense of hope woven into the track. Melancholic but moving.

Cenotaph

Feels like a march, building slowly. Almost playful, yet nostalgic. There's this deep emotional pull, like it's urging you to appreciate the moment, to hold on to memories before they fade. It’s beautiful in a way that hurts a little.

Missillia Amori

Explodes right out the gate. The rhythm is fierce, pulsing with passion. It’s theatrical and intense, like a threatening love letter you’d want to receive. Feels like the kind of song that plays in your veins.

Marks of the Evil One

Dark and edgy with an irresistible groove. The story feels twisted in the best way. Those drums, creepy and commanding. The guitar makes you want to do something. It’s energizing but sinister.

Umbra

A moody shadow of a song. I weirdly pictured the Scooby-Doo gang chasing a villain through a haunted temple lit by candles. It has that fun but eerie energy. A cool and quirky penultimate track.

Excelsis

You can feel the finale here. It’s emotional, weightless, like a misty farewell. The guitar solo hits heavy with feeling. It gives me Gary Moore vibes. Made me think of Defying Gravity, not in sound, but in emotional lift. A beautiful way to close the curtain.

Final Thoughts

This album could be the foundation for an entire musical. It's that theatrical. It’s not just a collection of songs, it’s a journey. You feel every second.

Standouts?The opening trio: Peacefield, Lachryma, and Satanized—they’re pure magic.