BravePicks 2018 – GHOST's Prequelle #5
December 26, 2018, 5 years ago
Another gruelling year of heavy metal debauchery is almost over! Killing is our business ... and business is good! And this year the metal scene killed it with a myriad of heavy intrigue! So the votes are in and the compiling is complete! It's time to crown the winners and call out the the disappointments.
So who will be our #1? You’ll find out as we count down the BravePick Of 2018 each day in December! And our devout scribes killed it as well, putting their collective metal minds together to build the ultimate lists including individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY), Top 5 Brave Embarrassments (a fan favorite!), Top 3 Concerts, What/Who Needs To Stop In 2018? and Metal Predictions For 2019. All will be showcased come the New Year!
'Tis the season to commence the good, bad and ugly of 2018! On with the cream of this year's crop!
BravePicks 2018
5) GHOST – Prequelle (Loma Vista)
It was the year of Ghost. The spooky, mish-mash of Satanic rock and metal has successfully exploded with the group’s fourth album, Prequelle, Forgoing the pope motif, mainman Tobias Forge introduced Cardinal Copia to the masses with a brilliant work of catchy tunes, profound instrumentals, saxophone solos (!), and pop sensibilities (gasp!). Ghost has quickly a turned into a love em’ or hate em’ band, but the Swedes have forged (no pun intended) onwards not giving a damn about anyone’s opinion. While the previous Ghost entries dabbled in ‘70s sounds, Prequelle seems firmly rooted in the ‘80s. Maybe they are slowly headed into the modern times with each release, but no matter as it is all about the present and Prequelle is a masterful record and earns the #5 entry on our list.+
As BW scribe Ryan Owenson opined in his review, “Prequelle is both an unexpected and yet very expected move by Ghost. On one hand, how could any of us have foreseen this level of refinement back in 2011? On the other hand, if you trace the evolution through Ghost’s discography, Prequelle is just such a natural (and obvious, in retrospect) endpoint. But where does Ghost take it from here? Does the band climb to even higher plateaus? Or will the next Ghost album be either the dread experimental album or the always appreciated return to the roots? Who knows, man. In the meantime, play ‘Dance Macabre’ repeatedly and marvel at Ghost’s improbable, and just really weird, success.”
BravePicks 2018 Top 30
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5) GHOST - Prequelle (Loma Vista)
6) CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - No Cross No Crown (Nuclear Blast)
7) VOIVOD - The Wake (Century Media)
8) WARREL DANE - Shadow Work (Century Media)
9) SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS - Living The Dream (Snakepit / Roadrunner)
10) SLEEP - The Sciences (Third Man)
11) BULLET - Dust To Gold (Steamhammer / SPV)
12) DEAFHEAVEN - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (Anti-)
13) RIVERS OF NIHIL - Where Owls Know My Name (Metal Blade)
14) IMMORTAL - Northern Chaos Gods (Nuclear Blast)
15) BLOODBATH - The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn (Peaceville)
16) AMORPHIS - Queen Of Time (Nuclear Blast)
17) BLACK LABEL SOCIETY – Grimmest Hits (eOne)
18) IHSAHN – Ámr (Candlelight / Spinefarm)
19) THE DEAD DAISIES - Burn It Down (Spitfire / SPV)
20) MELIAH RAGE - Idol Hands (Metal On Metal)
21) ALICE IN CHAINS - Rainier Fog (BMG)
22) HIGH ON FIRE - Electric Messiah (eOne)
23) MAMMOTH GRINDER - Cosmic Crypt (Relapse)
24) ICARUS WITCH - Goodbye Cruel World (Cleopatra)
25) UNLEASHED - The Hunt For White Christ (Napalm)
26) SATAN - Cruel Magic (Metal Blade)
27) GRAHAM BONNET BAND - Meanwhile, Back In The Garage (Frontiers)
28) MONSTROSITY – The Passage Of Existence (Metal Blade)
29) GRUESOME – Twisted Prayers (Relapse)
30) DIMMU BORGIR - Eonian (Nuclear Blast)
