Living somewhere between Blue Oyster Cult and Mercyful Fate, Sweden’s Ghost (recently forced to change their name in the US to Ghost B.C. due to legal reasons) have been steadily building their anonymous cult reputation over nearly 6 years. Now with their second full-length release, “Infestissumam” (Latin for “hostile”), Ghost are heading up to a completely new level in terms of production and erm, commercial success.

No matter how fast the cult appeal is growing, there has been a strong argument lately about this band consistency. Some call them a forgettable gimmick band and others praise them as new occult rock heroes.

Well, the truth is that Ghost play occult music like they invented it and are making all the rules as they go along. They go beyond contemporary metal clichés and tired retro retreads. If you don’t believe me, try the first single, “Secular Haze” and you will find out that the weird waltz bone structure with some circus calliope (Anton LaVey style) playing in the foreground can be pretty spooky and burlesque in the same time.

What separates “Infestissumam” from its predecessor is that the band now have the confidence to break-up with metal (respectively their Mercyful Fate influence) and look for exciting new opportunities to incorporate inappropriate (at first glance) musical influences like surf rock (“Ghuleh/Zombie Queen”, “Idolatrine”) and The Beatles (“Jiggolo Har Migiddo”, “Monstrance Clock”). Typical satanic anthems haven’t disappeared though. Just listen to “Year Zero” and “Boody And Blood”.  It’s all there.

It all makes “Infestissumam” the sort of album that makes an instant impact, yet it also has hidden gems, ones that are gradually unearthed with each visit. It’s obvious that a lot of time and effort has gone into making this one of the most important hard rock albums of the year, if not most important coming from a comparatively new band. It’s been worthwhile.