Moving on to discussing the music on Prequelle, the album opens with "Ashes," which works not only as an opening to the album but also an opening to "Rats," especially since the eerie melody played on piano in "Ashes" is then repeated on guitar near the end of "Rats." "Ashes" features Forge's daughter reciting a variation of the "Ring Around the Rosie" children's rhyme (fitting because the children's rhyme is in fact about the Black Plague): "Ring a ring o' roses, a pocket full of posies. Atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down. Ashes on the water, ashes in the sea. Ashes on the riverside, one, two, three." Just about every time that I listen to this track, the heavy guitar suddenly coming in at 0:48 in and breaking the rhyme always startles me even though I know that it's coming because the track is so quiet up to that point. The sing-songy chanting is unsettling, reminding me a bit of the rhyme in the A Nightmare on Elm Street films. "Ashes" moves seamlessly into "Rats," in some ways the true opening to Prequelle since, as I said, "Ashes" is really just the intro to it. "Rats" is such a great album opener because of its energy. (It even opened the album's corresponding tour.) It's not only a heavy headbanger but also has somewhat of a danceable groove to it. It's very anthemic, especially with Cardi's infectious "Ah whoah" in the chorus. It's also pretty cool how Prequelle came out two years ago, yet some of its themes are even more fitting now in 2020. As anyone reading this knows, 2020 has not been a pleasant year. A deadly virus referred to as COVID-19 surfaced in late 2019 and became a pandemic in March of 2020. Since then, over 560,000 people worldwide (over 137,000 of those being Americans) have died from it, and it initially started with panic and hysteria as people stocked up on disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper. (I can't really explain the toilet paper. Like I said, it was hysteria.) False and misleading information was spread around the internet, further heightening the mass panic since most people see Facebook headlines and don't bother to read the articles and fact-check them. Americans are now required to wear masks in public and are also required to maintain a distance of at least six feet from each other. Those are definitely reasonable parameters since, as I said, the death rate is rather high and continues to climb. The opening lyrics of "Rats," however, definitely speak to the current situation pretty accurately: "In times of turmoil, in times like these, belief's contagious, spreading disease." The song, as I said, is about the Black Plague (hence its vilifying of rats since they were one of the primary carriers of the disease), but it can be used as a metaphor for anything negatively infectious - disease, hatred, propaganda, etc.
"Faith" is one of the heaviest songs on Prequelle, with bludgeoning heavy guitar persisting throughout the entirety of the track. One aspect of Prequelle that I really love is that even though it does tackle some of the same issues that prior albums do - religious corruption, Satanism (although to a much lesser degree on this album), death, and so forth - I also firmly believe that it does so in a clever way so that it also takes on some more personal issues relevant to Forge, and "Faith" is a good example of this. The opening verse of "Faith" features Cardi C rhythmically singing the following: "There is a scourge in the guise of sanctity, a perpetrator with a quill, although it's often steeped in well-spun mystery, the accuser sends the bill, yeah!" Genius quotes one of the band's nameless ghouls as having said (of religious fanaticism and power-hungry Christian authorities), "Obviously, it is a big problem. It's a very contemporary problem. It's a very, very big danger..." Genius also points out the possibility, however, that this song is targeted at former Ghost bandmates who, back in 2015, came forth with a lawsuit against Tobias Forge, and I wholeheartedly agree. I don't really know all of the details of the lawsuit - just that the band members felt that they were not being compensated fairly for Ghost's profits and that Forge ended up winning the lawsuit. The fact that Forge won strongly suggests to me that the band members who sued him likely knew what the arrangement was, agreed to it, but then tried to pull a fast one. If so, then Forge likely felt betrayed, and I think that there are a couple of songs on this album that reflect that anger and betrayal, "Faith" definitely being one of them. I find it incredibly likely that that opening verse, for example, is targeting the former bandmates, especially considering the "accuser sends the bill" line, which is literally exactly what they did. In keeping with the themes of religious fanaticism, however, the chorus of the song declares that "I am all eyes. I am all ears. I am the wall, and I'm watching you fall because faith is mine!" This is very likely meant to be ironic, as in speaking from the perspective of a corrupt religious leader saying that faith is all that they need to be all powerful and omnipresent. In keeping with the Black Plague theme, this could also be from the perspective of Death, declaring that he is everywhere and cannot be avoided. That is, as I stated previously, one of the many aspects that I love about Ghost's music but especially about this album - the fact that the lyrics can be interpreted in so many different ways, and those different ways aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. Is Forge talking about his personal struggles with former bandmates? Is he talking about religious fanatics? Is this another chapter of the album's Black Plague narrative? The answer is very likely yes to all.
I love the relentless weight of "Faith," but Prequelle definitely has some softer numbers to offer, as well, as is typical of Ghost albums. At the end of "Faith," there is a soft organ interlude playing a melody that we will again hear at the end of the album (but I will discuss that when I get to discussing that particular song), and that interlude moves seamlessly into "See the Light." Although there is a slamming guitar riff in the chorus of "See the Light," the song is ultimately a softer power ballad compared to "Faith." This is rather ironic, in fact, because it is lyrically another angry and bitter track even though Cardi C sings it - especially on the verses - in a somewhat softer tone. The song also features a light tribal beat with accompanying piano, all adding to its softer ballad (albeit, as I said, power ballad) atmosphere. Cardi C lyrically calls back to "Rats" in the opening verse: "Many a rat I've befriended..." He also once again touches upon betrayal on this track: "...but of all the demons I've known, none could compare to you... but of all these dark roads that I roam, none could compare to you." The chorus of the song is especially bitter and angry, however, as Cardi C, in a more aggressive tone than on the verses, declares that "every day that you feed me with hate, I grow stronger. Drink me; eat me. Then, you'll see the light." The "drink me; eat me" line could very well be a reference to the Catholic communion ritual, which Ghost has touched upon in the past on songs such as "Body and Blood," but telling someone to "eat me" is also a common way of telling someone who has insulted you or wronged you off. I absolutely believe this song to be another targeted at former Ghost bandmates, which Tobias Forge himself more or less confirmed. When asked in an interview if "See the Light" was about the bad blood with former bandmates, Forge replied, "Yes! I think it's a song that can apply to any situation in which you're surrounded by enemies. Really, it's a song about redistributing anger and negativity." I really love this aspect of the song because even though it is a bitter and angry song, it's ultimately about using that anger in a positive way. Cardi C declares that "every day that you feed me with hate, I grow stronger," which indicates a refusal to allow hatred to wear you down but rather revitalize you. This is true of much of Ghost's music in general. There is a bite to it, and it often takes on some negative and dark topics, but there is usually hope - a light at the end of the tunnel. Forge even said in an interview (to which I linked in this review earlier) that much of Ghost's music is about salvation, and I agree wholeheartedly.
"Miasma" (which is a very unpleasant odor) is the fifth track on Prequelle and is one of most unusual tracks that Ghost has done up to this point in their career. It's purely instrumental with no lyrics but runs at over five minutes in length, making it a lengthier instrumental track sort of like "Genesis" from Opus Eponymous. That isn't what makes it unusual, however; it stands out amongst Ghost's catalogue because of its unique sound. It is undoubtedly a hard rock song but also features elements of jazz with its heavy use of the saxophone. (Interestingly, within the Ghost lore, it is Papa Nihil - who fronted the band back in 1969 when the band originally released its Seven Inches of Satanic Panic single - playing the saxophone here. In fact, Papa Nihil ended up passing away from a heart attack while playing the saxophone part on stage, but again, this is fictional and is part of the Ghost mythology.) It begins with what sounds like low synth before the band breaks in, and the song has a retro ambience to it that I can't quite explain. Something about it takes me back to the '90s when I was a little kid playing Sonic the Hedgehog on my SEGA Genesis. That definitely changes once the saxophone kicks in, but most of the track washes in a wave of nostalgia. The last part of the song - the jazzy part - can be heard near the beginning of the "Dance Macabre" music video, which is the next song featured on Prequelle. "Dance Macabre" is perhaps one of the poppiest and catchiest songs that Ghost has done to date. The song sounds like a pop rock / hard rock song pulled from the '80s and features an infectious (pun intended) chorus. I especially love the fluttering piano heard throughout the verses, and I also really love the electric guitar that breaks back in right before the pre-chorus when Cardi C asks, "How could it end like this?" Probably not unintentionally on Tobias Forge's part, the song's lyrics remind me a great deal of Edgar Allan Poe's classic short story "The Masque of the Red Death." In that short story, a fictional plague is spreading which kills people within a short amount of time, causing them to bleed profusely from orifices and even pores before they die (hence it being called the Red Death). A prince sequesters himself and select people away in his castle, believing that he is safe from the plague. Upon hosting a masquerade party one night, a clock chimes once every hour, seeming to put everyone in a trance (which I believe is because it is serving as a reminder that their time is running out). Eventually, the Red Death takes on a visible form and enters the castle, killing everyone, proving that Prospero's wealth could not save him from death.
Poe's fictional plague was likely inspired by a combination of tuberculosis (to which he lost a lot of loved ones) and the Black Plague (which Prequelle is ultimately about). The phrase dance macabre means dance of death, and Prospero's masquerade attendants are indeed literally dancing when death claims them, and Cardi C references a clock chiming near the beginning of the song: "You'll soon be hearing the chime close to midnight." As I said, it is my belief that in "The Masque of the Red Death," the reason why the dancers seem to be spellbound when the clock chimes is that the clock instills fear in them. It serves as a reminder that with every second that passes, they are closer to death, and that is unfortunately true of all of us - plague or no plague. The song's lyrics are somewhat romantic, as they seem to be about two lovers dancing together and trying to enjoy their last night together before death takes them: "Just wanna be, wanna bewitch you in the moonlight. Just wanna be, I wanna bewitch you all night." I had actually thought for a long time that Cardinal Copia was saying "be with you," but I think that it is meant to sound like it could be either/or. "Pro Memoria" begins with very dramatic and high-pitched strings which are eventually broken by piano. This one is definitely a power ballad and features a beautiful melody, and I love the little bit of organ heard in the song. (The organ is one of my favorite instruments.) Genius interestingly claims that the song is not a rock track, and I wholeheartedly disagree. While perhaps not a heavy metal song and definitely, as I said, one of Prequelle's power ballads, it is absolutely a rock song. Cardi C, in the catchy and commanding chorus, urges us, "Don't you forget about dying. Don't you forget about your friend death. Don't you forget that you will die." This is obviously in keeping with the album's Black Plague theme, and it seems rather depressing. However, as discussed previously, there is definitely an element of hope and salvation in much of Ghost's music, and I personally think of this as more of a positive song. The fact that we are all eventually going to die is ultimately neither negative nor positive; it's merely fact, and occasionally reminding ourselves of said fact hopefully means that we make the best of the time that we have. I also love the fact that, as Genius observes, the song is most likely taking another dig at former bandmates who sued Forge. "Had you had the chance today, you could've sold out too. Ain't that right, Swede Saint Peter?" Saint Peter was also known as Simon, and Swede is likely meant to sound like both Swede and sweet, Swede being in reference to former band member Simon Söderberg, who, like Tobias, is Swedish.
"Witch Image" is a bit heavier than "Pro Memoria," but it's also another track that, in my opinion, has a positive message buried underneath a macabre and seemingly negative one. Like many of the album's tracks, it is very catchy, and even though I haven't seen any make the complaint, I am sure that there are some Ghost fans who have not appreciated the band's catchy hooks on this album, believing them to have "sold out," although I assure you that I am not such a fan, as, as I have said, Prequelle is my favorite Ghost album thus far. One reason that I say that, however, is not just because of the album's catchy songs (melodic and catchy hooks, after all, are hardly new for Ghost) but also because Tobias worked with several mainstream pop music songwriters on Prequelle, including Vargas & Lagola, Jesse St. John, and Sarah Hudson, on songs such as "Dance Macabre" and "Pro Memoria." "Witch Image" is a blend of heavy metal and arena rock (reminding me a bit, in fact, of "Square Hammer"). It sounds like another one that could have come from an '80s hair metal band, and in the earworm of a chorus, Cardinal Copia reminds the listener that "while you sleep in earthly delight, someone's flesh is rotting tonight." Is this dark and disturbing imagery? It absolutely is, and it is obviously part of the album's Black Plague narrative as are most of the album's tracks, but there is also a positive note to such lyrics. Like Meliora's "Cirice," it is my sincerest belief that the song's lyrics are encouraging empathy, encouraging the listener to understand that just because they might be comfortable doesn't mean that that is how the whole world feels; we shouldn't view the world through the narrow lens of our own perspective and no one else's. This once again calls back to Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death." Prospero does not have any empathy for the people outside who are suffering and dying from the Red Death; all that he cares about is himself and those whom he invited into the castle with him, which were likely socialites with money and influence. In the end, however, his royalty and his power did not save him; death doesn't care about our social status: "While you sleep in earthly delight," Cardi C sings near the end of the song, "still, your soul will suffer this plight." This of course means that you might be living in privileged comfort now, but that doesn't mean that you're safe from death. Something that all of us - every single one of us - have in common is that we cannot escape death. Like I said, in the end, death does not care about anything other than the fact that we are human and thus mortal.
"Helvetesfönster" is my favorite song on Prequelle and definitely in my top five favorite Ghost tracks in general. Like "Miasma," it is another longer instrumental track, and it is absolutely epic and magnificent, one of the most sonically impressive tracks that Ghost has done to date. A musical masterpiece written solely by Tobias Forge, the track is enough to convince me that Forge is a postmodern Mozart. The song title is Swedish for hell window which makes it an appropriate segue into the album's final track, but I will discuss that once I get to discussing that song. "Helvetesfönster" has a Medieval atmosphere to it (appropriate given that, as I keep saying, the album is meant to be a concept album about the Black Plague) which, I think, is one of the reasons that I love it. I tend to really like Celtic and New Age music, and "Helvetesfönster" reminds me a great deal of such genres which is very likely because such genres are also heavily influenced by Medieval music. The track also blends more modern sounding ingredients into the mix, however, as it also features electric guitar and drums. Everything from flute, piano, drums, heavy guitar, acoustic guitar, what I think might be harp, and even, near the end of the track, church bells can be heard. My favorite part of the song is the oscillating arpeggio played on piano near the beginning of the song (especially as it rises in intensity and hits a cathartic high point at just under two minutes into the track when heavy guitar comes into the fold) which reminds me of television themes such as Fringe, Stranger Things, and The Walking Dead. I also love the calming and peaceful last couple of minutes of the song. (Someone even made a video on YouTube which features that last part of the track for over an hour.) "Helvetesfönster" ends with church bells (which, given the theme of the album, are possibly meant to be a death knell) which move gaplessly into "Life Eternal," officially Prequelle's final song. "Life Eternal" is a gorgeous rock ballad, and here we are reminded of the organ melody heard at the end of "Faith." "Life Eternal" might work as somewhat of a sequel to "Dance Macabre" because I think that the song is from the perspective of someone whose lover (and possibly they themselves as well) is dying from the plague: "Can you hear me say your name forever? Can you see me longing for you forever? Would you let me touch your soul forever?" As previously mentioned, helvetesfönster meaning hell window is important because here, Cardi C sings, "I know the light grows darker down below," which is possibly a reference to hell, making the ninth track a transition into this final track.
"Life Eternal" is such a great closing track for Prequelle. It lyrically feels like a closing to the album's narrative, as, as I said, the lovers referenced in "Dance Macabre" have reached their end in one way or another. I find it unclear whether both of them are dying or if only of them is. As I said, the speaker of "Life Eternal" seems to be addressing their lover, but some of the lyrics, such as the ones that I quoted above, seem to suggest that only the other one is dying, not necessarily the speaker. It is also, as I said, a sequel of sorts to "Dance Macabre," as it even alludes to it: "We dance once more; I feel your hands are cold." The song is so melodically haunting and beautiful, and as I have said before, the organ is one of my favorite instruments, so I love that it is featured relatively prominently here on this track. As I said, "Life Eternal" closes Prequelle officially speaking, but the deluxe edition of the album does include two bonus tracks - both covers (which is typical of Ghost; they always include at least one cover song as (a) bonus track(s)). The first is "It's a Sin," a cover of a Pet Shop Boys song from 1987. Ghost's version is heavy on the church organ (yes!) and on the electric guitar, making it darker and heavier than the original Pet Shop Boys version, but as is usually the case of Ghost covers, it is very faithful to the original. It is definitely a fitting song for Ghost to cover because it is a critique of Christianity deeming just about everything as sinful. (Ghost frequently critiques Christianity in their lyrics.) We then get "Avalanche," a cover of a Leonard Cohen song from 1971. If I am being honest, this is potentially my least favorite Ghost cover primarily because I think that Forge tries too hard to sound like Cohen, and it doesn't really work because Cohen had such a unique voice. I wish that Tobias had just sang it more naturally. Other than that, however, it's pretty different from the original version. The original is very folksy and fueled primarily by acoustic guitar, whereas Ghost incorporates atmospheric strings, a steady drumbeat, and, of course, electric guitar. Like I said, Prequelle is my favorite Ghost album thus far, followed very closely by Meliora. It is so theatrical and reads to me like an epic rock opera. It also possibly fits into the theory that all of Ghost's albums tell an overarching story, with Opus Eponymous chronicling the impending arrival of the Antichrist and ending with his birth, Infestissumam dealing with the birth and presence of the Antichrist, and Meliora narrating his rise to power. If Prequelle fits into that narrative, then the apocalyptic nature of its lyrics could be the apocalypse brought on by the Antichrist. Regardless, however, I can't praise this album enough. If the next Ghost album tops this one, then it's going to be something that makes me rethink what music is. (Check out my reviews of other Ghost works here!)
