23. Ghost - "Skeleta"

The biggest success story in modern metal, bar none. It is the tale of a failed Swedish death metal also-ran, Tobias Forge, who hit the jackpot by combining ABBA, Metallica and mythology. He realised that people wanted camp theatrics and a sense of mystical mystery in their music. Ghost took the cod-mysticism of 70’s occult rock, added a level of showbusiness dazzle and a pinch of British seaside humour and created the juggernaut that is Ghost.

“Skeleta” heralds the band's Imperious age. At this point, they have nothing left to prove. They have conquered arenas and stadiums with their quirky mock-catholic imagery, and they have broken America. However, “Skeleta“ doesn’t see them resting on their laurels. This is another gloriously widescreen romp through religious iconography and pop stylistics. It drips with quirky quality and revels in its melodic accessibility. It is cheesy, and it does have the chops of a Broadway musical, but that is the point. It is hugely enjoyable pop metal that has no interest in preserving any level of integrity. This is fabulous smaltz, completely fabricated but still wonderfully entertaining.