Skeletá

Skeletá is the sixth studio album by the Swedish rock band Ghost. It was released on 25 April 2025 through Loma Vista Recordings, was preceded by the singles "Satanized", "Lachryma" and "Peacefield", and is notable for being the band's first album to top the US Billboard 200. The album was produced by the band's leader Tobias Forge under an alias "Gene Walker."

Release

Skeletá follows up the band's 2022 studio album Impera and is described as their "most unflinchingly introspective work to date". It was reported to include lyricism of "the newly instated Perpetua" and showcase a variety of "distinct individual emotional vistas". The band announced the album alongside the release of the lead single "Satanized" on 5 March 2025. Accompanying visuals were developed by the band alongside Jason Zada and enables fans to be integrated into the video. The album's second single, "Lachryma", was released on 11 April 2025. The album's third single, "Peacefield", was released on 22 April 2025.
Alongside the album announcement, the band revealed the new figurehead for the band called Papa V Perpetua. His vocal debut on the lead single "Satanized" was said to concern "demonic possessions" and succumbing to "dark forces".

Composition and themes

Musically, the album has been described as hard rock, arena rock, pop rock, and glam metal. The album has been described as Ghost's most introspective album. Speaking about the album's themes, Sydney Taylor of Loudwire wrote, "It's a constant reckoning with guilt, identity, faith and failure."

Promotion

In promotion of the album, the band embarked on the Skeletour, currently consisting of 55 dates starting at the AO Arena in Manchester on 15 April 2025. The tour encompasses dates in the United States, Europe, and Mexico and is said to celebrate their "most spectacular live productions" as well as the "most ambitious run of their career".
Somewhat controversially, the band decided not to allow mobile phones in the venues for the tour. This led to a massive accumulation of attendees ahead of their show in Birmingham, England, as staff searched bags for phones.

Commercial performance

Skeletá debuted on top of the US Billboard 200, shifting 86,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, with the album selling 77,000 copies. Skeletá marks the second time a performing Swedish artist reached the top of the Billboard 200, following Ace of Base's The Sign in 1993.

Reception

On Metacritic, a review aggregator site that compiles reviews from mainstream publications and assigns a weighted average score out of 100, Skeletá received a score of 78 based on ten critic reviews. This score indicated "generally favorable reviews". James Christopher Monger of AllMusic wrote, "There are bands that lavish in the fondue of modern hard rock without the cheese, but not Ghost. Ghost is fun." Dom Lawson of Blabbermouth.net called it "aggressively entertaining and full of massive tunes." Steven Loftin writing for Dork stated, "Skeleta continues to prove why Tobias and co are not only mainstays but so beloved."
Kelly Scanlon of Ed Power of The Irish Times was also mixed stating, "Ghost have always spun the cheesiest ingredients into pop gold. But this hollowed-out affair is haunted by the spirits of old glories." Sam Law of Kerrang! called it "Ghost's deepest, most intriguing statement to date." Liberty Dunworth of NME wrote, "Through a rich exploration of genres and a new level of emotional depth, it becomes clear that ‘Skeletá’ was made with a new vision in mind, and comes as the promising start of a new Ghost chapter."

Track listing

Personnel

Ghost

Papa V Perpetua – vocals, bass
A Group of Nameless Ghouls

Additional

Fredrik Åkesson – lead guitar
Salem Al Fakir – keyboards
Martin Sandmark Eriksson – rhythm guitar, additional instruments
Max Grahn – drums, additional instruments
Vincent Pontare – additional synths
Tove Burman – vocals
Anthony Nichols – choir
Per Larsson – choir
Olle Vidner – choir
Liv Howell – choir
Joel Eberhardsson – choir
Kristoffer Brander – choir
Glädje Kalle Olsson – choir
Jakob Grubbström – choir
Emilia Hildebrand – choir
Julia Fridberger – choir
Katrin Jocham – choir
Love Kihl – choir
Rebecka Brostedt – choir
Celina Larsson – choir
Freja Högemark – choir
Elisa Hedin – choir
Emilia Karlborg – choir
Susanna Appelgren – choir
Martin Classon – choir
Erik Uhlin – choir
August Goldhahn – choir

Technical

Andy Wallace – mixing
Dan Malsch – mixing
Ted Jensen – mastering, engineer
Max Grahn – producer
Gene Walker – producer
Martin Sandmark Eriksson – producer
Vincent Pontare – producer
Salem Al Fakir – producer
Mark Rankin – engineer
Niclas Lindström – engineer
Basma Jabbar – engineer
Wille Enblad – engineer
Martin Sandmark eriksson – engineer
Calle London Gustavsson – engineer
Charts