Ghost’s second album, Infestissumam, is a theatrical horror-rock record that trades the sharp hooks of its debut for a darker, more ambitious sound. It is a follow-up that wants to be bigger, stranger, and more unsettling. The question is whether it delivers on that ambition.
The answer, mostly, is no.
Opening With Infestissumam
The album opens with “Infestissumam,” a 1:42 instrumental that sets a dark tone without saying much. It is a brief, atmospheric curtain-raiser, but it also signals the problem ahead: the record spends more time building mood than delivering memorable songs.
“Per Aspera Ad Inferi” follows, and it is the strongest track on the front half. It is a slow-burning, ominous crawl that builds tension through repetition. It earns its reputation as one of the few highlights here.
“Secular Haze” is a mess of excess. It is the longest track on the album at 5:11, and it feels like it. The song wanders without direction, burying the melody under layers of noise.
“Jigolo Har Megiddo” is a step up. It is the most straightforwardly rock-oriented track on the record, with a driving riff and a chorus that sticks. It is the kind of song that could have carried the album on its own.
“Ghuleh / Zombie Queen” is a double-header that runs over seven minutes. The title track is a slow, atmospheric build, while “Zombie Queen” is a more aggressive, punk-influenced rocker. Together they are the most cohesive stretch of the record, and they are the tracks that justify the album’s length.
“Year Zero” is a mid-tempo number that tries to be anthemic. It does not quite land. “Body and Blood” is a brief, violent burst that feels like a palate cleanser, but it does not leave much of an impression.
Idolatrine Through I’m a Marionette
“Idolatrine” is a slow, ritualistic track that leans heavily on atmosphere. It is effective in small doses, less so in a full-length context. “Depth of Satan’s Eyes” is another atmospheric detour, and it suffers the same fate.
“Monstrance Clock” is the album closer, and it is the best track here. It is a slow, eerie build that finally earns the record’s theatrical ambitions. It is the moment where Ghost stops trying to shock and starts trying to move you.
“I’m a Marionette” closes the album with a more melodic, pop-leaning approach. It is a solid, if unremarkable, closer that does not quite live up to the promise of “Monstrance Clock.”
What Works, What Does Not
The album’s strengths are concentrated in its back half. The tracks that succeed share a few traits:
- They are shorter than the surrounding material.
- They have a clear, driving rhythm.
- They lean less on atmosphere and more on melody.
The tracks that fail tend to do the opposite. The longer, more atmospheric pieces are the ones that drag the record down. The album is at its best when it stops trying to be mysterious and starts being direct.
It seems that a majority of reviewers who’ve joined the mysterious cult of the band known as Ghost are too afraid to give such a band a negative review.
That is the kind of dismissive reaction the album provoked. It is easy to see why. The record is theatrical to the point of distraction, and its attempts to be shocking often feel like a mask covering nothing underneath.
Verdict on Infestissumam
Infestissumam is a frustrating record. It has moments of genuine quality — “Per Aspera Ad Inferi,” “Jigolo Har Megiddo,” “Ghuleh / Zombie Queen,” “Monstrance Clock” — but those moments are scattered across an album that spends too much time hiding behind smoke and mirrors. The theatricality that made the band interesting is now working against them, turning a record that could have been scary into one that is simply confusing.
The album is a drop-off in almost every way except its visual art. It leaves listeners haunted by disappointment rather than fear. The band’s sophomore effort fails to live up to the promise of their debut, and the result is a record that is more style than substance.
- Infestissumam1:42
- Per Aspera Ad Inferi4:09
- Secular Haze5:11
- Jigolo Har Megiddo3:59
- Ghuleh / Zombie Queen7:29
- Year Zero5:50
- Body and Blood3:43
- Idolatrine4:24
- Depth of Satan’s Eyes5:26
- Monstrance Clock5:53
- La Mantra Mori5:20
- I’m a Marionette4:51
