Artist: Ghost
Title: Hunter’s Moon
Reviewer: Curt Ubank

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and by that I mean it’s October and spooky season is in full swing. The blazing Aussie sun is making it warmer and warmer; Americans are teasing us with all their fun Halloween crap from Spirit Halloween and those skull faced Swede’s GHOST have bestowed upon us a new banger. Wait…. It’s the theme song for the upcoming slasher offering HALLOWEEN KILLS? Sweet merciful crap, Its like Christmas with Jack-o-lanterns.

Bit of backstory, as with GHOST it’s never straightforward, At the end of their tour cycle for PREQUELLE in 2019, PAPA NIHIL dropped dead onstage and CARDINAL COPIA got anointed as PAPA EMERITUS IV, with his very own skull paint and copper-embroidered duds. Since then, though… nothing. No music, no tours, admittedly a fuck load of merch has dropped, but Papa and crew have been silent. Until about a week ago when a nearly 90-hour YouTube livestream of cryptic imagery just kept rolling on. Once we all got sick of that, we were rewarded with a brand-new track, Hunter’s Moon. 

Its GHOST back to a slightly proggier, darker sound than the last 60’s styled EP we were offered, and it immediately brings the Horror Movie vibes. Acoustic guitars and piano over a stomping drum section, it manages to be creepy and beautiful, haunting and heavy all at once. GHOST absolutely know how to highlight FORGE’s vocals with their musical choices and use of choral backings. From the very start this song recalls previous bangers like SQUARE HAMMER and YEAR ZERO while also feeling incredibly reminiscent of the HALLOWEEN series. A huge part of that vibe is the lack of a chorus in favour of a 5/4 riff that is dangerously close to just being the main JOHN CARPENTER-penned riff from 1978. The Lyrics almost feel like they’re written from Michael Myers’ point of view, stalking Laurie Strode through Haddonfield, creating an eerie ambiance that ties beautifully with the purpose of the song. Its Pure GHOST/MICHAEL MYERS madness and I am all in for it.

Like its 80’s predecessors of He’s Back (The Man Behind the mask) From Friday the 13^th Part VI Jason Lives, Or Dokken’s Dream Warriors from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, This track is a catchy, credits-stealing track that I have a feeling will cap off the upcoming slasher perfectly. Its about damn time we had another Horror/Rock title track and I’m glad that its Ghost, now hurry up and release album 5 Papa, I’m begging you.

Happy Halloween