Papa Emeritus IV

REVIEW: Ghost Super 7 Ultimates Papa Emeritus IV figure

So close… but rite here right now, so far…

SUPER 7 – Ultimates Papa Emeritus IV figure

7″ of satanic panic?  Absolutely, for here is a Papa Emeritus IV “Ultimates” figure from Super 7.  These limited edition deluxe action figures offer supreme poseability, lots of accessories, and supreme packaging.  But is it worth the $70 that Amazon was asking for this evil doll?

Let’s take a close look at the figure, his accessories and packaging.

Photos and packaging can be seen in above video

The box is a cathedral-like window, which looks great as a backdrop for your figure.  Papa can be displayed in his cloaks and mitre, or more simply in a shiny blue suit.  He has options for interchangeable heads, and a selection of pop-off hands for either guise.  The plain Papa has hands in plain black gloves while the more decorative Papa has hands with skeleton-like designs on them.  He has two soft-goods pieces of clothing to dress him up:  A vest-like undercloak, and a poseable wire-blacked cloak.  Both are intricately decorated.  Take care to keep both in excellent condition.

While it is easy to swap out Papa’s parts and clothing for any display option, this is the point at which the figure loses some character.  Fully cloaked, his articulation is limited.  You can’t lift his arms very high, which makes the “devil horn” hand kind of pointless.  He has a hand that can hold his microphone, but it works best with the two-piece mic stand so Papa doesn’t have to lift it.   Without the cloak, he can pose much better, simulating his dance moves from the video for “Rats”.  His shiny shoes look perfect for this.

Unfortunately, Papa needs at least one head with an open mouth.  Otherwise he never looks like he’s singing, which makes the microphone somewhat useless.

Super 7 got a lot right on this figure.  The articulation is good enough on the base figure.  The paint and details are spectacular, which is important for a premium figure.  Not enough attention was paid when it comes to his accessories.  Extra hands with varying finger positions are a standard feature now, but keeps like a cheat to include all of them in an accessory count.  You can only use two at a time, after all.   Instead of so many hands, an alternate “singing head” and perhaps Papa’s staff would be more useful.  I’m also quite fond of miniature albums coming with action figures, but Super 7 didn’t ask for my opinion.

If you can get one of these with free shipping or on sale, go for it.  Imperfect figures get imperfect scores.

3/5 stars

 

REVIEW: Ghost – “Spillways” featuring Joe Elliott (2023)

GHOST – “Spillways” featuring Joe Elliott (2023 Loma Vista)

One of the best songs of 2022 gets a new life courtesy of Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott, who comes in on the second verse.  Ghost have evolved into quite the arena rock band, and Joe’s touch cements this even further.  The Leppard frontman chose Ghost’s Impera as his #1 album of 2022, so maybe you should check out what the man was so excited about?

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Ghost – Impera (2022)

GHOST – Impera (2022 Loma Vista)

Ghost have been pretty consistent over the years.  In all honesty the only album of theirs that I seldom spin is their second Infestissumam.  Everything else has been pretty solid to me so hopes were high for the new Impera.  Tobias Forge and Ghost have steadily evolved since Opus Eponymous in 2010.  From their melodic gothic metal origins, Ghost have gradually shed metal elements and replaced them with pop sensibilities.  Impera is most similar to their last album, Prequelle.  Let’s take a deep dive and analyse what Forge and his Nameless Ghouls have come up with this time.

Inspired by the real life rise and fall of empires, but through the lens of 2020, Ghost seem less interested in Satan while remaining fascinated by the dark side.  The idea had been long-simmering in Forge’s skull:  empires, repeating patterns in history, followed by annihilation.  The opening instrumental “Imperium” sets the stage with acoustic and electric guitars, layered in a way that recalls classic 80s Leatherwolf but far more lush.  Then we are suddenly engulfed not in darkness but in Darkness — the opening guitars sound like the British band, and Forge’s opening scream is a dead ringer for Justin Hawkins!  “Kaisarion” could easily have been a Darkness song.  High speed and instantly memorable, it’s the only song that will have you singing words like “Far away from the stench of the heavens,” this summer.  An immediate triumph, “Kaisarion” has it all from wickedly melodic guitars, deep backing vocals and clever instrumental prowess in all corners.  Can’t wait to road test this on a warm day in the car with the windows down.

“Spillways” might recall Trash-era Alice Cooper, with a tremendous amount of attention paid to the incessant melodies.  One after the other, the hooks keep coming.  Be it the vocals, the guitars or hell even the goddamn drums, “Spillways” is nothing but hard catchy rock they way you remember it from ages past.

The dark single “Call Me Little Sunshine” takes a different turn.  A simple spare guitar lick makes up the backbone of the song, with quiet verses and explosive choruses.  “Call me little sunshine, call me Mephistopheles,” sings Forge going full-Faust.  I’ll call it a song that takes a couple listens but will eventually bore its way into your permanent memory.

The second single, “Hunter’s Moon” follows, an upbeat prowl through dark woods.  (This is the single mix, with a more elaborate version included in the film Halloween Kills.)  While an impressive enough song on its own, “Hunter’s Moon” is over quickly, and overshadowed by the awesome “Watcher in the Sky”, a possible contender for album highlight.  Relentless bass and drums set up the biggest boldest chorus on the album.  The lyrics are hard to pin down, speaking of Machiavelli, bloodlines, and the rot of empires.  Possibly about looking to God for salvation but getting no reply.  Regardless of the dark theme, it’s one of the most party-ready tracks on the album.

The horns that blow on “Dominion”, an instrumental interlude, lead to a shocking transition.  “Twenties” is the strangest song on the album and contender for one of Ghost’s most bizarre tunes overall.  Beginning with a dark Metallica “Through the Never”-ish riff, “Twenties” soon transforms into something completely different.  Indescribable and simultaneously existing in the 1920s and 2020s alike.  Not sure if I like ir or not.

“Darkness at the Heart of My Love” is a pretty epic ballad, with suitably epic accompaniment from harpsichord type keys to angelic sonic backdrops.  Choirs of vocals join by the end, heaped on top of guitar harmonies in decadent fashion.  Brightening the mood, the poppy “Griftwood” returns us to a classic hard rock sound circa 1987.  The lyrics offer a critique of organized religion, but in the brightest musical frame.  Forge has leaned heavily into a specific kind of 80s hook of late, and “Griftwood” is soaked in them like cold gin.

A brief instrumental called “Bite of Passage” precedes the final song, “Respite on the Spatialfields”.  The empire has fallen, and Forge asks “I wonder, did no one hear the distant thunder?”  (We did, but we chose to ignore it.)  This complex track might be called a metal ballad, but it’s more progressive than that.  It has elements of Ozzy, Queensryche, Savatage, Whitesnake and Europe’s “The Final Countdown” all rolled into one.  An epic way to close the album.  “Nothing ever lasts forever.”

Musically invigorating and lyrically thought-provoking, Forge has created another memorable Ghost album for the masses.  While we hope the world doesn’t end too soon, and Forge can continue making albums, Ghost have harnessed the musical and apocalyptic themes of the 80s and brought them forth to the present day.  Job well done.

4.5/5 stars