Ghost – The Future Is A Foreign Land (Single Review)

The new single from theatrical rockers Ghost not only serves to set fans’ hearts alight upon the release of the band’s first feature-length movie, but also sends a sensitive anti-war message when looking to the future of our world.

It’s only halfway through 2024 and already it has proved to be a career-defining year for the beloved Swedish powerhouse, who formed in Linköping in 2006. The band, who weave tongue-in-cheek Satanic imagery and lyricism into an alarmingly addictive blend of old-school rock/doom metal, debuted their feature-length film ‘Rite Here Rite Now’ in cinemas worldwide on June 20th through to the 23rd. Serving as a concert movie as well as an opportunity to further develop the group’s dramatic backstory, the full movie soundtrack is due to be released on 26th July. However, as a precursor to this, fans can revisit the film’s splendour through the band’s brand new single ‘The Future Is A Foreign Land’, which would have initially been heard by many fans over the movie’s end titles.

The song is described by the band themselves, as per their lore, as a previously unreleased single from 1969 written by the band’s first singer Papa Nihil, so it is not a surprise that ‘The Future Is A Foreign Land’ starts like a supercharged ode to 60s surf-rock. With its opening down-tuned guitar riff sounding like the opening to a Western epic while being equally reminiscent of Dick Dale and the Deltones’ classic rendition of ‘Misirlou’, the track sets a leisurely tempo as a backdrop for its 60s nostalgia. The mesmerising reverb on the guitars here only further succeeds in driving home the old-school charisma that Ghost’s sound is perhaps most famous for; appealing to generations both younger and older.

It is not long before awaiting fans are greeted by the enthralling voice of singer/frontman Tobias Forge, who appears in live shows and videos as the band’s devilishly charming Papa Emeritus IV – a character shown to be the head of Ghost’s demonic clergy. What makes Forge’s vocal performances so captivating seems to stem from the fact that his delivery is often poignant while still retaining a gravelly edge that meshes seamlessly with the band’s hard rock/classical metal style. Here, he sounds commanding yet wistful while singing the evocative opening lines “Fifteen years from now, I know it seems remote but picture it somehow in your head”.

Thus begins the band’s deep dive into the mindset of Papa Nihil, as he muses about what the future holds for the world after living through world wars and dramatic events in history such as the assassination of J. F. Kennedy. There seems to be a lingering feeling of desperation in Forge’s delivery of “In the absence of sympathies, won’t you hear me out?” as the song gloriously swings into a beautifully anthemic chorus. As if the hopelessly romantic lyrics “When it all burns down…I will hold you for the minute it takes” doesn’t make listeners swoon, then the accompanying mellow guitar melodies will be sure to make even the most hardened listener smile.

The second verse sounds decidedly most hopeful in sentiment (“We don’t have to be enemies, won’t you hear me out?”) particularly with the addition of female backing vocals that contribute to a wonderfully rich tone in an otherwise dark rock track. Ghost’s signature organ may also be heard within the song; both tying in with the group’s religious concept and playing into the sinisterly theatrical sound that new audiences continue to gravitate towards. These dazzling vocal harmonies continue into the chorus to create a melodic symphony that perfectly drives the passionate lyrics harkening to an intense love story.

The gospel-inspired bridge strips down the song’s swaying beat and playful guitar licks to just Tobias’ hauntingly beautiful vocals over a deeply atmospheric organ background. The lyrics lay out a hope for a better future after many historical tragedies (“there will from then be peace forevermore”) and serve as a confession of eternal love and faith (“we could grow old together”). Many fans have already theorised that this is a confession from Papa Nihil to Sister Imperator, his love interest in the band’s wildly entertaining web-series. If this is true, it only adds another layer of genius to what is undoubtably another masterpiece in the band’s glittering discography.

The final chorus is as moving as ever; the guitars returning loud and clear to their colossal grandeur in accordance with Tobias’ goosebump-worthy chorus and exquisite harmonies that are bound to make fans even a little emotional. Even better is the knowledge that the band’s touring instrumentalists who appear onstage as the masked ‘Ghouls’ will be providing these stunning harmonies to legions of fans around the world; a factor of Ghost’s live shows that never fails to give audiences chills.

Score/Outstanding: While nobody really knew what to expect from ‘Rite Here Rite Now’, there was certainly a growing tension that told that something amazing was about to transpire. ‘The Future Is A Foreign Land’ is only one of the incredible bonuses audiences received, and it alone shows why Ghost is treasured by so many. No matter their audience, there will always be something about the Swedish rockers that proves to be completely enchanting to whoever is lucky enough to listen.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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