Ghost follows Grammy with a brief covers collection

After winning this year’s Grammy award for Best Metal Performance, Ghost is back at it again topping the rock album charts with their new EP, Popestar. And this one is peculiar, considering it’s made up of one original song and four covers.

Popestar opens with Ghost original “Square Hammer,” which sets a captivating tone for the five-song set. It’s similar to ’70s Blue Öyster Cult and is a fantastic entry point for anyone who’s normally scared off by the metal genre.

As for the covers, Ghost does a good job of bringing some lesser-known ’80s gems into the modern era with the inclusion of heavier guitars and an organ. Both “Nocturnal Me” and “I Believe,” in this critic’s opinion, surpass the originals, even if “I Believe,” which sounds eerily similar to Paul Banks of Interpol, can get a little boring. Ghost doesn’t do as good a job with “Missionary Man” and “Bible.” They’re both great songs, but don’t quite capture the original magic that Eurythmics and Imperiet had.

Popestar is a sound experiment that Ghost should consider adopting for future albums. Fans will love it, and people unfamiliar with Ghost may consider becoming fans.

• Album: Popestar
• Artist: Ghost
• Label: Loma Vista Recordings
• Songs: (1) Square Hammer (2) Nocturnal Me (3) I Believe (4) Missionary Man (5) Bible