By Isabella Ardetto, Contributor

[Loma Vista Recordings; 2025]

Rating: 9/10

Papa V is finally here! After months of waiting, a glimpse of the new frontman for Ghost has been revealed in the band’s newest offering, “Satanized.” Out with the old and in with the new is the creative model for Tobias Forge, mastermind behind the Swedish Occult band. Each album features a new frontman persona and this one’s debut single leaves much to anticipate as the new era of Ghost approaches.

“Satanized” feels like Forge picked out the best aspects of his previous albums and frankensteined it into one song. It’s the classic Ghost fans have come to love but manages to feel and sound completely new all the same, a phenomenon the band is particularly good at achieving. We’ve got spooky biblical chants in Latin, mind-possessing choruses and, of course, loads of blasphemy and sacrilege galore, but now with a shift to a more classic rock feel than their typical metal sound.

Read more: Album Review: Killswitch Engage – This Consequence

Thematically, the song details the narrator succumbing to a darkness within him, falling prey to satanic urges as he’s taunted by backup singers whispering “Blasphemy / Heresy!” only pushing him to fall deeper into his moral plight. In an interview with Brent Porche of WMMR radio, Forge details the single further, explaining that the song explores “a religious person who confuses the feeling of being in love with being possessed by, you know, some unearthly being from another dimension, possessing, in this case, his soul and tearing it apart.” 

In terms of lyrics, “Satanized” leans heavily into Ghost’s trademark satanic lines, but with a shift from singing the Evil One’s praises to a more introspective reflection on the struggle between sin and salvation. “Save me from the monster that is eating me / I’m paralyzed / Blasphemy, heresy / Save me, from the bottom of my heart I know / I’m Satanized” is a repeated verse that stood out to me particularly. While the lyrics are catchy, they are a bit simpler than other lyrics in previous Ghost songs so hopefully there will be more complexity heard in the next album.

The song was supplemented with a music video, a theatrical and over-the-top display per usual for the band’s music videos, which also served to reveal the newest frontman character—Papa V Perpetua. The end of the video also teased fans with the words “To be continued” in reference to the newly announced album Skeletá which releases on April 25. Fans can also purchase tickets to the upcoming “Skeletour” here.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/5yt7aRlPMFdsLulfqBYDsc?utm_source=generator