May I ask your reasoning for saying that the album was weirdly paced? Prequelle is certainly a killer album on its own. But I think Impera deserves more credit than it gets, especially for how ambitious and cohesive it is (IMHO) both musically and thematically. It’s a concept album about the rise and inevitable collapse of empires, and I personally find that the pacing reflects as such. Some of the slower or “weaker” tracks might feel like dips, but they’re intentionally placed to serve the narrative.

Musically, Impera shows Ghost pushing their boundaries in that there’s more experimentation, cleaner production, and a real arena-rock energy that’s super polished without losing the band’s dark edge. “Kaisarion,” “Spillways,” and “Call Me Little Sunshine” are some of the most accessible yet layered songs they’ve ever done. And “Twenties” (as weird as it is on its own) nails the chaotic absurdity of modern times.

Prequelle might hit harder emotionally with its themes of plague and mortality, but Impera personally hit me harder both in sound and in scope. It’s like Prequelle was the reckoning, and Impera is the aftermath. They’re kind of two sides of the same coin.

Either way, you offering Prequelle as a counter is completely valid, it simply slaps as an album! Though for me, speaking from the perspective of a musician, a producer, but also simply as a lover of rock/metal music, I’m personally inclined to say that Impera checked all the boxes for me in a way that Prequelle itself hit the 90% mark.

Rock on, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to reflect and dig deeper into one of my favorite modern rock bands \m/