Ghost are one of rock’s most awe-inspiring phenomena, and they have been for years. Still, 2025’s SKELETÁ hoisted the Swedish ghouls to a new level of acclaim.
As with past releases, the record found the occult-rock unit introducing fans to a new dynamic vocalist, this time in the form of Papa V Perpetua. While his emergence stoked envy within the Clergy, Perpetua’s fully-Satanized tenor also wowed fans throughout the group’s most recent world tour. He’s in top form on the recordings, too, and so are the rest of Ghost’s nameless ghouls — and the mastery of their craft propelled SKELETÁ to the top of the charts.
To say the least, there’s still plenty of meat on SKELETÁ’s bones, so we asked our readers to weigh in on which songs serve greatness the most. These were your picks, ranked accordingly.
“Cenotaph”
Ghost sat “at the top of the mountain” when SKELETÁ debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 last spring, the first rock album to have done so since 2020. “Cenotaph” is one of the many cuts that helped its inevitable ascent, and it’s continued to be a modern-day favorite for the followers.
“Cenotaph” is memorable for its crunchy gallop, a tapping solo that hurricanes through the speakers, and Perpetua’s joyfully reflective and tributary tenor (“Wherever I go, you’re always there/Riding next to me”).
Lore-wise, the December-delivered music video — wherein Frater Imperator daydreams of riding motorcycles around LA with his late mother, Sister Imperator — hits different now, considering Ghost’s most recent cliffhanger Chapter suggests that their former frontman may have taken a permanent vacation from the Clergy.
“Peacefield”
“This is what dreams are made of.”
A glorious start to the Perpetua era, SKELETÁ’s opening “Peacefield” proposes that the “dawn of prosperity” has arrived. And sure enough, the track is loaded with the good stuff — think melodic metal guitarmonizing as bright as starlight and gleefully over-the-top vocal layers that’d make the guys in Kansas blush.
We all need something to believe in, and many readers put their faith in Ghost’s “Peacefield.”
“Umbra”
Guess what? Revolver readers have a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell.
Indeed, the star of “Umbra” is the nameless ghoul absolutely hammering the holy hell out of that cowbell — SKELETÁ’s penultimate bang-out just wouldn’t be the same without it.
At the same time, it’s not like Perpetua is standing deep in the shadow of the Nazarene on this hot-under-the-clerical-collar jam. He definitely puts all of his love into the vocal performance with determined passion.
“So thrilling,” to say the least.
“De Profundis Borealis”
Is SKELETÁ centerpiece “De Profundis Borealis” sitting right where it belongs in this poll, as the second greatest feat off the occult-rock outfit’s sixth studio LP? A topic to be debated amongst the faithful for years to come, we’d reckon, but many readers came out to salute this one this week.
While it begins with a super chill classical piano motif, “De Profundis Borealis” is still the fastest song on the record by a wide margin, propelling itself with an on-the-beat, pulse-quickening slam.
Its lyrics reflect a great spiritual chill, yet the song’s anthemic drive has warmed the hearts of many.
“Lachryma”
Everybody knew this would come out on top, right?
After popping up as one of 2025’s greatest tracks in a fan poll last year, “Lachryma” has now come through as the choicest cut off SKELETÁ, per our readers. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, “Lachryma” is one for the ages, a song expertly weaving Eighties-era metal riffage with Ghost’s signature ghoulish popcraft. It’s one of their best tracks, across the board, and it’s damn-near perfect.
It’s been just over a year since we’ve been blasting “Lachryma,” and the sweet has yet to go sour. This one’s still a hit.