Easily one of the best albums in the last 5 years. I love the whole aesthetic and direction the band went. It's everything.
It's a great, great album. And I might like Impera even more - regardless, these guys basically can do no wrong
I don't necessarily care too much about the schtick, although I agree that the thought that goes in the aesthetic and the "story" is pretty cool. But my point is that the quality of their songs, and the craft that goes into it, absolutely speaks for itself, even if you took away the whole Ghost "lore".
My favorite album of theirs might be Meliora, but I'm not even sure. They always had a "pop" sensibility in their songwriting (although I should probably say "his" in all of this, since it really is Forge...), but I think since they've embraced it more fully they kinda went next level. It's incredibly
good and catchy songwriting, from someone that has a genuine love for classic rock and metal (or so it seems to me)