A lot’s gone on in the Ghost camp since their last album, Meloria. Not only did they win a Grammy, but they’ve also gotten their first #1 song at rock radio with “Square Hammer” (which just wrapped up a second week at the top), and will be hitting the road this Summer with Iron Maiden. What’s that mean for their next album? Well, they’re not talking THAT much about it yet in terms of when it will be out or if it’s going to be as poppy as “Square Hammer” is, but in an interview with Full Metal Jackie, a Nameless Ghoul suggested it might be.

Commercial doesn’t necessarily mean they only write songs only to sell records. It’s basically — you want to play music that works well with a bigger crowd. Like, physically and you want it to sound good in a big room. I’m sure that’s why the ‘Black Album’ sounds different from …And Justice For All, because all of a sudden then were playing these big, boomy arenas and when you play — I love hearing “Battery” or their thrashiest songs ever, but Enter Sandman sounds way better and bigger in an arena. It’s a natural way. You hear that on Maiden as well. As soon as they started getting bigger, the songs started getting straighter and it just worked in a bigger environment.

Thematically, however, the Ghoul says the album will be darker: 

Let’s just say that it’s a continuation of Meliora, but it’s sort of a response. I’ve used the word “pre-apocalyptic” on Meliora. It’s sort of the hide [height? -Ed.] of civilization. It’s the symbolism, just look at the cover. It’s sky risers, everything. You don’t even see the ground. It’s all covered and built material. Obviously there has to be an end to that. So there will be a call and response. The next album will be the response to that. So if there was an absence of a God, there might be a return of a deity, which usually comes in horrible forms. So it will be a darker album.

Judging from what the band said, they’re pretty far into recording the album, and we’ll definitely be hearing something from them this year. The question is whether it will be before the band hits the road with Iron Maiden or after.