Ghost's Skeletá Debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart

It's a big week for heavy music on the Billboard Canada charts. Skeletá, the new album from theatrical Swedish band Ghost, has debuted at No. 2

Skeletá, the new album from theatrical Swedish band Ghost has debuted at No. 2 on this week's Billboard Canadian Albums chart for the week of May 10.

That's a big deal for a heavy band like Ghost, though it's not quite as high a placement as on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart, where the album debuted at No. 1 - the first time a hard rock album has hit the top spot in four years.

In Canada, the album falls one behind The Weeknd's The Highlights, which is spending its second consecutive week at No. 1. Originally released in 2021 slightly before his Super Bowl halftime performance, the greatest hits album has been a juggernaut in The Weeknd's native Canada. It's now spent seven weeks at No. 1 (tied with Starboy for his longest-leading album) and 220 total weeks on the Canadian Albums chart.

Still, Ghost's No. 2 debut is a major milestone for the band of skeletons. There seems to be an appetite for theatrical heavy rock bands in general on the charts this week.

Sleep Token have debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 this week. The English band, who also wear masks and reveal very little about their real-life identities, have hit No. 69 on the May 10 chart with their new song Damocles. It's the third single from their upcoming major label album Even In Arcadia, which comes out this Friday (May 9) via RCA.

Sleep Token have been unexpectedly popular, with a meteoric rise over the last year. Damocles addresses that, with introspective lyrics that address the pressure of fame and their relationship with music and their audience. "Well, I know I should be touring, I know these chords are boring," sings leader Vessel. "But I can't always be killing the game...What if the diamond days are all gone?"

It's a plaintive and gorgeous piano ballad for the first half of the song, which might seem discordant while looking at the heavily stylized, extremely metal press photo of Vessel holding a sword. Shortly after the two-minute mark, though, the chugging and distorted guitars and blasting drums come in. The varied dynamics and heartfelt emotion give the song a far-reaching quality, which may explain some of the crossover success. At times, the song sounds closer to this week's No. 1 - Alex Warren's anthemic folk-pop hit Ordinary - than you might expect.

No new songs are challenging for the top spot just yet. The top 5 this week is made up entirely of songs that have hit No. 1 or 2, including Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club at No. 2 (still the song's peak), Shaboozey's record-breaking A Bar Song (Tipsy) at No. 3, ROSÉ and Bruno Mars' APT. at No. 4 and Gracie Abrams' That's So True at No. 5. Maybe it will take something heavy to unlodge them.

Find all of Billboard Canada's charts here.