I first started listening to Ghost a few days ago (I had heard the name and had seen pictures of them before, but for whatever reason never looked them up), but now I am in love with them.
It is my guess that their over-the-top lyrics and imagery are an exaggerated act, in the same vein as Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, etc. They are out to entertain, as well as make people think. The fact that Papa Emeritus I/II is the very antithesis of a Roman Catholic pope (hailing and praising Satan) makes me happy.
Now, I'm not saying that their "beliefs" are the same/similar to mine, but I love music and entertainment, and I love when bands have very "over-the-top" acts. In my opinion, expressing yourself/your art how you want without worrying about what people think is very important. Whether or not they actually believe what the lyrics in their songs state is of no concern to me, although I appreciate them for exactly what they are.
But that is not the reason why I am now a big fan of this band. The reason I like them is because they are good. They have that sort of retro progressive sound, but they still sound modern. Many have compared them to Blue Oyster Cult, or more specifically their sound in Don't Fear the Reaper, and I can't lie by saying I don't hear that as well.
Ghost's guitars (riffs and solos), drums, and overall instrumentation are very good, and I love the fact that the sound coming out of this band is not what I expected when reading about their content or seeing pictures of them.
Ghost is definitely a new favorite of mine, and if you like good music, I would give them a listen.
Video: Secular Haze from Ghost's album Infestissumam.