If one had any questions about Ghost and Volbeat’s rapid ascent to rock super-stardom, those doubts were quickly extinguished on Thursday night in front of a full house at the Honda Center in Anaheim. From start to finish, this show was jam packed with all the prerequisites necessary for a top-notch metal performance including a Superbowl worthy stage show, ridiculously talented bands, and of course a crowd of rabid fans ready to party all-night long.
I circled this concert on my calendar when the co-headlining tour with Ghost and Volbeat was announced (and for some reason that seemed like a lifetime ago). Many probably thought (as I did) that the show might not actually go off due to continued covid cancellations throughout the music industry. Fortunately for me, as well as the thousands of loyal fans who purchased tickets, the show did go on. For nearly 4 full hours, the masses gathered from all over Southern California to rock out to three of their favorite bands and ended up being one incredible night of pure metal mayhem.
Kicking off the evening’s festivities was Twin Temple, an up-and-coming band from Los Angeles. Led by Alexandra and Zachary James, this “Satanic Doo-Wop” group had the distinct pleasure of firing up the crowd in Anaheim and did so in fine fashion. They only played six songs, but man were they killer. Crowd favorites from the evening were “Sex Magick” and “Satan’s a Woman,” although I gravitated towards the cult-classic, “Let’s Have a Satanic Orgy.” Overall, Twin Temple’s set was a cool departure from the same-old-same-old and provided fans a much-needed change in scenery in the crazy times we live. “Hail Twin Temple, Hail Satan!”
Next up on the docket were international rock superstars, Volbeat. Fronted by singer and rhythm guitarist Michael Poulsen, this killer Danish quartet fired on all cylinders throughout a blistering 16-song set that pleased even the pickiest of Volbeat fans. Launching into “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown,” Poulsen—along with Jon Larsen on drums, Rob Caggiano on lead guitar, and Kaspar Boye-Larsen on bass—sounded incredible and demonstrated their incredible stage presence throughout a highly energetic performance. My favorites from the evening included “Seal the Deal” and “Doc Holliday,” while the fan favorite ended up being their encore, “Still Counting.” And by the sheer number of “assholes in the room,” Poulsen and Company were “definitely not alone” on Thursday night.
Now onto the main attraction, Ghost. It was Papa Emeritus IV’s birthday on Thursday, and he (along with the Nameless Ghouls) celebrated in fine fashion in front of a now packed house at the Honda Center. Scanning the crowd, it was clear that fans from all over the world turned out in force to see what ended up being a true metal spectacle. The setlist was broad and covered Ghost’s entire history starting way back in 2006 from Opus Eponymous all the way to their upcoming release, Impera. Although I absolutely dug the entire set on Thursday, my favorite performances of the night were “Ritual,” “Cirice,” and “Square Hammer.”
When the “Mummy Dust” finally settled, it was clear from the ear-to-ear smiles that filed out of the arena that something special had just been witnessed. I’m just glad I was there to partake in all the ghoulish delight.
GHOST
VOLBEAT
TWIN TEMPLE
