Swedish metal lords Ghost are at the top of their satanic doom and gloom game in 2017. Lead singer and founder Tobias Forge—who performs as Papa Emeritus and is the driving force behind the band—continues to evolve the group’s sound and lineup. Rumor has it that the evil priest did some demon cleaning earlier this year by firing and replacing the entire band. While no one really seems to know the truth as the “nameless ghouls” go to great lengths to hide their identities, what I saw was apparently the third show with the new lineup and these ghouls didn’t miss a beat.
This was my first time seeing Ghost live and I have to say that this is a very special band. If you see a photo of Ghost before you hear their music, their image alone would make you think that they are burn the priest style, hard core death metal. But they are not, actually nothing of the sort. They are more of an early Black Sabbath or Pentagram from the ’70s, but with a much bigger sound. Think Phil Spector producing Sabbath with a hint of Type O Negative and Clutch. It’s a truly unique sound—and that’s the best I can do to convey this in words.
I love a band that has the balls to open up their set with their current “hit” in the form of the brilliant “Square Hammer.” There’s a sense of confidence in that they needn’t save this one for the encore like countless other bands do just to ensure that the crowd sticks around for the entire show. That’s not the case with a Ghost show as they have several stellar records to choose from which fill a nearly two-hour set. Highlights included the Grammy Award winning “Cirice” which has one of the greatest riffs in doom metal history, “From the Pinnacle to the Pit,” and the hauntingly gorgeous “He Is.”
Add the imagery, the theatrics, and whole lot of evil mystique and you have one of the best shows on the planet at the moment. The show had been sold out for months and it was virtually impossible to get a ticket—and then once inside, every square inch of the massive theater was jammed with super fans. It was one hell of a show and one that I would love to see again this summer. In the meantime, I’ll stick to Popestar on repeat until the new record drops in August.
Ghost will begin recording its fourth full-length album in August after the band returns home from a North American tour with Iron Maiden.
Check out hi-res shots from the show in the gallery here.
