The goals of Ghost are simple. The mysterious Swedish six piece are looking to spread the message of “unholy gospel” by tricking mankind into believing the end is ultimately a good thing via the popular rock music medium. While they are not the first, nor the last group of metal musicians from Scandinavia setting out to share the message of Satan, they may very well have the best chance of breaking out of the metal underground and into the American consciousness.
The band’s debut album Opus Eponymous is a daringly fascinating combination of Satanic rock music merged with an unthinkable pop sensibility. Ghost is black metal at its most original and deceiving apex. Where many mortals would shy away from the sinister and very non-commercial sounds of Black Metal, Ghost comes at you sounding like the bastard child of King Diamond and Blue Öyster Cult. The group’s combination of pulsating riffs and lush vocal harmonies are specifically designed to penetrate your mind and stay stuck in your head for days at a time. Hell, these guys have managed to make The Beatles uplifting classic Here Comes The Sun and turn it into the soundtrack of the underworld.
Check out the video for Ritual below:
The band is fronted by vocalist Papa Emeritus, a towering figure who looks a lot like the Pope. That is of course if the Pope was a devil worshiping black metal superstar. Further adding to the mystery that is Ghost, the remaining band members (2 guitarists, bassist, keys and drums) are known only as the Nameless Ghouls. Covered by medieval cloaks, their name and appearance are unknown to the general public thus allowing the listener to focus on the messages found within the lyrics.
With successful appearances on the 2011 European Festival Circuit, many of metals top stars have jumped aboard the Ghost bandwagon. Metallica front man James Hetfield was interviewed by a Swedish media agency decked out in a Ghost shirt while speaking very highly of the group. Phil Anselmo took the love a step further by inviting a few of the Nameless Ghouls out on stage to close out Down’s 2011 Download Festival set. Also decked out in a Ghost T-shirt, Anselmo even went as far as changing the name of the song from Bury Me In Smoke to Bury Me In Ghost.
For those who missed Ghost on their just completed inaugural trek of America you are in luck. Papa Emeritus and the Nameless Ghouls are set to return this spring serving as the opening act for the just announced Opeth/Mastodon co-headline tour. For more on Ghost, make sure to check out their official website.
14 Comments
Not quite what I was expecting, sounds like Journey. Not my bag but good luck to them and their army of 16 year old fans who will probably grow out of them fast. At least it isn’t some fag in a mask screaming fuck and drinking pigs blood.
Oh look the Sasha Grey article is linked just above, might just have another read and fap myself raw.
yep, so so. not that much black metal in there anyways, more poppy sh*t it seems but I’ll definitely get there early to check them with mastopeth.
Every fucking track is killer. If you don’t love this you suck.
Amen. I can’t wait to watch these guys win over the large crowds they will play in front of when they open for Mastodon/Opeth.
Does the live set have the usual theatrics that tend to go with these kind of bands? It’s always fun seeing some guy dressed as the pope singing about the black arts.
The rest of the band dress in these monk type outfits which is pretty cool. However the highlight of the show I saw a few days ago was Papa E passing out communion to the front row.
Communion you say, a euphemism for ejaculating into the mouths of the front row?
Arggggg. I want to like them but I cant.
Why can’t you like them?
[…] month, the Heritage Hunter tour has delighted crowds across North America. With the triple team of Ghost, Mastodon and Opeth the lineup is a dream come true for fans of progressively heavy music. However […]
Good article, though the band isn’t “black metal” in any sense of the word. That’s an actual genre with particular characteristics.
[…] this year we introduced you to the band Ghost. While our introduction may have been a bit late to the most hardcore of metal heads […]
[…] hate this album as it reaches too far into the mainstream as it fails to feature enough of what made us rant and rave about these mysterious men in the first place. For mainstream America, the shocking imagery and […]
Although I am Christian (and I do believe I was sent to Earth by God for a reason) they have some kick-ass metal music, not even gonna lie.