The Fillmore was sold out this past Saturday in Charlotte as the mystery and mystique of the Swedish metal band Ghost rolled into town for a stop on the Popestar Tour. As I approached the venue, the crowd was lined up around the block with many fans in costume and facepaint. The aura of anticipation was quite intense as everyone waited for the band to hit the stage.
Ghost is one of the most theatrical bands on the metal scene today with the visual aspect of the show as important as the music. The concept is based on the Roman Catholic Church but with an evil spin. Lead vocalist Papa Emeritus III is dressed in a religious Pope outfit but of the unholy variety with skull facepaint. Anonymity is part of the draw as the musicians are only known as the Nameless Ghouls and wear matching outfits with demonesque maks to conceal their identity. They are meant instead to represent the 5 elements of fire, water, wind, earth, and ether (omega). Smoke and heavy incense filled the arena as the crew members prepared the stage bowing as one would before an altar as classical church music played. The crowd was in a frenzy as the lights dimmed and the band members began taking the stage. The drummer and keyboard player were on risers on opposite ends of the stage and a center staircase led down to the lower level. On top of the stairs, frontman Papa Emeritus III took the stage as the band kicked things off with the lead single from their new “Popestar” EP, “Square Hammer.” Although Ghost is classified as metal and claim to be influenced by black metal, their music has a real progressive rock feel to it. The musical talent of the Nameless Ghouls is top notch with brilliant guitar work and keyboard runs. The vocals of Papa Emeritus III were on point and he sounded great as he led the band through one of their biggest hits “From The Pinnacle To The Pit.” During “Body and Blood,” Papa introduced two quite unholy nuns as the Sisters of Satan complete with an Unholy Communion. The background of the stage was lit up with a Satanic figure in a Pentagram in the middle and other anti-religious symbols on the sides with a churchy stained glass look to them. At times, the eerie visuals seem out of touch with the music as some of the songs, particularly “He Is,” are quite beautiful which to me only added to the enigmatic feel of the evening. My favorite part of the set was an adrenaline fueled performance of “Mummy Dust” complete with confetti cannons which also spewed out Ghost dollar bills. The band closed their set with “Ritual” before returning for an encore of “Mostrance Clock.”
Rock and roll has always been about pushing the boundaries and nobody on the scene today is doing it better than Ghost. They are truly a complete package with excellent songs, super talented musicians, and a live show that will knock you out of your seat. To see a Ghost show is more than just a concert, it is a truly unique experience that should not be missed. Be sure to check out Ghost on the Popestar tour when they bring their evil Mass to your town.
Set List:
Meserere mei, Deus (Gregorio Allegri, taped intro)
Masked Ball (Jocelyn Pook, taped intro)
Square Hammer
From The Pinnacle To The Pit
Secular Haze
Con Clavi Con Dio
Per Asperi Ad Inferni
Body and Blood
Devil Church
Cirice
Year Zero
Spoksonat (taped interlude)
He Is
Absolution
Mummy Dust
Ghuleh/Zombie Queen
Ritual
Encore:
Monstrance Clock
The Host of Seraphim (taped outro)
We would like to thank Peter Quinn from BB Gun Press for the credentials to review the show.
