On 1.30.2012 Ghost first arrived to Seattle at El Corazon club. I remember the little crowd there of fans like myself mesmerized by Ghost's debut album "Opus Eponymous" and crazy band imagery. I mean they were just starting out so the budget was low, but the music was so powerful. I knew there was something special there with the idea and delivery. Click here to see video.
Well here we were a near decade to the day later on 1.30.2022 and Ghost were playing Climate Pledge Arena. The success with each tour cycle since that first album has been chronicled easily in the Seattle market. 1.30.12 - El Corazon, 4.30.12 - Showbox Sodo, 4.27.13 - Showbox Market. 10.20.15 - El Corazon, 10.14.16 - Moore Theatre, 9.19.19 WaMu Theatre and after a two year world pandemic coming back bigger than ever 1.27.22 in the new Climate Pledge Arena. What an incredible rare feat for a rock band from Sweden to break it in America like Ghost have done.
With a couple radio hits backed on-air by KISW 99.9FM with "Cirice" and "Rats" the band has really made Seattle one of its biggest markets. With a new album "Impera" releasing March 11, 2022, Ghost is currently riding the singles of "Hunters Moon" (featured in the movie "Halloween Kills") and the current catchy "Call Me Little Sunshine", I think this is the year the band breaks into the real big time!
I've been too and seen many great rock concerts over my 4 decades of shows and let me tell ya, Papa Emeritus IV and Ghost put on one hell of entertaining and worth every penny people spent to see the band in a big arena setting. We're talking near Iron Maiden show-like territory. I lost count how many times Papa Emeritus IV changed outfits to go hand in hand with certain songs. Since the band was co-headling with Volbeat, the setlist was a little shorter with 15 songs. Kaisarion/Rats/From the Pinnacle to the Pit/Mary on a Cross/Devil Church/Cirice/Hunter's Moon/Faith/Helvetesfönster/Year Zero/Ritual/Mummy Dust/Enter Sandman (Metallica cover)/Dance Macabre/Square Hammer.
Some fans wondered why they would cover a Metallica tune in their set. Ghost was one of the 53-artists that did a Metallica cover on the "Metallica Blacklist" album. A celebration tribute to 30 years of the "Black Album". Volbeat was also on the album so at each concert Ghost was selling a limited edition double 7-inch vinyl featuring each of the band’s contributions to The Blacklist album. Proceeds from the show vinyl sales are split between "The All Within My Hands Foundation" and charities of the bands choice which for Ghost was "Camp Aranu’tiq" and for Volbeat the "Børne Cancer Foundation".
With the new album forwarded hundreds of years from the 14th century Europe Black Plague era matter of their previous album "Prequelle", the Nameless Ghouls (aka band) looked their part with the crazy oxygen helmet masks. The new Papa Emeritus IV was a character throughout the show, interacting with the crowd with some tongue and cheek entertainment and laughs. Total front-man for the ages.
No one left this show thinking Ghost didn't give it their all. The future of rock is here and Ghost is gonna lay down the square hammer on the world! The U.S. tour with Volbeat and Twin Temple goes through March 3. Tour dates can be seen here at https://ghost-official.com/#tour - Visit https://ghost-official.com to buy the new album, merch and stay up-to-date with future U.S. headline tour dates after the new album release. The party is just beginning for Ghost in 2022!
