It’s a sunny Easter Sunday when I leave for a trek up the M5 to attend a ritual with probably the most talked about rock band in modern times: Ghost.

The name Ghost sparks many conversations with the metal puritans. “They are not metal”, “they are just a novelty band”. This scribe feels very strongly that Ghost, or in essence, their leader Tobias Forge, has done more to keep the genre of heavy metal viable and relevant than any of the other bands that are snapping at their heels: Sleep Token et al.

Their last 2 albums, Prequelle and Impera are among my most played albums of the last few years. Their live album Rite Here Rite Now which accompanies the amazing film of the same name is up there with any classic live album you may care to mention. The full power of the band is in their live performance as I found out in a fully sold out Utilita Arena in the birthplace of heavy metal, Birmingham.

The band have been teasing us with a few singles/videos from their latest album Skeleta which is unleashed to the world on April 25^th. The songs Satanized and Lachryma are already part of the congregations DNA. Catchy, poppy but still powerful with Forge’s masterful lyrical content that ropes the listener in after only an initial listen, makes the new material feel like it’s always been there. We also witness the introduction of a brand-new leader of the Clergy with the fantastically named Papa V Perpetua who has taken over from the fan favourite Papa Emeritus IV.

Tonight’s set list relies heavily on material from the bands masterful Meliora album. We get a new track to begin the ritual though: Peacefield kicks off proceedings with a bang, next up we have Lachryma, the band sound truly amazing, the visuals are incredibly well done. The huge screen behind the band changes with every song to portray every track to it’s fullest potential. You don’t know where to look, there is so much going on onstage. The nameless Ghouls need to be given as much credit as Forge. They are outstanding musicians and playing in their outfits must be a challenge. The volume is insane, fucking loud!!

Perpetua isn’t as chatty as his predecessor, but he still whips up the crowd with his witty banter and constant costume changes. We get the fantastic Spirit, Faith (from Prequelle), Majesty, and the brilliant The Future Is a Foreign Land. The no phones policy is proving to be a triumph. I take time to look around at the audience and everyone is engrossed in the band’s performance. It really is a wonderful atmosphere. We get more bangers from Meliora, Devil Church and the wonderful Cirice before an odd choice from Prequelle, Darkess at the Heart of My Love, I mean, it’s a great song but there are so many better tracks on that album, my only gripe!

 Satanized sounds brilliant and the crowd sing every word. The guitars sound so much crunchier live. Ritual from the band’s debut album Opus Eponymous sounds sooo much heavier here. We get another new song from Skeleta: Umbra, there’s some serious keyboard dynamics from Ghoulette Aurora with some answering guitars from Sodo. I must mention drummer Mountain who sounds incredible. His thunderous beats keep the band together and kick you in the guts constantly.

We get more fan favourites including Year Zero which has the most amazing visual backdrop, He Is, Rats, Kiss the Go – Goat, Mummy Dust (with its standard confetti bombs) and Monstrance Clock end the main set explosively.

V introduces the encores: Mary on a Cross, Dance Macabre, and Square Hammer. The place goes insane. This is a true masterclass in showmanship, musicianship and Forge and the Ghost entourage show why they are the true kings of metal in 2025. Truly astonishing.

Author: Kenny Kendrick