Ghost first appeared on my radar when I saw them live at a festival, it may have been Download, or it may have been Sonisphere? Anyway…I didn’t really get them. I thought they were a little bit like Kiss, the image and the music don’t sit well together. I heard the odd song here and there; I loved the track Ritual from their debut ‘Opus Eponymous’ but didn’t really explore them much further at the time. It was with the release of the Rats video from 2018’s Prequelle that I really started to sit up and take notice of Papa and the boys. That album is never too far away from my turntable or CD player, it really is an exquisite piece of work, ‘Dance Macabre’ should have been a worldwide hit for the band, it’s their ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You‘! I then delved deeper into Ghost’s back catalogue and loved it all. There really is no denying Tobias Forge’s genius, and I genuinely feel that Ghost is one of the only bands around now that can take the reigns from the old guard and headline big shows and festivals.

I did of course wonder how they could ever top the Prequelle album, it really is their ‘Master of Puppets’ or ‘Led Zeppelin IV‘. The first glimpse of the new material was sprung on us last October with the first single and video ‘Hunter’s Moon’ which was included on the soundtrack to ‘Halloween Kills’, (I waited for the end credits in the cinema to hear it in all its glory). While it’s a decent enough track, it does feel a little bit like Forge just phoned it in.

Next single ‘Call Me Little Sunshine’, however, is Ghost doing what they do best. Atmospheric, heavy when it needs to be and downright catchy. The video is great too. Let’s get to the new album then! ‘Impera’ is Ghost’s fifth studio album, and it gives us twelve new tracks to get our teeth into. Opener ‘Imperium’ is an atmospheric instrumental leading into ‘Kaisarion’ which jumps out of the speakers with abandon. A brilliant, up-tempo song with some superb guitar work from whichever of the latest ghouls are crunching the fretboards.

Spillways’ is next up, it really shows us the vocal acrobatics that Forge is capable of, he has a fantastic range. Another ear worm of a song with a keyboard riff that isn’t a million miles away from Bon Jovi’s ‘Runaway’!Watcher In The Sky’ kicks off with a riff that George Lynch would be proud of, some lovely crunchy accents combined with another memorable chorus make this a real stand out track. Twenties is my favourite track on the album as I write this, just purely bonkers, it shouldn’t work but it works perfectly. A combination of prog, metal, and pop with some hilarious lyrics: We’ll be grabbing em’ all by the hoo – has. It’s just so damn catchy! Darkness ‘At The Heart Of My Love’ is one of those power ballads that Forge churns out effortlessly. It should be a major hit. Honestly, if Ghost could get mainstream airplay, I’m sure they would be huge, such is the quality of their songs. Griftwood sounds like something that would sit perfectly on a Ratt or Van Halen album from the 80s. I can imagine it on a montage from a Rocky film. The album closes with the epic ‘Respite On The Spitalfields’, a sprawling, atmospheric beast that enters a myriad of musical styles.

A solid album with everything thrown at bar the kitchen sink! Is ‘Impera’ as good as ‘Prequelle’? Not yet…But there’s still time.

Buy Here

Author: Kenny Kendrick

Swedens Ghost have returned with their first new song in two years & announced a string of arena dates – listen to ‘Hunter’s Moon’ below and links for tickets

Ghost will perform at the AO Arena in Manchester on April 9, with gigs following at London’s O2 Arena (April 11), Glasgow’s OVO Hydro (13) and Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena (15).

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats and Twin Temple will support the band at the upcoming concerts. Tickets are on general sale – purchase yours from here.

APRIL 2022
9 – AO Arena, Manchester
11– The O2 Arena, London
13 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
15 – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

Ghost will then play in Rotterdam (April 17), Paris (18), Prague (24), Oslo (30), Brussels (May 3), Madrid (8), Vienna (11) and other European cities before wrapping up the tour in Budapest on May 18, 2022. See the full schedule here.

Arriving last month, ‘Hunter’s Moon’ was recorded by Ghost for the Halloween sequel ‘Halloween Kills’ and the band has announced they will begin on their new album set for a release in 2022.

Some of the writers managed to send in their list of the top ten live shows they went to in 2019.  they attended hundreds of shows all over the place via trains, planes and automobiles.  On another day I’m sure these lists would change many times over.  RPM Online supports Rock and Roll and loves a live show and as you browse through the lists there are many genres covered as well as some familiar suspects there are many new entries this year.  We’d love to take this opportunity to thank all the bands who toured and played shows all over the UK and continue to do so, All the festivals that supported independent music from Rebellion Festivals and Camden Rocks to Steelhouse Festival in South Wales and all the festivals around Europe and wider thank you.  Continue to look after independent Rock and Roll and help it thrive and reach a wider audience if you want to get involved get in touch we always welcome fresh eyes and ears to spread the word: rpmonlinetcb@yahoo.com

 

 

Leigh Fuge 


John Mayer –  02 Arena London

Ryan Roxie –  The Asylum, Birmingham

Michael Monroe –  The Fleece, Bristol

The Cult –  University Great Hall, Cardiff

Kenny Wayne Shepherd –  City Hall, Salisbury

Kiss –  The Arena, Birmingham

Alice Cooper –  Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Paul Gilbert –  The Fleece, Bristol

The Wildhearts  – The Tramshed, Cardiff

FM & The Quireboys  – The Globe, Cardiff

Nev Brooks 
Pulled Apart By Horses – Newport Le Pub (Reviewed Here)

Primal Scream –  Great Hall Cardiff

Alice Cooper, MC50, The Stranglers – Motorpoint Arena Cardiff

Nick Cave – Millenium Centre Cardiff

Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bar Stool Preachers – O2 Bristol

The Hip Priests, DC Spectres, Deathtraps – Le Pub Newport

The Wildhearts, Towers Of London – SWX Bristol

Wonk Unit – Drogonfly Pontypool

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – Sin City Swansea

Holy Holy – Tramshed Cardiff

 

 Gareth Hooper
Duncan Reid, Cyanide Pills, Bruno – Louisiana Bristol

Ginger & The Sinners – St John’s church Cardiff

Clowns, BBSC – The Exchange Bristol

Amyl And The Sniffers – Louisiana Bristol

Rich Ragany & The Digressions, The Speedways, More Kicks, The Spangles – The Blackheart London

The Wildhearts, Janus Stark – Komedia Bath

The Hip Priests – Le Pub Newport

Bar Stool Preachers, Rich Ragany & The Digressions – Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff

Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind – Jacs Aberdare

The Stray Cats, Selector, The Living End – Hammersmith Eventime London

Johnny Hayward
Bar Stool Preachers, Rich Ragany & The Digressions, Social Experiment –  Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff (Reviewed Here)

The Hip Priests, Rotten Foxes, Flash House, Glitter Piss –  The Pipeline, Brighton

Rebellion Festival 2019 – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

Jim Jones & The Righteous Minds, Heavy Flames, Deathtraps –  Jacs, Aberdare

Death By Unga Bunga, Seek Warmth –  Hy Brasil, Bristol

Dboy, The Vega Bodegas, Nigel –  Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

The Stray Cats, The Selector, The Living End –  Hammersmith Apollo, London

Grave Pleasures – The Fleece, Bristol

Pulled Apart By Horses, Baba Naga, Dactyl Terra –  Le Pub, Newport

Clowns, Broken Bones Gentleman’s Club, Glug – The Exchange, Bristol

Fraser Munro
Adam Ant – St Davids Hall Cardiff

Kiss – Kiss Kruise, Miami

Michael Monroe, Electric Eel Shock – The Fleece, Briatol

The Hip Priests – The Drippers, Deathtraps – JT Soar, Nottingham

Alice Cooper, MC50, Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Turbonecro, The Hip Priests – The Chameleon, Nottingham

Dboy – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

The Damned – KK’s Steel Mill. Wolverhampton

Skidrow, Backyard Babies – The Forum, London

the Wildhearts, Towers Of London – Tramshed, Cardiff

Ben Hughes
Michael Monroe – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (Reviewed Here)

Duff McKagan/Shooter Jennings – Academy 3, Manchester

The Wildhearts – Stylus, Leeds

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Low Cut Connie – The Fulford Arms, York

Amyl & The Sniffers – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Ryan Hamilton Songs & Stories Show – Bloomfield Square, Otley

Tyla’s Dogs D’amour – The Fulford Arms, York

Levellers – The Minack Theatre, Cornwall

Hands Off Gretel – The Fulford Arms, York

Nigel Taylor 

The Stray Cats – O2, Birmingham

Saint Agnes – Plymouth Junction, Plymouth

The Wildhearts – Cavern, Exeter

Motörgoblin (Orange Goblin plays Motörhead) – St Moritz Club, London

Ginger Wildheart – St Johns Church, Cardiff

Queensryche – Islington Assembly Hall, London

Mother Vulture – End of the World Festival, Plymouth

Uriah Heep – Steelhouse Festival, Wales

Cradle of Filth – London Palladium, London

Ghost – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Blaze Bayley – The Junction, Plymouth

Dom Daley
Rebellion Festival – Winter Gardens, Blackpool (Reviewed Here)

The Damned – London Palladium, London

Michael Monroe, Electric Eel Shock – The Fleece, Bristol

Duncan Reid &The Big Heads, Cyanide Pills, Bruno – Louisiana, Bristol

Amyl & The Sniffers – Lousiana, Bristol

Ginger & The Sinners – St Johns Church, Cardiff

Clowns – The Exchange, Bristol

Rich Ragany & The Digressions, The Speedways, More Kicks, The Spangles – Black Heart Camden, London

New Model Army – Tramshed, Cardiff

The Wonder Stuff – O2, Bristol

Nashville’s All Them Witches are currently on the road with pop-rock arena band Ghost have only gone and dropped a new tune and video.   it’s a brooding moody, cinematic black and white video directed by All Them Witches drummer and artistic director Robby Staebler and starring Emmy-winning actress Drea de Matteo (The SopranosDesperate HousewivesSons of Anarchy).

The band stays on the road for a while yet bringing their Psych rock noise to Europe and America at the following dates

November 25th – Copenhagen, DK Forum Black Box * with Ghost
November 28th – Helsinki, FI Hartwell Arena * with Ghost
November 30th – Katowice, PL Spodek * with Ghost
December 1st – Prague, CZ Universum * with Ghost
December 3rd – Budapest, HU BSA * with Ghost
December 4th – Zagreb, CRO Mochvara
December 5th – Mantova, IT PalaBam * with Ghost
December 6th – Zurich, CH Halle 622 * with Ghost
December 8th – Barcelona, ES St. Jordi * with Ghost
December 10th – Lisbon, PT Sala Tejo * with Ghost
December 11th – Madrid, ES Wizink Centre * with Ghost
December 13th – Strasbourg, FR Zenith * with Ghost
December 14th – Schweinfurt, DE Stattbahnhof
December 15th – Munich, DE Zenith * with Ghost
December 17th – Luxembourg, LU Rockhal * with Ghost
December 18th – Nantes, FR Zenith * with Ghost
December 19th – Toulouse, FR Zenith * with Ghost
December 27th – Nashville, TN Exit/In
December 28th – Nashville, TN Exit/In
December 29th – Nashville, TN Exit/In

All Then Witches 2020 tour dates:
April 17th – Baltimore, MD Ottobar
April 18th – Hamden, CT Space Ballroom
April 19th – Pawtucket, RI The Met
April 21st – Portsmouth, NH 3S Artspace
April 22nd – Holyoke, MA Gateway City Arts
April 23rd – Asbury Park, NJ Asbury Lanes
April 24th – Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls Theatre
April 25th – Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
April 26th – Cincinnati, OH Woodward Theatre
April 28th – Columbus, OH Skully’s
April 29th – Lexington, KY The Burl
May 1st – Atlanta, GA: *Shaky Knees Music Festival
May 2nd – Atlanta, GA: *Shaky Knees Music Festival
May 3rd Atlanta, GA: *Shaky Knees Music Festival

GRAMMY-winning Swedish rock band GHOST is known for special, limited edition items that have been tied to its various album releases – an 8-track edition of Ceremony & Devotion, and for Prequelle, a 7-inch die-cut-as-rats vinyl disc of the album’s first single “Rats,” offering the album on a variety of different colored cassette tapes, and the lenticular cover for Prequelle‘s special vinyl edition as well as five alternate covers for the retail edition.  On September 27, Ghost will release a plethora of limited, exclusive items tied to the Prequelle album and world tour:  the Deluxe Collector’s Edition, Prequelle Exalted, with only 5000 sets produced.  Head HERE to pre-order.

 

Included in the Prequelle Exalted Deluxe Collector’s Limited Edition will be:

  • Prequelle Limited Edition Transparent Orange with Black Smoke Colored Vinyl
  • 60-page arena tour photo book, hardbound and wrapped in black gator skin
  • Exclusive die-cut Prequelleartwork with a 12-page booklet featuring brand-new, mind-blowing illustrations
  • Four 12” X 12” live photo prints
  • Bonus 7” with two Ghost rarities
  • Ghost 7“ vinyl adapter

 

For the arena tour hardbound photo book and the exquisite, suitable-for-framing 12” X 12” prints, Ryan Chang photographed Ghost on tour over the course of a year, documenting the band’s live performances throughout Europe, the UK, Canada, and the United States, including the Special Guest spots on Metallica European “WorldWired” Stadium tour this summer.  The 12-page booklet of new prints was created by Ghost’s longtime visual collaborator Zbigniew M. Bielak, offering 10 stunning illustrations, each one a visual representation of the 10 songs on Prequelle.

 

Prequelle was produced by Tom Dalgety and originally released in on June 1, 2018.  The album was nominated for a GRAMMY Award as Best Rock Album, and for Sweden’s Grammis Award as Best Rock/Metal Record of the Year, and Dalgety received a GRAMMY nomination as Producer of the Year.  Both Revolver and Kerrang! magazines named Prequelle the Best Album of 2018, and the album produced three Top 10 singles – “Rats,” “Dance Macabre” (both of which went to #1 at Rock Radio), and “Faith.”  To date, Prequelle has accumulated some 250-million streams globally.

 

Ghost will kick off its Fall North American and European “Ultimate Tour Named Death” headline arena trek on September 13 that will include a performance at Tennessee’s Exit 111 Festival.  The confirmed itinerary is below.

 

September

13   Rabobank Theatre, Bakersfield, CA

14   Reno Events Center, Reno, NV

16   Theater of the Clouds at Moda Center, Portland, OR

17   Toyota Center, Kennewick, WA

19   WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA

20   Pacific Auditorium, Vancouver, BC

21   So. Okanagan Events Centre, Penticton, BC

23   Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB

24   The Corral, Calgary, AB

26   Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA

27   Taco Bell Arena, Boise, ID

28   Maverik Center, West Valley City, UT*

30   Budweiser Events Center at The Ranch, Loveland, CO

 

October

1   Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, CO

3   Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, SD

4   Scheels Arena, Fargo, ND*

5   The Armory, Minneapolis, MN

7   Resch Center, Green Bay, WI

8   TaxSlayer Centre, Moline, IL

10   Covelli Centre, Youngstown, OH

11   Big Sandy Superstore Arena, Huntington, WVa

12   Exit 111 Festival, Manchester, Tennessee

14   DeltaPlex Arena, Grand Rapids, MI

15   Huntington Center, Toledo, OH

17   FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton, ON

18   Richcraft Tire Center, Ottawa, ON

19   Cross Insurance Arena, Portland, ME

21   DCU Center, Worcester, MA

22   The Oncenter, Syracuse, NY

24   GIANT Center, Hershey, PA

25   Cure Insurance Arena, Trenton, NJ

26   Cool Insuring Arena, Glens Falls, NY

 

European dates:

 

NOVEMBER

16   Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, UK

17   Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, UK

18   The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland

20   3Arena, Dublin, Ireland

22   The SSE Arena Wembley, London, UK

23   First Direct Arena, Leeds, UK

26   Forum Black Box, Copenhagen, Denmark

28   Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland

30   Spodek, Katowice, Poland

 

DECEMBER

1   Universum, Prague, Czech Republic

3   Budapest Sports Arena, Budapest, Hungary

5   PalaBam, Mantova, Italy

6   Halle 622, Zurich, Switzerland

8   Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain

10   Sala Tejo at Altice Arena, Lisbon, Portugal

11   Wizink Center, Madrid, Spain

13   Zenith de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

17   Rockhal, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

18   Zenith Nantes Metropole, Nantes, France

19   Zenith Toulouse Metropole, Toulouse, France

 

 

* Twin Temple will support on this date

Ghost Plays to Some Quarter-Million Fans on Leg One

of Metallica’s “WorldWired” European Stadium Tour

Manchester & London shows set for next week!

Ghost premieres a brand-new webizode, “Chapter 7:  New World Redro.”  This chapter first brings the viewer up to date with the Cardinal Copia-Papa Nihil-Sister Imperator storyline and then begins to lay the foundation for more backstory secrets yet to be revealed.  Check out “Chapter 7:  New World Redro”.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVvAByIDtmk&feature=youtu.be

Ghost is spending the bulk of its summer as Special Guest on Metallica’s four-leg “WorldWired” European Stadium Tour.  Leg One saw Ghost playing to more than a quarter-million fans; Leg Two kicked off on June 8, and Legs Three and Four will take place July and August.  Ghost will perform at Heavy Montreal on July 27, and then kick off its North American “Ultimate Tour Named Death” headline arena tour on September 13.

As Forbes writer David Hochman put it in his review of Ghost at the Los Angeles Forum last November, “Equal parts horror church, headbanger’s ball and midnight Stockholm cabaret, a Ghost concert draws elements from opera, Gregorian chant, classic glam rock – Kiss, Alice Cooper and Bowie, come to mind…Imagine Iron Maiden or Blue Oyster Cult under a blast of liquid nitrogen, and you start to get the vibe.”

JUNE

13-20 Metallica’s WorldWired European Stadium Tour

18       Manchester Etihad Stadium

20       Twickenham Stadium

JULY

6-21   Metallica’s WorldWired European Stadium Tour

27      Heavy Montreal, Montreal QC

AUGUST

14-25 Metallica’s WorldWired European Stadium Tour

SEPTEMBER

13 – 30 “Ultimate Tour Named Death” North American Fall Dates

OCTOBER

1 – 26  “Ultimate Tour Named Death” North American Fall Dates