Ghost + Mastodon + Spiritbox @ Place Bell▪

Alright, before we begin, I need to get something off my chest. If you don’t want to read an old man ranting about music elitists, feel free to skip to the end of this probably run-on paragraph and to the start of the show. If you’re still here, I’d like to address what I see in the comments section of every Ghost-related article, video, etc… There’s always a bunch of naysayers saying “Ghost isn’t real metal” and “Ghost is just pop.” Yeah, here’s the thing, I don’t care. If you can’t enjoy a band cause they don’t fit into your narrow view of a musical genre you base your entire identity on; you’re missing out on a whole world of music. And you also probably aren’t qualified to gatekeep metal. There’s a quick quiz you can take to find out! Are you one of the founding members of the band Black Sabbath? Yes? Unholy cr*p, I’m honoured you’re reading this; thanks for all you’ve done and please feel free to define what is metal. But if you answered no, you’re not qualified. I’ll tell you what though, every metal band you love should say thanks to Ghost. Why? Cause they’re a gateway to metal. They create fans that will go on to listen to those heavier bands. I saw no less than four kids under 12 there is full Papa facepaint. On top of probably solving world hunger and ushering in world peace, these little geniuses are going to grow up to keep the flames of metal lit for another generation. My son’s first request when he figured out how to operate our smart speaker at 3 years old was, “Alexa, play Square Hammer.” *And scene*

On with the show! Spiritbox was up first, and let’s get the bad out of the way. I have 2 complaints about this set. Number one, not even half the crowd had shown up yet, and two, they only gave them 25 minutes. Seriously, a lot of people missed an incredible set. I’m looking forward to the not-so-distant day when they are headlining MTelus or even bigger venues. They have quickly become one of the best metal bands Canada has ever produced. Vocalist Courtney LaPlante commands the stage with killer growls and amazing clean vocals. Don’t be like the guy who spent their set at the Laval McDonalds; go support them. Go follow them on Spotify; I’ll wait… Sweet, good job.

Next up is Mastodon. At this point in their career, they’ve become old reliable. You know what you’re getting. You’re gonna nod your head with rock horns up like Beavis and Butthead slowed to half speed. If ya got ‘em, now’s your time to light up and rock out. There’s a reason every rock and metal festival books these guys and puts them before the headliner. Their no-nonsense, walk in, melt your face off and leave approach never fails. Their sludge lets you rock in your seat, amps you up without tiring you out. This night was no different.

And now it is time for the ritual to begin. From the opening notes of Kaisarion the crowd was at attention. Papa Emeritus IV came out with the pizzazz of a Broadway star and the wardrobe to match. He’s got as much charm with his Swedish accent as any televangelist and had the crowd hanging on every word.

This is probably as close to feeling like I’m at a cult meeting as I’ll ever get. Songs like Cirice and Year Zero get the crowd chanting with fervour, singing loudly and in Unison the praises to the Dark One.

Although the set was very familiar to anyone who’d seen Ghost before, a Satanic chapel with clerestories depicting past Papas, there was something quite new about this tour. The Nameless Ghouls were much more prevalent, the band seemed more like a cohesive unit rather than Tobias Forge and some hired guns. At one point one of them even pushed Papa aside to take center stage and shred a solo.

There were a few big pop moments. When Papa came out with his traditional black robes and mitre the crowd lost it. While I understand the new suited persona, that began with Cardinal Copia, suits the more energetic performances that came as Forge grew more comfortable on stage, the classic look still pops hard.

Then there was Papa Nihil. The crowd cheered as his coffin was wheeled onstage during Miasma, but when a stagehand brought out the paddles and shocked him to life only to hand him a saxophone, well, they straight up lost it. Yes, finally, the saxophone solo in Lost Boys has been surpassed.

I liked that although the band hit it big with their last 3 albums, they still played a lot of their older material with a new flare that mimics their more polished current sound. Songs like Mummy Dust and Prime Mover were, much like Papa Nihil, given new life.

As Ghost evolve musically, their live shows are also getting better and better. They seem to be embracing the niche they’ve created and it’s a wonder to behold. And with that, it was an Ave Satanas and good night!