Ghost

Ghost•Amon Amarth•August 7, 2023•USANA Amphitheatre

Reviewed and Photographed by Max Taylor

[MESSAGE FOR THE CLERGY] 

In case you missed it, the legendary Swedish rock band, Ghost, made an appearance at the USANA Amphitheatre on August 7th, 2023 while on their RE-IMPERATOUR. It certainly was a night that all in attendance won’t soon forget. Utah is their fourth stop thus far on the tour. So if you still want to participate in their life-changing, theatric, pyro, and fog-filled ritual, visit their website for more details at ghost-official.com. 

Ghost released their debut album in 2010 and since then have continued to utilize their love of theatrics, horror, mystery, and Scandinavian metal roots to create an experience unlike anything you’ve witnessed before. You’ll find the lead singer Tobias Forge, who goes by “Papa Emeritus”, dressed in a variety of outfits throughout the night. All very luxurious. Perhaps one of his most iconic outfits consisted of black Papal regalia adorned with decorative skull-like designs and other symbols and his face covered in a prosthetic mask and makeup resembling that of a skeleton. You will find all of the other band members, known as “Nameless Ghouls”, wearing slight variations of the same face concealing costumes, with one of the most memorable features being their masks that have these big black goggle-like eyes. Eyes that will pierce your soul. 

As I arrived at the amphitheater, I saw masses of people waiting in line, preparing for the ritual, filled with anticipation, counting the minutes until the doors were open. More people in Ghost t-shirts and nun outfits than I’d ever seen before ever filed into the venue once the clock struck 5 o’clock. The fun was about to begin. 

I had the opportunity to talk with some fans in the crowd and asked them some questions while people were waiting for the show to start. I asked this group dressed as nuns about their experience waiting in line and one of them named Raha said, “I met many incredible fans who I was able to have some great conversations with. There were some fans passing out stickers and bracelets they had made for other people.” I then asked Raha how she found Ghost originally. 

“In 2016, I walked into Hot Topic one day and heard Cirice playing in the store. I loved it so much, I immediately stopped and looked up the lyrics so that I could listen to the song when I got home. That night, I played Cirice and fell in love. From there, I discovered He Is and so much more. I instantly fell in love with Ghost and was able to see them in concert for the first time later that year. I have met a lot of my friends through Ghost. The connection we have because of Ghost is different than anything else. Whenever I’m feeling down, I know anything Ghost-related can cheer me up immediately.” 

She went on to tell me about how the lead singer had talked to her at her first Ghost concert in 2016 and then when she had met Cardinal Copia(a previous stage name for the singer) in 2019 and gotten a cute photo with him while holding the Ghost Cardinal Copia plushie. I was blown away by the sense of community that this group of ghouls has. It is most certainly something rare. If you were part of a special VIP group, you could also experience what is called the Spillways Lounge which allows you access to a special Ghost museum experience filled with all sorts of things that would blow your mind. You’ll just have to see it for yourself. 

Amon Amarth

It is not often that an audience has the privilege of witnessing an opening band with as much success, energy, theatrics, and stage production as this audience would experience. Amon Amarth, also hailing from Sweden, is a Swedish melodic death metal band – often referred to as viking metal. As people entered the amphitheater and made their way toward the stage, they would see two massive statues of swordsmen on stage, towering above everyone. The drumset was placed atop a giant viking helmet riser. I remember back in highschool, seeing this kid Jason wearing Amon Amarth merch all the time and man, he knew what was up.

Opening with the song “Raven’s Flight”, this band had all of Salt Lake shaking from their viking metal screams, guitar solos and long hair and beards, to their epic warrior battles on stage. I saw a cute couple in the audience, the man dressed up in full Nordic Viking cosplay and the woman in full Goth Nun mode. It felt like a perfect union of Amon Amarth and Ghost. 

Later in their set, Amon Amarth had the audience including the people in the pit sit down and row their oars for the song “Put Your Back Into the Oar” and it was so fun to watch. The lead singer had a horn strapped to his belt that he drank from and raised it on behalf of the Salt Lake crowd. After a lot of epic song performances and stage theatrics which I won’t spoil too much of, and finishing their set off with, “Twilight Of The Thunder God”, the crowd was even more fired up and ready for Ghost. 

Ghost

And then it was time. “Imperium” was blasting as a giant curtain that had been hiding the stage dropped and the band entered playing “Kaisarion”. The crowd was roaring. I imagine many felt like they were in a surreal, vivid dream, witnessing the Ghouls and Papa Emeritus IV in the flesh. 

The stage’s backdrop felt like you had been transported into a stunning gothic cathedral with towering stained glass windows and the band’s symbol inlaid into the cathedral stone. All the Ghouls were entrancing.Their piercing black stare pulled you in to where it was hard to look away, and as soon as they made eye contact with you, it was over. I saw the Ghouls teasing fans all night and it was so entertaining. Each Ghoul has their own personality that really comes out through the way they perform and interact with each other. And Papa’s sense of humor, the way he interacted with the Ghouls and the crowd filled you with joy and excitement. 

Ghost is known for having very dark, powerful imagery, so I was curious to see how the outdoor amphitheater impacted the stage visuals and overall energy. Needless to say, it was stunning. The sun slowly set during the performance until it disappeared. The clouds were a lovely backdrop for Papa if you were on the sides of the stage which made for a unique and beautiful view. The use of fog and pyro added such a magical dimension to an already stunning scene. 

There is a lot of history and lore behind the theatrics of Ghost’s ritual, so I suggest doing your research in an effort to better understand it. I certainly have a lot to learn. They played the song, “He Is”, which the nun Raha told me they haven’t played in a long time, so the crowd was so excited when that song began. But a part of the night I won’t forget happened next: when they wheeled out Nihil(a former version of Papa) who was in a coffin. They attempted to “resuscitate” him, the first time with no success. On the second attempt, sparks flew out of the coffin and he came back to life, only for enough time for him to be handed a saxophone and play one of the most legendary saxophone solos of all time during “Miasma”. 

Throughout the night, everyone sang, danced, screamed, full of joy and excitement. There is so much to tell, and the amount of outfit changes was very impressive for Papa, but I will just say that you absolutely need to add Ghost to your list of artists to see if you haven’t already. Because it will change your life. 

The first song of the encore was the iconic, “Kiss The Go-Goat”, and one of the things Papa said leading into the song was that it was time to give Salt Lake City a goodnight kiss. They then played two Ghost classics to finish off the night’s ritual: “Dance Macabre” and “Square Hammer”. 

The night was electric. An 18-song setlist, a crowd full of Ghost lovers, metal lovers, friends, family, vikings, nuns, and the like, and surely a ritual no one would forget. The Ghouls and Papa all came close to the edge of the stage, blowing kisses, waving, saying thank you, throwing loads of guitar pics into the crowd, handing out setlists to those devoted fans, all while the song “Sorrow In the Wind” by Emmylou Harris is playing the background. It was a beautiful moment and fitting way to say “Farewell, until next time, my children of Utah”, as I imagine A Nameless Ghoul would say.