Live Review: Ghost Return to Chicago For Their Imperatour And Bring Viking Rock Warriors Amon Amarth Creating One Massive Theatric Showcase

Aug 18, 2023 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

By Christopher David

Let’s go back a bit.

In 1979, when KISS embarked on their “Return” tour in support of four solo albums and Dynasty—most of which strayed considerably from the band’s signature hard-rock sound—history has shown that it was…confusing, to say the least, for the fans who had been around since the beginning. Gone were the black leather, spikes, and darker, sexier imagery; that had all been replaced by garish, colorful costumes and an audience comprised heavily by families—yes, families—and fans of KISS’s hit “I Was Made for Loving You,” many of whom had little connection to what made the band who they were for the first years of their existence. It’s a notable moment in rock history.

I say this as a long way of confirming that history repeats itself.

Ghost, once a black metal band that eschewed all of the standard tenets of that sub-genre, have seen a similar transformation in the last few years, thanks in part to (I can’t believe I’m saying this) Tik Tok. Now, of course Ghost never claimed to be a black metal band in the vein of say, Watain or Mayhem. But their lyrics consistently celebrated Satanism and tore down the hypocrisy of Christian religion in sometimes tongue-in-cheek form, all courtesy of the one and only Papa Emeritus. Papa, in the early days, cut an imposing figure—clad in Papal attire an accompanied by a cadre of sexy nuns administering communion to the first row of the crowd, few can claim such an outlandish and original stage presence. Ghost’s sound was more accessible than most black metal bands from the very beginning, and their approach to celebrating Lucifer and his cronies was unusual for a band whose songs were just so damn catchy.

I think those of us who had been around since Opus Eponymous knew, by about 2016 or so, that things were bound to change. The band was simply too good. Their songs were memorable, their image was undeniable, and, like the kings of ‘70s shock-rock before them, evolution away from what made them so unique was inevitable.

Which brings us to the Chicago stop on 2023’s “Re-Imperatour.”

Reading everything I’ve just written, you’re probably expecting a curmudgeonly rant about Gen Z, social media, and all of that. And this recap could have easily gone that way, if I wanted it to. But, again, Ghost have defied convention in the most radical ways imaginable, have transformed themselves while maintaining their spirit, to an extent that I don’t think anyone could have predicted. Put simply: in many ways, Ghost are Gen Z’s KISS, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Do those of us who have been around since the beginning want it that way? Probably not; most of the diehards can probably agree that the band felt a little more visceral when they weren’t the toast of social media and stayed a little more buried behind their devil-worshipping personas. But it’s where we are in 2023, and, as the band proved at Northerly Island on Tuesday, they can deliver a live show like few rock bands can in the modern era, which makes them worthy of every single accolade heaped upon them by whoever calls themselves a fan.

Taking the stage to “Kaisarion,” Impera’s epic opener, Papa Emeritus IV (or Tobias Forge, behind the face-paint) led the Nameless Ghouls through a nicely paced run of hits and deep cuts alike, complete with a massive stained glass backdrop that looked like Ghost’s own version of a church. New tracks “Spillways” and “Watcher in the Sky” went over huge with the younger segment of the crowd who have only been around since the band’s “Mary on a Cross” went viral on Tik Tok, though when balanced with tracks like the sweeping “Cirice” or the one-two punch of “Con Clavi Con Dio” and “Year Zero” (maybe the finest paean to the dark lord in the last twenty years), it would have been hard to argue that the new material felt thinner somehow. There were exceptions, of course; “Call Me Little Sunshine,” the lead single from Impera, came across as menacing in a way that the studio version didn’t quite reach, and “Respite on the Spitalfields” is an arena-worthy set closer for sure. There was certainly a tonal shift at mid-set when things felt, for a few tunes, like the Ghost shows of old; there’s a reason the band refers to their live shows as rituals, and here it was. Red lights, lots of smoke, Papa back in his full regalia, and an outdoor stadium on Chicago’s lakefront singing ‘Hail Satan!” in unison…it’s hard to want much more than that, honestly.

And yes, there were families in abundance, kids and parents alike painted up like Papa, teenagers who wouldn’t have looked out of place at a pop show. Which, in many ways, this was. The best hard rock bands have longevity, and you don’t achieve longevity without figuring ways to expand your audience while also trying to maintain the old one. I think that’s what we’re seeing right now with Forge and Co. – to survive as a band is to evolve, and while the shift looks and feels a little weird to those of us who simply prefer purely evil imagery, humorless hymns to the devil, and a crowd that is fully unified in the celebration of all that, there are bound to be growing pains for a band as unique and talented as Ghost.