April 15th, 2013 may be known as tax day, but in Los Angeles, California, it marked the first church service of Papa Emeritus and the band Ghost, in almost a full year. The last time service was held by Ghost, was when they were in town with Mastodon and Opeth, and for many, it was their first taste of a ritual that many have long been waiting to return to.
Okay, Ghost B.C. isn’t a church or anything, but the show is basically a spiritual experience and it should be treated as one. The Lead singer, Papa Emeritus II, is a demonic looking Pope straight out of hell, and he preaches the words that we’ve all heard from the deep and dark parts of the bible. The atmospheric setting created by the lyrics, devilish keyboard notes, the evil outfits, and demonic lighting made this concert seem like fans were in an evil dimension.
Opening the SOLD OUT night and transporting the crowd into the devilish dimension which Ghost B.C. resides in, was the self titled track Infestissumam from their highly anticipated sophomoric album. The Nameless Ghouls come on stage and instantly had those in attendance screaming their souls out. The final blow that delivered the El Rey Theatre into “hell” was the appearance of Papa Emeritus II and the band going into Con Calvi Con Dio. The return of Ghost B.C. to Los Angeles officially begins and now we wait for Papa to preach!
While Ghost B.C. was a word of mouth band for many, the die-hard fans who have heard the first album countless amounts of times were in for a treat. Most of Opus Eponmous’ songs that were played this night had a lot of instrumental extensions; it’s almost as if we heard the album all over again for the first time. All of the expectations and hopes for seeing Ghost B.C. live were not only met, but exceeded. It’s quiet sinful how powerful and greedy we can get when it comes to seeing the band put on one hell of a show.
While the band does sound extraordinary, the stage presence by these mysterious musicians is something you will want to mimic while you listen to their music at home. The superstitious glares and hand gestures of Papa Emeritus II mimics those of a Catholic Priest, only this is one Father you do not want to piss off. The total dominance Papa Emeritus II partakes during the show is a force not to be reckoned with, and it creates an atmosphere in which none have experienced since the early days of Black Sabbath and KISS. The anomalous presence of Ghost B.C. is currently the greatest thing in metal and any other genre of music; who are these musicians and what do they want with us? Who really knows, but let’s hope it remains a well kept secret.
Song played at this show included Death Knell, Prime Mover, Satan Prayer and “Secular Haze, Year Zero, Depth of Satan’s Eyes and Monstrance Clock from the new Infestissumam album that was released today, April 16, 2013.
Please check out the album, it’s truly a piece of art and should be listened and bought by every metal fan. It’s currently sitting at the #1 spot of the rock chart and shows strong signs for the upcoming future of this band.
The highly anticipated return of Ghost B.C. to Los Angeles was nowhere near a disappointment. To think that this band is only a few years old and is already seeing tremendous success is an indication of what we might expect for the future of metal. With rock-stars like Dave Grohl, and James Hetfield highly endorsing the band, there’s no stopping to what greatness Ghost B.C. can and will achieve. Make sure to attend a Ghost ritual in a town near you, and purchase tickets before all is doomed.
Review by: Alex Lucero
