Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
Swedish band Ghost haunts the Tivoli tonight
In December, Ghost released the l ive double- album “Ceremony And Devotion,” recorded during its Popestar tour in summer 2017. The album documents the Swedish heavy metal band’s unforgettable l ive shows in pursuit of becoming the world’s next great arena band.
“Ceremony and Devotion” features fan favorites from across the band’s full catalogue beginning with albums“Opus Eponymous” ( 2010) and “Infestissumam” ( 2013) to “Meliora” ( 2015) and “Popestar” EP (2016).
The heavy metal band brings its “Rats! On the Road 2018” tour to the Tivoli Theatre tonight, May 10, at 8 p.m. The tour’s name is inspired by the new single, “Rats,” released April 13. It’s the first single off upcoming album, “Prequelle,” due out June 1.
Ghost formed in Linköping, Sweden, in 2006. Although its music has garnered a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the single “Cirice,” and three Grammis Awards (the Swedish equivalant of Grammy Awards), Ghost’s Satanic theme has proven controversial.
Ghost is known for its costumed onstage presence. Five of the group’s six members, the “Nameless Ghouls,” wear almost identical, face-concealing costumes. Its vocalist, formerly called “Papa Emeritus,” wears a prosthetic mask of skull paint.
The release of each album has brought about a change in the band’s appearance, though the vocalist is always portrayed as roughly the same archetypal character.
Their identities remained a secret until 2017, when four of the Nameless Ghouls revealed themselves in a lawsuit filed against lead singer Tobias Forge in a royalties dispute.
The single and video for “Rats” marked the first release from Ghost with their “new” frontman Cardinal Copia, Forge’s new persona.