Ghost: A Pale Tour Named Death

On Oct. 10, I had my first ritual in Youngstown, Ohio. It was my second ever live concert—predated by The Black Keys a few days earlier—and I went with my boyfriend and two friends. We were all astounded. 

The genre-defying Swedish metal band Ghost is currently on their US tour A Pale Tour Named Death with associated albums “Prequelle” and newly-released “Seven Inches of Satanic Panic.”  

Ghost played crowd-pleasers like “Dance Macabre,” “Square Hammer,” and “Cirice” and deeper cuts like “From the Pinnacle to the Pit” and “Jigolo Har Megiddo.” New additions to the setlist, my now two favorite songs, were “Mary on a Cross” and “Kiss the Go-Goat” from their newest release.  

The set itself was like walking into a church, making me think I was at a pseudo-Christian concert. Stained-glass designs of the band’s characters set the backdrop for the manic dance moves performed by Cardinal Copia, the band’s current lead vocalist. Accompanying Cardi C, as the fanbase lovingly dubs him, were the Nameless Ghouls, devoted musicians that remain unrecognizable from their masks. 

Smoke filled the air and reflected the spectacular light show synced up to the songs, making the cozy arena feel spooky at times and electric at others. There were brief pauses between songs when Cardi would talk to us casually, often mentioning explicit yet humorous themes such as asking if our “taints had been tickled” from his music—yes, the seats were vibrating Cardi. 

If you’re into genre-bending metal with a softer feel that plays up the theatrics, I cannot recommend Ghost enough. They’ve been nominated as having one of the best metal albums of the decade, and they will continue to shine with Satan’s light for all of eternity!