Got a few gigs coming up which is good and one is a band I haven’t seen before as I just found out about them two weeks after they left the UK last time around, they are Ghost.
Black metal these days mostly means ridiculous looking youths screaming over powerless blastbeats, but although Ghost are coming under the black metal banner because of the imagery and lyrical content, they’re miles away from any of that stuff, around 35 years away in fact. The music is pure 70’s, full of melody, harmony, drama and tastful playing with a bunch of hilarious satanic lyrics through it all. It’s an absolute joy, like discovering an unreleased album from ’74 by Black Sabbath or Uriah Heep.
I absolutely love them, their first album is a favourite and the new tune Secular Haze below, while not their catchiest song, has a hypontic, metronomic quality and sinister eeriness about it that all the family can enjoy. Except Joycee, however me and The Girl rock hard enough to make up for her lack of enthusiasm.
A lot of folk don’t get it, maybe you have to know the reference points to know that Ghost are fanboys having fun, the video below is a brilliant tribute to 70’s music slots on tv shows with the cheesy set, dodgy video tape quality and 4:3 screen ratio . Makes me smile every time I watch it, but the differences in opinion and understanding are best portayed in the comment and its reply on the video on YouTube:
What, am I supposed to be scared?
No, you’re supposed to chill out and Hail Satan.
Ha. I’ll be buying a t-shirt.
Can hear the Uriah Heep similiarity but sounds like someone else, can’t put my finger on it. Have seen pictures of them but surprised to hear them sound like this!
I was thinking Sabbath-like, then I saw Tony Iommi is in the news! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-21689249
There’s a good bit of Blue Oyster Cult in there, Witchfinder General and more modern stuff like Mercyful Fate to.
It’s cut and paste old school metal :o)
I’m sitting here watching the Quo forums for updates about the first Frant Four gig tonight. Sad old bugger.
Beth I saw that on his site the other day. Bizarre is the only word for it!
Certainly strange, but hey, got to be better than the rest of the euro-pop!
Sad to see he’s been fighting cancer.
Thanks for sharing this – I’d read about them but hadn’t actually checked them out. OK, so they’re wearing their influences on their robe sleeves but clearly having a blast! As somebody once said “You can still make a tasty meal out of yesterday’s leftovers.” Have you heard Blood Ceremony, Pilgrim or Witchcraft? If not, I think they may be right up your street :-)
Aye Beth, he’s in better shape just now apparently, time will tell.
Sleeping Warrior, I’m away to have a listen!