CONCERT REVIEW: Ghost Bring The Impera Arena Tour To Rotterdam

Ghost finally returned after a few years of (forced) absence, and what a triumphant return it was. On Easter no less, Ghost came to deliver a healthy dose of satanic music, with themes throughout their discography that include the dark ages, the antichrist, the apocalypse and more.

With their highly acclaimed new record IMPERA under their belt, Ghost delivered a show which truly had it all: costume changes to display the many different forms that ‘Papa Emeritus‘ has adopted throughout the years, an absolutely epic backdrop & fantastic looking costumes on the Nameless Ghouls. Pair this with the usage of smoke, fireworks and pyro and of course the many, many catchy hits that made Ghost the huge band it is today.

This liveshow was the embodiment of everything we love about metal and liveshows and I can honestly say, one of the best shows we have witnessed in the 7+ years we’ve been going to shows now. The ensemble built around frontman Papa Emeritus are on a high, with IMPERA ranking high on the charts worldwide. Due to the band having so many fan favourite songs throughout their career though, the setlist only consisted for 20% out of songs from the new album: Spillways, Hunter’s Moon, album and set opener Kaisarion and single Call Me Little Sunshine. The rest of the setlist heavily drew from the popular albums Meliora and Prequelle, with singles being played from the EPs Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic and Popestar. In addition, Ghost also celebrated the almighty Metallica with their cover of Enter Sandman, which was part of the The Metallica Blacklist that came out last year.

Bottomline, there was something for everyone on the setlist tonight, and even if the setlist didn’t include any of your favourite songs, the theatrics and visual display would keep you entertained for days. There’s just something special about this band that really comes to fruition, especially in a beautiful venue as the newly opened RTM Stage.

While sad the show was coming to an end, Ghost truly saved best (and with that we mean most popular) for last, with the singles Dance Macabre, the perfect mix between metal and catchy pop, and the single from the Popestar EP: Square Hammer which were both greeted by a jubilent and loudly singing-along and dancing audience. Below you’ll find an elaborate gallery of the visuals of the show, courtesy of Eva van den Bosch.

Glenn van den Bosch

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