Ghost: Ceremony and Devotion(Live)-2017

Man…

What a brilliant marketing move by Ghost as just last week (Dec 6th) Ghost announce’s that  they were going to  releasing a Live album in January 2018 and then BAM!! Two days later (Dec 8th) Ceremony and Devotion is released to streaming sites and iTunes.

Fooling everyone!

You gotta hand to Ghost founder Tobias Forge on how to shake things up and in this day and age surprise the Shit out of everyone and make yourself known and heard  about a new release! Great move!

Fret not Physical Product Lovers(HMO & Ladano) as Ghost will be making Ceremony and Devotion available in the stores (January 18/ 2018!) on  Double Vinyl/CD/Cassette and 8 track!

Yup you read that right! Cassette and 8 track! All the bases are covered for your listening pleasure!

Speaking of cassette tapes. Let’s rewind back a little bit!

My brother Todd was telling me  earlier this year about how great Ghost was as they were the announced opener on the Iron Maiden tour in which we had tickets to see…

I tried watching a couple of You Tube clips of Ghost and I found the whole crazy Satanic like  Church vibe a little much but Todd kept saying check it out in which I didn’t (haha)

Until…

We seen the Maiden show and Ghost that night in Minneapolis made me a fan by their stage  presentation and there musical chops as well as how well the songs were crafted! They won me over that night I mean the band behind Tobias or well his stage name of Papa Emeritus 0 and his backing band calling themselves the Nameless Ghouls (with their identities concealed) performed and played to perfection almost like a Broadway Production delivered at High Volume!

So once I came across this new release on  Friday and seen this was available it was a click quick and it’s my first purchase of Ghost and what better way as I do love the live album! (recorded in the U.S.A)

Ceremony and Devotion from opener Square Hammer where as the listener you can hear the stage explosions as Papa makes his appearance and starts singing is almost a throwback to the Alive album by KISS where you hear the explosions throughout the album.

Speaking of KISS. Ghost just like Simmons and Company after 3 studio albums release the Double Live Album kinda of interesting and a slick move you ask me! Perhaps following the KISS formula?

The songs here have a little more crunch live than what I have heard on the studio side of things. Love it when that Keytar kicks in during various tracks and make no mistake this band made of the Ghouls can play. Talented Ghouls you could say!

I won’t pretend to be the biggest fan of these guys but tracks like Mummy Dust/Absolution/Year Zero are well crafted tracks and for me though its Cirice which is the money shot! Cirice is an awesome track. I just love how the song mellows out and all you hear is Papa and the keys and then it ramps back up. That is the standout track for me back when I seen them live and on this release as well! 

15 tracks are here for your listening pleasure! Well played and delivered with that Live Feel!

Thanks to Todd for getting me into this band as it takes something real good at this point in time to make me want to branch out and check out new rock! Funny thing as  I have mentioned in some of my reviews that people need to listen with their ears and not look with their eyes when judging a band whether old or new. Ghost was the band that made me practice what I preach!

Get This!