Muskelrock

June 4, 2011

Performed at Tyrolen in Alvesta, Sweden

Renamed from the “Heroes of Swedish Metal” (Svenska Metallens Hjältar) after booking Thor^[1], Ghost held a ritual at the 2011 meeting of Musklerock.

“All [festival goers] were egged on by the ominous red smoke that had seeped through the curtain for nearly half an hour. The tension that has built up before the gig explodes with Ghost's entrance in a common field roar. A masked man in papal robes takes the mic in which he begins the mass with a singularly haughty and breathless voice…” -Mia Marjorie (via Microsoft Translate)^[2]

Their rising success was attracting criticism:

“However, in the course of the show, not only among the numerous musicians of the other bands, there are more and more critical voices that the ghosts help themselves a bit too often with equally profane as well as completely earthly support from the can, especially when it comes to the backing vocals.” -Andreas Himmelstein (via Microsoft Translate)^[2]

But a satanic message, sung evil and true will find its audience:

“Another band that has really broken through this year is the mythical and secret Ghost. Again, the indoor stage was completely filled. Magical gig really and nothing was left to chance. A fun detail was that they did a Beatles cover in the form of Here Comes The Sun.” -BlackRose (via Microsoft Translate)^[3]

“I'm standing so close that I can touch them. A decimeter behind me, the crowd roars hysterically and a step in front of me, incense swings as if before a mass. The air is thick and the atmosphere is almost tangibly satanic. The band really enchants with their energy. As a photographer, I find myself in a void between chaos and ritual, the experience is incredibly intimate and I feel every second of the spectacle. [...] Ghost offers not only the best stage performance at Muskelrock but by far the best stage performance I've seen in a very long time. The fascination is total and I (as a die-hard fan) scream along to every song. However, I'm not the only fan. Hard rockers fall over the riot fence and the crowd in the audience is almost as total as when AntiChrist played on Thursday. "Ghost, I love you!" a man's voice can be heard roaring from a distance, and despite the ghostly and nightmarish nature of the act, there is still love.” -Mia Marjorie (via Micorsoft Translate)^[2]

• [1]Rock Hard, Graveyard, Ghost Moskelrock 2011 by Andreas Hihmmelstein
• [2]Festival Photo, Ghost @ MuskelRock, Tyrolen by Mia Marjorie
• [3]That's Entertainment, Muskelrock, Tyrolen, 3-4/6 2011 by BlackRose

Räka Produktion, MUSKELROCK 2011!!! by Räka Produktion

Festival Photo, Muskel Rock 2011 - Ghost