LIVE REVIEW: GHOST WITH NOTHING MORE AT THE SCHEELS ARENA

Ghost brought their theatrics to the Scheels Arena in Fargo, ND with Nothing More Friday night.

   At a first glance you probably wouldn’t put these two groups together, Nothing More being a synth driven, heavy rock band and Ghost being melodic metal, but I believe the idea here was to line up a show worth watching not just hearing. 
   Nothing More is a boisterous group, they suck you in from the moment they begin. Frontman Jonny is known for his wild antics and dynamite like energy. Their music is commanding, packed with the raging instruments and heartfelt lyrics. The stage is equipped with a large contraption that takes multiple forms throughout the night, from a set of drums to a robot like stand which Johnny jams from the top of. There's no way to not be fully entertained! There is a passion that flows through this band that you can feel from the floor. Nothing More hold an appreciation for their fans and aim to give them their all with an electrifying set.

   I heard two very strong opinions when it came to the band Ghost and was under the impression that there are only two ways to feel about the Swedish metal group. There are either die hard fans, the ones who attend dressed up with painted faces, or those who couldn’t possibly care less. It left me very curious as to what could cause such a distinct difference in reactions , but it didn’t take long for me to break it down once I was experiencing it first hand. 
First of all, their setup itself is quite elaborate. A massive staircase stretching the length of the whole stage creates the platform for the stationary musicians to perform from. Walls with stained glass murals stand behind the stairs, giving the appearance of a chapel, which aids in the aesthetics of Ghost’s controversial ‘church of evil’ theme. Furthermore, their stage presence is proven more eccentric with costumes of black suits and devil masks worn by the ‘Nameless Ghouls’. 

   Their frontman known as Cardinal Copia sports a crimson red tuxedo and prosthetic mask with multi colored contacts. They are fully prepared to put on an ACT. For some, this element alone could be considered too much or ‘over the top’. I personally love to see a band with a solid identity. There are plenty of shows that consist of fancy light shows and pyrotechnics, it’s a unique experience to attend a show where so much is put into the visual art side of the music. 
   On the topic of music, of course being my main concern, they are somewhere between "too classic” for progressive listeners and not heavy enough for death metal fans. They have a very specific sound, thus I can understand the specific fan base. With satanic themes in their lyrics and the 80’s style melodies they definitely narrow their listening range, but this isn’t necessarily a negative. They know what they want from their material and do it well. I was pleasantly surprised and honestly enjoyed their set for what it was. Vocals were clean and rang out crisp through the arena. Paired with the large ensemble of musicians including multiple guitarists, keyboardists, a saxophone player and extra vocals there is an ominous vibe to the fullness of their music. It surrounds you. 

   I would say I found the middle ground that hadn’t previously been expressed to me. Ghost is respectable as showmen. They really put forth their energy into putting on a theatrical performance and they do it without reservations. Personally, I probably wouldn’t ever get so rooted that you would ever find me in the front row dressed as a satanic nun, but I would suggest giving them a chance if you haven’t seen them yet, even if you don’t walk out with an album and a t-shirt.

Full Photo Coverage of GHOST Here.
Full Photo Coverage of NOTHING MORE Here.