On the evening of June 1, underneath the legendary Manhattan live music venue Webster Hall (formerly known as the Ritz), the much-talked-about Swedish occult rock sensation Ghost made their live debut in New York City. It was the band's second show in North America, following their performance at Maryland Deathfest a few nights before.
Ghost was supported by heavy rockers Sabbath Assembly and local heavy metal heroes Natur.
To say that this show was highly anticipated is an understatement, especially when you have the likes of That Metal Show's Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson in the crowd — with Ghost shirts, no less!
It's been less than a year since the band released their debut album, Opus Eponymous (Rise Above Records/Metal Blade Records), yet they have received praise from people like Metallica's Lars Ulrich and Down's Phil Anselmo. Not surprisingly, this show sold out way in advance, and I'm going to say this will most likely be the last time the band will ever set foot in an intimate venue like this ever again.
For those of us who were there, we got to experience the best new live act in the underground scene. Not only was the band super tight and the tunes rock-solid, the Nameless Ghoul proved to be a natural frontman; he has more charisma and swagger than anyone out there!
For those who missed out, photographer Chris Shonting was there to capture all the (black) magic on film. Check out the incredible photos below and be sure to catch the band live when they tour the U.S. and Canada this September with Norwegian progressive metal masters Enslaved and French blackened shoegazers Alcest. Click here for dates and ticket info.
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