Ghost Debut Unreleased New Song ‘Kaisarion’ + Unveil New Nameless Ghoul Look at Tour Kickoff
Ghost's co-headlining tour with Volbeat officially kicked off last night (Jan. 25) in Reno, Nevada. It was a night full of firsts for the band, including live performances of the previously released new single "Hunter's Moon," a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and the unreleased Impera track "Kaisarion." The band also debuted the new look for the Nameless Ghoul backing band and singer Tobias Forge unveiled the Papa Emeritus IV character during "Year Zero."
The 16-song set (seen at the bottom of the page, via setlist.fm) began with an intro tape of "Imperium," the sub-two-minute opening track on Ghost's forthcoming record, which spilled into the live rendition of "Kaisarion," which follows "Imperium" on the album's track listing. Opening a tour with a song nobody has heard before is both bold and exciting and you can view fan-shot video of the high-energy "Kaisarion" below.
The Nameless Ghouls were also seen donning an entirely new uniform, the most noticeable new element being the diving helmet, only instead of the typical singular viewing lens, the front is outfitted with two eye sockets in addition to an ornamental shoulder piece on what resembles a military jacket from past decades or even centuries.
Sandwiched between "Cirice" and "Faith" was "Hunter's Moon," (seen below) the new song that was released last fall and the Reno concert marked the very first time Ghost played it live.
For the first nine songs, Forge appeared onstage as the Cardinal Copia frontman character, but like the Nameless Ghouls, he too underwent a transformation. Although the Papa Emeritus IV character was originally unveiled in Mexico in 2020, just before Ghost went dormant, the Jan. 25 show marked the first time the figure appeared in conjunction with a new record and it took place during "Year Zero," which can be viewed below as well.
But wait, there's more!
After completing 13 songs, Ghost disappeared for a moment before returning for a three-song encore that began with their cover of "Enter Sandman," which appeared on the star-studded Blacklist covers album in 2021. See more fan-shot footage of the performance further below.
Ghost's co-headlining tour with Volbeat and special guest Twin Temple continues through March 3 and the remaining stops can be seen here. Impera will be released on March 11 and pre-orders can be placed at this location.
Ghost, "Kaisarion" Live Debut + "Rats" — Jan. 25, 2022 (Reno, Nevada)
Ghost, "Hunter's Moon" Live Debut — Jan. 25, 2022 (Reno, Nevada)
Ghost, "Helvetesfönster" + "Year Zero" — Jan. 25, 2022 (Reno, Nevada)
Ghost, "Enter Sandman" (Metallica Cover) Live Debut — Jan. 25, 2022 (Reno, Nevada)
Ghost, Set List — Jan. 25, 2022 (Reno, Nevada)
01. "Kaisarion" (World Premiere)
02. "Rats"
03. "From the Pinnacle to the Pit"
04. "Mary on a Cross"
05. "Devil Church"
06. "Cirice"
07. "Hunter's Moon" (Live Premiere)
08. "Faith"
09. "Helvetesfönster "(abridged)
10. "Year Zero"
11. "Ritual"
12. "Mummy Dust"
13. "Kiss the Go-Goat"
Encore:
14. "Enter Sandman" (Metallica cover) (Live Premiere)
15. "Dance Macabre"
16. "Square Hammer"