An evening mass, an 80’s rock concert, and a haunted house are three distinct atmospheres one may not expect to see mesh together seamlessly. However, Ghost packing their ritualistic rock anthems and sinful stage presence created that exact blended setting in Stephens Auditorium Sunday night.

Performing in Ames, on their first headlining arena tour in the United States; Ghost drew in a massive congregation of faithful fans eager to hear their unholy hymns in concert.

Ghost’s demonic and eccentric image combined with their genre-spanning take on metal music creates a vast musical spectacle.

The altar like stage complete with massive stained glass windows provides a fitting backdrop for the eight costumed musicians of Ghost to play their sacrilegious rock ballads.

Through a wall of machine made smoke and a grandiose light show, the audience is fixed on a horrific singing figure dawning a sinister black suit and a pale, disfigured prosthetic mask.

That figure is lead singer Cardinal Copia also known as Tobias Forge. Providing Cardinal Copia with instrumentation are seven “Nameless Ghouls” who obscure their identity behind silver, horned masks.

Forge is the main creative voice behind Ghost and the only well known member of the band beyond their costume as legal actions forced him to reveal his identity. Forge’s Cardinal Copia persona debuted along with Ghost’s 2018 album “Prequelle” in which their current tour is in support of, while past tours saw Forge under various incarnations of the anti-pope character “Papa Emeritus.”

Included with Ghost’s devilish appearance is devil worshipping lyricism hence making Ghost a controversial musical act. Ghost has described themselves as a devil worshipping “ministry” that uses the medium of rock ‘n’ roll to spread the word of Satan.

Despite this, Ghost has achieved a level of mainstream success earning a Grammy award for best metal performance in 2016 and 2018’s “Prequelle” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart.

Ghost’s success has earned them a devoted following as seen by the mass of Ghost t-shirts, face-painters and costume wearers flocking into Stephens Auditorium as soon as doors opened at 6 p.m. for the concert. The near three hour performance that followed gave those fans nothing short of a spiritual experience.

Ghost’s heavy metal sermon brought the audience to their feet to call out lyrics, reach out their hands, and embrace the empowering sound.

Regardless of if they are jamming out the straight forward pop hit “Dance Macabre” or if they were entrenched in an intense performance of the Grammy winning “Cirice” the overwhelming effect of a Ghost live performance is uplifting.

Throughout an over 25 song setlist Ghost bounces fluidly between the heavy cuts from 2015’s “Meliora” and 2010’s “Opus Eponymous” to the 70s and 80s rock influenced tracks from 2018’s “Prequelle” all of which receiving an equally loud roar from the audience at the beginning of each performance. Ghost’s array of musical influences show themselves throughout their setlist from psychedelic rock to doom metal.

Frontman Forge moves around the stage with a sexual and evil aura. He displays unique mannerisms knowing anything could elicit a reaction from the crowd and occasionally he firmly points to the audience when he wants to feel their energy.

At first Forge’s voice makes a creepy impression, but soon makes itself known as most the powerful and dynamic instrument in Ghost’s arsenal. On the triumphant vocal performance in the chorus of “Square Hammer,” to his performance on the soft and sweet “He Is,” to the heavy and haunting “Mummy Dust,” Forge shows he’s able to effectively use his voice in whatever sound Ghost wants to take on.

Channeling the loud and proud side in his voice Forge produces infectious confidence and power that could be felt all throughout Stephens Auditorium.

The experience felt like a worship, surrounded by a sea of faithful followers to a mysterious entity all rejoicing in the music. Ghost alters the traditional rock concert experience to match their mystique and to give anyone in attendance an unforgettable night.