Ghost Swing ‘Square Hammer’ From Forthcoming Unnamed EP
2015 was a big year for Ghost. After years of being written off as a gimmick, the costumed outfit came through with Meliora, one of the year's most enjoyable, entertaining and endearingly goofy heavy metal records. In addition to a warm critical reception, the record went gold and nabbed Ghost a Best Metal Performance Grammy for lead single "Cirice" — not bad for a Zombie Pope and a bunch of dudes in masks.
On the heels of that release, Papa Emeritus III and crew are plotting a new EP of covers and one-offs, due out sometime this fall. Described by His Unholiness as an extension of Meliora, the release sees the group teaming up with Tom Dalgety (Killing Joke, Pixies) for some of their most melodic work to date. Case in point? "Square Hammer," an anthemic bit of Blue Öyster Cult worship unveiled by the band on SiriusXM this morning. Give it a listen below.
The new EP — which has yet to receive a title or release date — isn't the only thing Ghost have up their robes. This Friday, the band will head off on an extensive North American trek slated to run through late November. Check out the full list of dates below to see if the leaden liturgy (otherwise known as — wait for it — "The Popestar Tour") is coming to a city near you.
Ghost released Meliora in April 2015; it's out now on Loma Vista.
GHOST on TOUR
Sept. 16 — Rochester, NY @ The Armory
Sept. 19 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Sept. 21 — Cleveland, OH @ Masonic Auditorium
Sept. 23 — Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
Sept. 27 — Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theater
Sept. 28 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Sept. 30 — Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank at Midland Theatre
Oct. 1 — Madison, WI @ Sonic Boom Festival
Oct. 2 — Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life
Oct. 3 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
Oct. 4 — Kalamazoo, MI @ Kalamazoo State Theatre
Oct. 5 — Cedar Rapids, IA @ Paramount Theatre
Oct. 7 — Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
Oct. 8 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
Oct. 9 — Missoula, MT @ The Wilma Theatre
Oct. 11 — Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
Oct. 13 — Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theater
Oct. 14 — Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theater
Oct. 15 — Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theater
Oct. 16 — Portland, OR @ The Rosalind Theater
Oct. 18 — Riverside, CA @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Oct. 20-21 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Oct. 22 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Brooklyn Bowl
Oct. 25 — Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
Oct. 27 — Lubbock, TX @ City Bank Auditorium
Oct. 28 — San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theater
Oct. 31 — Little Rock, AR @ Metroplex
Nov. 2 — Orlando, FL @ The Hard Rock
Nov. 3 — Miami Beach, FL @ Fillmore Miami Beach
Nov. 4 — Jacksonville, FL @ The Florida Theatre
Nov. 5 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
Nov. 7 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
Nov. 9 — Toronto, Ontario @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Nov. 11 — Montreal, Québec @ Metropolis
Nov. 12 — Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre