Version of “Enter Sandman” was included in the tribute album The Metallica Blacklist and performed in several shows of the band
In the more than 40 concerts he performed in early 2022, the ghost included a cover of “Enter Sandman”of metallica, in their repertoire. The version, with a dark feel, had been recorded by the band on the tribute album The Metallica Blacklist, released in 2021, but it was brought to live performances – and for a special cause that can accredit its return at any time.
In an interview with Revolver Magazinethe leader of the groupTobias Forge, explained that the income obtained from the rights to perform the track, whether in the studio version on The Metallica Blacklist live, is intended for a charity. The benefited NGO is Camp Aranu’tiqwhich works on behalf of transgender children and adolescents.
“We were asked to choose a charity to support. I had heard about an organization called Camp Aranu’tiq that ran summer camps for transgender kids. I felt there was a little connection, because ‘Enter Sandman’ is sung to a child – and it also has that menacing but reassuring hand over the child. […] And the more we play it live, the more money it makes for them, so we had to play it on this tour. A lot of these kids don’t dare to be themselves where they live, so these camps are good for that.”
forge even highlighted the curious indirect connection between Ghost and the cause of trans visibility.
“It’s ironic because we are dressing to become what we want to be. We have to transform. So that’s a little additional connection here. And I love the music, plus we’re doing it for the kids.”
Ghost and Metallica
In the same interview, Tobias Forge explained how the ghost was forced to rewrite “Enter Sandman”. It all started at the 2018 ceremony of the Polar Music Prize, an award held in Sweden – the group’s home country. That year, the metallica would be honored and the project of forge would do a live performance in tribute to idols.
“I accepted right away, because they were very important to me, personally and professionally. They asked if we could open the whole ceremony by playing ‘Enter Sandman’ because it’s their biggest hit. And then I thought, ‘uh… do we have to play this?’ There were so many other songs that would be more comfortable. This is how to play ‘Smoke on the Water’ (Deep Purple) or ‘Highway to Hell’. I felt like we would just sound like a bad cover band. But they said that’s what they wanted, so they asked us to consider it.”
In order to prevent the ghost sounds like a cheap copy of metallica, Tobias made changes to the music to give it a more unique personality. The version run on Polar Music Prize is close to what you hear in The Metallica Blacklist.
“I went into the studio and recorded a demo because I had an idea of how to develop the melody in a different passage. When I heard it again, I felt like we could do this. So we played it (with Candlemass as the backing band) and everybody was happy. Then I didn’t even think about it until they asked us to be part of the Blacklist.”
Show in Brazil in 2023
O ghost returns to Brazil for a single performance on September 21, 2023. The show will be at Espaço Unimed, in São Paulo. Tickets will go on sale next April 13 (with pre-sale starting two days before) on the website Livepass.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
