Swedish heavy metal band Ghost is coming to Fresno’s Rainbow Ballroom on Friday, June 30 2017.

Although the band is generally classified as heavy metal, one of the band’s Nameless Ghouls describes the band as “Shock Rock.”

“I wouldn’t call it traditional heavy metal, even though we do have a lot in common with old heavy metal bands,” the Nameless Ghoul said. “Our image is obviously very influenced by Alice Cooper, Kiss, Mercyful Fate, bands like that. They were labeled shock rock, so in a way, that’s what what we are then: theatrical shock rock.”

The band is formed of five Nameless Ghouls, who wear nearly identical face-concealing demonic costumes, and vocalist ‘Papa Emeritus III’ whose image can be described as a satanic anti-Pope. Despite their climb to fame the members of the band choose to remain mostly anonymous through the guise of Nameless Ghouls.

“Originally the anonymity was there for the enhancement of the experience for the audience,” the Nameless Ghoul said. “Without knowing who was on stage, that would lend itself well to the mysticism of the band.”

The band focuses largely on its physical image as a part of who they are, and chose their image during their early recordings in 2007. Their image is considered to be somewhat of a satanic of the Roman Catholic church, with the Nameless Ghouls clad in all black with demonic masks and Papa Emeritus’ appearance of a dead pope.

“A song like ‘Death Knell’ just screamed out image. It needed to be a really image driven band that looks really cool, that plays music that sounds even better, that’s what it started,” the Nameless Ghoul said. “It was sort of easy to tap into that, with lyrics like ‘Can you see the cross?’ [We thought that] maybe we should have a priest singing. Why not a pope? Why not a dead pope? It wasn’t really science.”

Ghost is currently touring with Iron Maiden as openers for their “The Book of Souls” World Tour throughout the United States and Canada. After the tour finishes, the Ghost has plans to begin working on their fourth studio album to be released in the spring of 2018.