On Friday, January 22, 2021, Swedish national broadcaster SVT's "På Spåret" (On The Track) quiz show hosted The Hellacopters and special guest, Papa Emeritus IV. The pair performed the Rolling Stones song "Sympathy for the Devil", while putting both of their trademarks on this classic. Check it out down below.
Papa Emeritus IV is accompanied with a piano at the beginning of the song, with a somber tone and nearly a capella. He’s in a sleek Cardinal Copia style suit with red sparkles, and the red lights on the stage make it seem the band is in a church. This version of “Sympathy for the Devil” is a far cry from the simple, upbeat version by the legendary Rolling Stones. Papa’s voice is controlled and deep. When his voice sinks to a nearly deafened volume, the whole band joins in, and the melodies are enriching from each instrument. Papa continues to sing in his lower register, but he slowly starts to build up his voice with a raspy edge on his words and singing fuller. The band is also getting louder, and the guitar is starting to shine as well! Now in the very iconic higher octave, we really get to hear the classic Papa Emeritus voice. The white and bright lights start to flash around, the smoke grows intense on the stage, and when the band goes into overdrive, Papa Emeritus IV holds nothing back and completely lets it rip! It seems not being on tour really paid off for his vocals!
The Hellacopters are a prominent Swedish rock band formed back in 1994. Last year on Dr. Gong’s Drumcast, vocalist Nicke Andersson announced the band’s first album in over 13 years. Andersson said, “We're working on a new Hellacopters album. We recorded about seven basic tracks. The thing is, we do it very here and there. The stars have to be aligned, literally. People think I'm the busiest guy, but no. It's, like, 'Well, I'm free here... Oh, then I have to go to the country to the summer house.' It's that kind of thing. And then Dregen has Backyard Babies. I think I'm busy, but he's the busiest man I've ever known." The Hellacopters also performed “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix this same night, and seem to be a regular guest on this show.
This was exciting for Ghost fans because this is not only a cover we never heard before, but it’s also Papa Emeritus IV’s first performance since rising up from his role as Cardinal Copia. From a recent article we covered, Ghost has started or is starting to record the band’s 5th studio album. It is expected to arrive near the end of 2021.
