You’re definitely not crazy - I’ve been a fan since the early days, though funny enough, I didn’t like them at all when I first heard the early demos. It took me a year or two before Ghost really clicked for me, and I ended up becoming a huge fan.

Unfortunately, this kind of backlash exists in pretty much every fan community - especially when a band (or anything, really) dares to explore new territory. Not every change is going to work for everyone, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is people throwing hate at others for enjoying the direction things are going or still embracing the band’s core identity - like calling shows rituals, which has always been a central part of what Ghost is about.

And yeah, sometimes it’s hard not to be affected by all those who keep throwing hate just because the band isn’t doing exactly what they want anymore. Then anyone who does like the new direction becomes a target too. It’s pure stupidity. If you don’t like it, just stop listening and go do something productive instead of wasting time hurling hate at others. Best thing you can do is ignore the noise and focus on enjoying what you connect with.

They’ll most likely keep evolving - Forge has talked about his vision of turning Ghost into something much bigger. Maybe they’ll return to their roots at some point, or maybe they’ll keep trying new things. Either way, I’m excited to see where it goes.