Melding surprisingly accessible metal- and pop-driven hard rock, costumed Swedish outfit Ghost deliver sonic sermons centered on horror imagery, the occult, and Satanic themes. The group is fronted by lead singer, songwriter, and conceptualist Tobias Forge, who dons various demonic Pope costumes and is backed by a band of “Nameless Ghouls” hidden in cloaks and heavy makeup. 2011’s Opus Eponymous wed ’70s hard rock to ’80s hair metal in hook-laden songs. 2013’s Infestissumam offered a keyboard-centric approach, melding progressive pop and alt-metal. 2015’s Meliora combined vintage FM rock, New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and edgy new wave influences, while 2018’s Grammy-nominated Prequelle doubled down on the hooks, revealing ABBA’s influence in a sound that combined the riffing bombast of Judas Priest and King Diamond. Ghost released their fifth effort, the international chart-topper Impera, in 2022.
Ghost was formed in 2006 in Linköping, Sweden by Forge, the former singer and guitarist for death metal band Repugnant. He wrote the song “Stand by Him” and contacted former bandmate Gustaf Lindström in early 2008 to assist him in properly recording it. They also wound up cutting two additional tracks, “Prime Mover” and “Death Knell.” The Satanic and occult subject matter birthed a concept for Forge and he wanted the group to be an anonymous, theatrical rock band. As he enlisted other musicians, he costumed them in hooded robes and referred to them as “Nameless Ghouls.” Forge called the band Ghost and dressed in Papal regalia; his face was painted to resemble a skull and he called himself Papa Emeritus. He has since altered or changed his moniker on every subsequent album.
Initially, Forge wanted to play lead guitar. He offered the position of lead vocalist to four singers: Messiah Marcolin, Mats Levén, Krister Göransson, and J.B. Christoffersson. All passed and Forge became the band’s singer by default. In March 2010 he posted those three Ghost songs to MySpace. Within two days he was contacted by several record labels and managers. Ghost began playing underground shows and sharpening their sound, leavening it with keyboards and sometimes even pop-prog overtones. Given their occult ritual-styled performances, their popularity with metal fans in their home country flourished. In 2010, they issued a three-track demo followed by the single “Elizabeth” and both quickly sold out. Their debut album, Opus Eponymous, on Rise Above Ltd., defied expectations with a welcoming melodic sound, weaving together ’60s psychedelia, doomy hard rock, and the pervasive influence of New Wave of British Heavy Metal. The band’s multi-textured approachable songs contrasted beautifully with their sinister appearance. The music drew listeners across the globe despite the record’s limited distribution. Though metal fans had some difficulty with its sound, progressive music fans embraced it. Ghost took to the road, touring internationally. The set was nominated for a Swedish Grammis award, and they signed to Universal’s Loma Vista Recordings imprint afterwards.