Ghost are one of the most renowned Metal bands worldwide, captivating thousands of fans with their theatrical performances. But where did the idea for this supposedly satanic band come from, and who are the masked musicians?

Since their formation, Ghost have been surrounded by rumors. This Metal group stood out with a consistent aesthetic concept, a blend of various musical influences, and, of course, their unforgettable, dramatic live shows. For a long time, the identities of the members remained unknown, as they performed exclusively anonymously. The most famous of these members is the lead singer, Papa Emeritus. Then, it seemed that the lead singer had been replaced - or had he? We’re here to shed light on this mystery for all the newcomers among Ghost fans, and to take loyal followers from the early days on a journey through the band’s history!

Where Did The Band Ghost Come From?

It all began in Sweden, where Ghost was formed in 2006. From the very beginning, it was clear that a unique visual concept would be essential. This aspect was so important that the band spent almost two years designing the masks and costumes before they could truly get started. Even though the band performed anonymously for years and gave few to no interviews, the lead singer's name is well-known today. Tobias Forge, from Linköping, Sweden, has been the creative force behind Ghost. However, he performed under the name Papa Emeritus I, whose costume design is based on the clothing and appearance of the Catholic Pope. The skull makeup, however, was inspired by the film "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"!

All of his bandmates were known only as "A Nameless Ghoul." Although the band has evolved visually over the years, the religious theme has always remained a core part of their performances. It’s no surprise that the band quickly gained attention and became more popular with each release.

Image: Papa Emeritus I

Before Ghost, Tobias Forge played in several Death Metal and Black Metal bands, including Repugnant. During this time, he wrote the song "Stand By Him," or rather, a riff that would become the foundation for the band Ghost. Musically, Ghost leaned more toward Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, and Progressive Rock, influenced by bands like the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and many others. Their first three demos were released on MySpace, generating initial hype that led to numerous record deal offers.

The Creation Of The Band Logo

The distinctive band logo, featuring the word Ghost with an inverted cross as the "T," was personally designed by Tobias Forge and has remained unchanged ever since. However, the origin of the logo could not be further from a Ghost setting: it was created at Tobias’s workplace while he was working in telephone tech support for a mobile provider. And it happened during work hours, right in the middle of a customer call:

"First, I drew the text. Then, I paused the conversation with the customer and excused myself, pretending that I needed to check something regarding the matter. Instead, I went to the copier and made a copy of the original. Afterwards, I went back to my workstation. I reconnected the call with the customer and continued to 'assist'." - Tobias Forge

Image: Ghost Band Logo

Band History: The First Successor Of Papa Emeritus I

Since their early days, Ghost have released numerous albums and EPs, gone viral on TikTok, and changed the persona of their lead singer multiple times. This sounds like success, but it also raises many questions that we’ll answer here.

The debut album Opus Eponymous was released in 2010 and immediately entered the Swedish album charts. The reason for the long gap between the band's formation and their first full-length album wasn’t just the creation of their visual show. Tobias Forge originally hadn’t planned to sing. He approached various singers for the role, but no one agreed. Although he would have preferred to play guitar and didn’t see himself as a good frontman, he eventually became Papa Emeritus I. Once the decision was made, he found great enjoyment in the role.

Early tours quickly revealed Ghost’s potential as a live band. Tobias Forge describes their performances as “theatrical” and sees himself as an entertainer on stage. Many props, such as an incense censer, contribute to this experience. But before the next album was released, Papa Emeritus I was suddenly replaced.

During a concert in Linköping, the microphone was handed from Papa Emeritus I to a successor before he left the stage. The "new singer" introduced himself with the following Italian words:

"Io sono Papa Emeritus secondo."

In English: "I am Papa Emeritus II." What initially seemed like a new singer joining the band was actually just a well-planned part of the show. Thanks to the masks, it wasn’t apparent that the newcomer was just Tobias Forge in a new costume: his new persona, Papa Emeritus II. And it wouldn’t be the last time a new era was ushered in this way.

Tobias Forge later explained that these changes and new personas were meant to create a sense of nostalgia. People would eventually want what was no longer there. Additionally, it helped the band avoid stagnation and continue evolving.

Image: Papa Emeritus II

The Evolution Of Ghost And Papa Emeritus

The second studio album Infestissumam was released in 2013, along with Infestissumam Redux as a deluxe edition. With their own headlining tours and as the opening act for giants like Iron Maiden, their fan base continued to grow. That same year, the EP If You Have Ghost was released, produced by Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. According to the interview "Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction," Dave Grohl is said to have once performed in Ghost attire, playing their music - but where and when exactly remains a mystery.

In 2014, one of the Nameless Ghouls mentioned that due to alleged personal differences within the band, a successor for Papa Emeritus II was being sought. The show continued: Papa Emeritus III was introduced at a concert while his predecessor was dismissed. Thus, Tobias Forge adopted his third persona. Once again, there was a new outfit, and new masks were introduced, which had been custom-made since Papa II.

Under the new leader, the album Meliora was released in 2015, reaching the top of the Swedish album charts, just like Infestissumam. And as more world tours came to an end, this Papa also had his time. In 2017, he was replaced by Papa Emeritus Zero, later known as Papa Emeritus Nihil. He was the only character so far not portrayed by Tobias Forge but by an unknown actor in his older version and by Justin Andrews in his younger version, as well as in two music videos. The accompanying (fictional) backstory, which Ghost mainly tell through their web series on YouTube, revealed to fans that this new Papa killed his three predecessors. His greatest talent: playing the saxophone, which he showcased during tours, particularly in the song "Miasma."

Interestingly, this form of storytelling through videos and beyond wasn’t initially planned. Tom Walley from Loma Vista Recordings asked Tobias back then: "Where is the story? We need a story." This prompted Tobias to come up with something.

Image: Papa Emeritus Nihil playing the saxophone

In 2018, however, Cardinal Copia was introduced as the new frontman. His strength: dance moves. During this era, the album Prequelle was released, featuring successful singles like "Rats" and "Dance Macabre," as well as the EP Seven Inches of Satanic Panic, which includes the later extremely popular song "Mary On A Cross." The Cardinal even managed to sustain his role beyond one studio album, as in 2020, he was anointed and became Papa Emeritus IV. He also accompanied the next studio album, Impera, released in 2022, during which the costumes of the Nameless Ghouls also changed. Instead of demonic masks, they wore military-style helmets, inspired in part by "Star Wars".

Image: Papa Emeritus IV [Mikael Eriksson, Official Press Photo]

Ghost have even conquered cinemas with their 2024 film "Rite Here Rite Now", which included concert footage from Los Angeles and connections to their web series - more lore!

“Mary On A Cross” Goes Viral On TikTok

Although the song "Mary On A Cross" was originally released in 2019, it experienced a massive surge in popularity in 2022. Why? In May 2022, the fourth season of the highly popular Netflix series "Stranger Things" was released. On the social media platform TikTok, a particular moment from the series was paired with the song "Mary On A Cross," as fans found the lyrics fitting to the scene. As a result, the song was used and shared widely across the platform. Ghost even released a second, slower version of the song with reverb, perfectly matching the TikTok trend.

The band is present not only on their official website but also on Facebook, Instagram, X, and even TikTok with their own accounts.

@e6jj1 mary on a cross || #strangerthings #strangerthings4 #strangerthingsedit #max #explorepage #fypfypfyp ♬ Mary On A Cross - Ghost

Identity Revealed: Tobias Forge Is Papa Emeritus

Despite their immense success, Ghost faced some turmoil in 2017 when a legal dispute arose. Several band members were dismissed, allegedly due to conflicts over a contract. As a result, Tobias Forge was ordered to disclose all finances since 2011 and was accused of manipulating his bandmates. However, the hearing did not lead to any conclusive outcome. Nevertheless, the process and media coverage quickly revealed the person behind the masks of Papa Emeritus. Soon after, Tobias Forge decided to officially unmask himself - at least offstage. Since then, he has also given interviews as Tobias, something that was never planned before.

Why was this decision made? Tobias Forge explained that by this point, most people knew it was him anyway. Additionally, the band's future was a consideration: media presence is an important factor for success. He didn’t want to limit the band in that regard.

Songwriting & Musical Style

Ghost draw influences from Hard Rock bands as well as Heavy Metal. For example, the first two albums by Pink Floyd are cited as a concrete influence. Their songwriting process isn’t set in stone, and the structure of their songs often doesn’t follow a fixed formula like that of a Pop song. As a result, their music feels very organic, although it could have gone in a different direction. Tobias Forge described many of his early music experiments as too complicated: a music producer later referred to this as "prog-suicide." Too many progressive elements in music can alienate listeners.

Lyrically, Tobias initially wrote mostly homages to the bands he liked. However, as the band gained more listeners, he increasingly wanted to express what he had to say. This includes not only entertainment but also political opinions.