In 2006 he came up with a riff that he described as “probably the heaviest metal riff that has ever existed.” To accompany it, he penned a chorus that “haunted my dreams.” The song developed into “Stand By Him” from Ghost’s debut album, Opus Eponymous, but Forge knew that he couldn’t carry off such a dark sound with his clean-cut looks. Prior to forming Ghost, Tobias Forge was in the death metal band Repugnant, and sleaze metal band Crashdïet. His backing band retain their anonymity and maintain their mystery at record store signings by stamping their ascribed alchemical symbols for fire, water, air, earth, and ether. Forge was forced to give up his identity in 2017 when former bandmates sued him over royalties. These are likely to be Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge, who also portrayed each of the Papa characters and is currently serving as Cardinal Copia. The various frontmen never gave interviews, instead press duties were handled by the Nameless Ghouls. Since the band’s inception, in 2006, Ghost has maintained a strictly anonymous existence. Then are the musicians: fronted by a satanic priest-like figure in papal regalia who possesses a voice with an unexpectedly enticing charm and vulnerability, backed by a group of cardinals known as the “Nameless Ghouls.” The idea is to present music as salvation, with the live show playing the role of a religious service. Their stage set during live concerts is dressed as a church. But Ghost takes the construct to the next level. Religious imagery and satanism have forever been intertwined with heavy metal music genre pioneers Black Sabbath were masters of marrying the two. Listen to the best of Ghost on Apple Music and Spotify. Here, then, are ten facts that uncover the mystery behind the Swedish heavy metal band Ghost.

Their very existence comes with a concept, backstory, and elaborate visuals, with these embellishments being as inherent to the band’s performances as guitars or drums. Few bands today, however, push the envelope to the point where their theatrics are as important as their music. Image goes hand in hand with music, whether it’s the skinny black jeans and white hi-tops of thrash metalin the 80s, the flannel and combats of grunge in the 90s, or the comic-book space demons of KISS.

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