Genres: heard rock – heavy metal

Ghost

Ghost, also formerly known as Ghost B.C. in the United States, is a Swedish rock band that was
formed in Linköping in 2006.

Ghost is known for its eccentric on-stage presence. Seven of the group's eight members,
known as "Nameless Ghouls", wear virtually identical, face-concealing costumes. Prior to a
2017 lawsuit filed by former members of the band, lead singer Tobias Forge obscured his
identity behind a succession of characters bearing the title of "Papa Emeritus". Portrayed by
Forge in a prosthetic mask and makeup, the persona has been described as a "demonic anti-
pope", and has undergone five incarnations: I, II, III, Nihil, and IV. For the band's 2018
album Prequelle and subsequent world concert tour A Pale Tour Named Death, Forge played a
character known as "Cardinal Copia", who is described as being unrelated to the prior Papa
Emeritus characters. Copia's costume consists of either cardinal vestments or a black or white
tuxedo; he also sports a prosthetic mask with black eye makeup and multi-colored eyes,
features which are present in each Papa character. In March 2020, at the final show of A Pale
Tour Named Death, Copia was promoted to the title of "Papa Emeritus IV", a persona which
Forge has continued to use for the album Impera and its associated concert tour, Imperatour.

Musical style and influences

Ghost's music has been categorized in many genres, critics have classified them as hard
rock, heavy metal, doom metal, pop rock, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, occult
rock, and arena rock. Adrien Begrand of PopMatters stated that Ghost recalls "the early sounds
of Black Sabbath, Pentagram, and Judas Priest, as well as the progressive and psychedelic rock
of the late '60s. Speaking to Noisey.com, a Nameless Ghoul described Ghost as a black
metal band in the traditional sense, but said that they probably do not fit into the norms of the
current black metal scene. This Nameless Ghoul described Ghost's music as a mix between pop
music and death metal.

Members

The members of Ghost mimic the Roman Catholic Church, but have reversed the image to
worship Satan instead of the Holy Trinity. From 2010 to 2017, the band’s instrumentalists,
referred to as the “Nameless Ghouls”, each represented one of the five elements, typically
attached to their instrumental role; the lead guitarist was fire, the bassist was water, the
keyboardist was wind, the drummer was earth, and the rhythm guitarist was ether, and wore
their respective alchemical symbol on their instruments. With Meliora each Nameless Ghoul
had all five elemental symbols embroidered on the right breast of their costumes, with the
elemental symbol representing the individual Ghoul being highlighted to show the identity of
the wearer. In 2018, the band’s line-up was expanded to include a third guitarist, two female
keyboardists referred to as the “Ghoulettes”, and Papa Nihil on saxophone.
 PAPA EMERITUS
The group's vocalist usually portrays the band's mascot character, a
Satanic priest known as Papa Emeritus. There have been four
different characters taking the name Papa Emeritus. They first
welcomed the second Papa Emeritus on December 2012, in
Linköping. On 3 June 2015, the second Papa Emeritus welcomed his
younger brother as the new Papa Emeritus in Linköping after being
"fired" due to not performing his duty in overthrowing governments
and churches. Papa Emeritus II and Papa Emeritus III were stated to
only have a 3-month difference in age. On 30 September 2017 during
a show in Gothenburg, Papa Emeritus III was dragged off stage by two men, who then escorted
a new character, Papa Emeritus 0, to the stage to introduce the band's next chapter. Papa
Emeritus 0 is portrayed as being significantly older than the previous Papas, making use of a
walker and oxygen tank whilst walking on stage. On 19 January 2018, the band shared a video
that features a character, implied to be Papa Emeritus IV, listening to Ceremony and
Devotion on 8-track tape while critiquing Papa Emeritus III's vocal abilities. The character's face
is hidden offscreen, but he is shown to wear red vestments similar to a cardinal priest. He was
later revealed to be Cardinal Copia. At the final show of the tour in support of Prequelle, Papa
Nihil had collapsed and "died", and Cardinal Copia became Papa Emeritus IV. Papa Nihil was
later resurrected during the European leg of the Imperatour. All versions of Papa Emeritus are
actually the same vocalist, Tobias Forge.

CARDINAL COPIA
In April 2018, it was revealed that the "new leader" of Ghost would
be Cardinal Copia, who made his live debut with the group at a
private acoustic show on 6 April; he is not a part of the Papa Emeritus
lineage. Instead, Forge described the situation as being like
the Sith in Star Wars; "there is always two, master and apprentice...
And if he does his job well then he may earn his face paint.

In promotion for their 2018 US tour, a video showed that Papa

Emeritus one through three had been killed and their bodies
embalmed. In an interview the following month, Forge stated that unlike Ghost's previous
frontmen, Cardinal Copia is planned to be around for about five years. The band also
welcomed Papa Nihil, the first band member besides Forge to receive a character name.
Originally introduced as Papa Emeritus Zero, Nihil is the ancestor of all previous Papa Emeritus
characters, and after the "deaths" of his descendants, was the only surviving member of the
Papa Emeritus lineage that we know of. During the final show of the tour in support
of Prequelle, Cardinal Copia was "elevated" to become Papa Emeritus IV.
 IDENTITIES
Anonymity is a major characteristic of Ghost; prior to 2017, the
members had not publicly revealed their names, and the group's five
instrumentalists are only referred to as "Nameless Ghouls". During
signings, the Nameless Ghouls sign the merchandise by stamping their
individual alchemical symbol, while Papa Emeritus signs with his stage
name or the letters "P.E.” One Ghoul said the idea that the band's
members remain anonymous to gain attention is a misconception, and
that the idea was to remove their personalities to allow their
audiences to focus upon the artwork itself. He also said, "Had not the
music been rocking, I don’t think that people would have gone gaga
just about our looks”. In 2011, a Nameless Ghoul said, "We're often
mistaken for roadies, which is helpful. We've almost been thrown out of venues we've played.
Forgetting our backstage pass is a big problem.” In early 2012, a member of the band said he
enjoyed being an individual and that he could easily "step outside the bubble" when he
wanted to. In May 2013, a Ghoul disclosed that they had started to reveal their membership in
the group to their local friends and family "for house peace."

CONTROVERSIES
Ghost's Satanic theme has proven problematic for the group, especially in the US. While
recording Infestissumam in Nashville, Tennessee, they were unable to find choral singers who
would sing their lyrics, forcing them to record the parts in Hollywood. The group was unable to
find a record manufacturer in the US to press the album because it featured artwork showing
nudity, which resulted in a delay to the album's release. When one interviewer suggested that
the band's music had become more "radio-friendly" and that they were being accepted into
the US mainstream, a Nameless Ghoul replied that in the US their music was banned from
major chain stores, most late-night television shows, and most commercial radio stations. He
said, "So, yes, mainstream America is absolutely welcoming us with open legs.” During an
interview with Loudwire in October 2015, a band member stated that as of 2015, the US had
become more accepting of their music and imagery, further evidenced by their appearance as
the main musical guests on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on 30 October 2015, during
a Halloween-themed episode. This was Ghost's first live television appearance in the US.