Ghost frontman Tobias Forge said the theatrical rockers may soon abandon the lore that’s become a major part of their identity.
“I think that there might be an end to the storytelling because it’s not productive to have this endless soap opera,” Forge told NME. “If fans need the lore in order to like the band, then that element will probably be over quite soon.”
If Forge’s prediction comes true, it would be a radical departure for a band whose religious allusions and Satanic flirtations have simultaneously stoked controversy and turned them into arena-filling headliners.
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Forge’s flair for theatrics and world-building has characterized Ghost from day one. The band functions as the public missionary arm of a devil-worshipping ministry that’s meant to satirize the Catholic Church. Ghost routinely instate a new leader (played by Forge) and they recently unveiled their latest figurehead, Papa V Perpetua, alongside the release of their new single “Satanized.”
All of this makes for interesting fodder and speculation beyond just the songs, but Forge said this lore shouldn’t be a requisite for enjoying Ghost’s music.
“If there is a way where the music can be enough and remains enjoyable, though, I am just as needy as any other artist in the sense of milestones that I want to achieve,” he said. “There are still places that I want to play and still things I want to do that will be another feather in my hat. I am very lucky that I’ve been able to achieve many of those things, but there are still levels of success that I want.”
Forge also said it’s too early in the saga of Papa V Perpetua for him to make decisive calls about him. “I can’t really make a profile description of who he is just yet, [but with Ghost] we have our real band story, and then we have our lore,” he explained. “The lore serves as a humoristic commentary, but it also follows the subjects presented on the records. As opposed to the public misunderstanding that it is all about Satan, it’s actually all about being alive. It’s a very simple but hugely broad concept … I think the characters are just searching for a sense of purpose.”
Ghost fans can learn more about these characters’ and musicians’ senses of purpose when the Swedes release their sixth album, Skeleta, on April 25.
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