Ghost are known for their distinctive stage personas, and for “killing off” their frontmen after every touring cycle.
The band has seen vocalist Tobias Forge create Papa Emeritus I, II and III to front the Swedish outfit, with the Prequelle cycle led by Cardinal Copia.
Ghost intermittently release short videos delving into their mythology and asked by Herald-Whig if he’s ever considered making something closer to a traditional film, Forge replies: “I guess in the context of a rock band trying to tell a story, you can't have too high of hopes of it being a blockbuster success!
“We're still a rock band, and it's there for fun. But yeah, the intention is to, in one way or form, tell that story. And if it becomes a film one day, potentially... but there is definitely other ways to tell the story – and it might come out in paper form.”
Asked if he has a favourite persona leading the band, Forge says: “That would be Cardinal in this case. I think he's the most accomplished so far, also because I see the potential.
“This album cycle was always meant as a sort of cleansing of the palette. The Cardinal was meant to be a little bit uphill, and he has been for me, but I definitely see the potential of him – potentially rise to an exalted place where he gets all the attributes of the previous Papas. That is, if he gets to be Papa!”
Speaking with Metal Hammer in 2018, Forge explained why he likes to change things up when it comes to who fronts Ghost.
He said: “I’ve always tried to make things hard for myself. Instead of just doing big, blunt commercial statements, I’m trying to do things in a more cinematic way.
“If we just continued with Papa to Papa to Papa to Papa, that would grow very boring. That is a one-dimensional way of looking at this band.
“If I had just done that, Ghost would have gone on auto-pilot and it would have grown stale very quickly.”
Ghost are preparing to release the Prequelle Exalted box set tomorrow (September 27) which will feature a host of bonuses, including the single Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic, which features the new tracks Kiss The Go-Goat and Mary On A Cross.
The band are currently on the road across North America on The Ultimate Tour Named Death.
Ghost: The Ultimate Tour Named Death
Sep 26: Spokane Arena, WA
Sep 27: Boise Taco Bell Arena, ID
Sep 28: West Valley City Maverik Center, UT (Without Nothing More)
Sep 30: Loveland Budweiser Events Center At The Ranch, CO
Oct 01: Colorado Springs Broadmoor World Arena, CO
Oct 03: Sioux Falls Denny Sanford Premier Center, SD
Oct 04: Fargo Scheels Arena, NC (Without Nothing More)
Oct 05: Minneapolis The Armory, MN
Oct 07: Green Bay Resch Center, WI
Oct 14: Grand Rapids DeltaPlex Arena, MI
Oct 19: Portland Cross Insurance Arena, ME
Oct 21: Worcester DCU Center, MA
Oct 22: Syracuse The Oncenter, NY
Oct 24: Hershey GIANT Center, PA
Oct 25: Trenton Cure Insurance Arena, NJ
Oct 26: Glens Falls Cool Insuring Arena, NY
Nov 16: Nottingham Motorpoint Arena, UK
Nov 17: Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, UK
Nov 18: Glasgow SSE Hydro, UK
Nov 20: Dublin 3Arena, Ireland
Nov 22: London SSE Arena Wembley, UK
Nov 23: Leeds First Direct Arena, UK
Nov 30: Katowice Spodek, Poland
Dec 01: Prague Universum, Czech Republic
Dec 03: Budapest BSA, Hungary
Dec 05: Mantova Palabam, Italy
Dec 06: Zurich Halle 622, Switzerland
Dec 08: Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi, Spain
Dec 10: Lisbon Altice Arena, Portugal
Dec 11: Madrid Palacio Vistalegre, Spain
Dec 13: Eckbolsheim Zenith Of Strasbourg, France
Dec 17: Esch-Sur-Alzette Rockhal, Luxembourg
Dec 18: Saint-Herblain Zenith Nantes Metropole, France
Dec 19: Touslouse Zenith Toulouse Metropole, France
