Back in 2013, Ghost celebrated the arrival of their Infestissumam album by selling an official Phallos Mortuus box set, a bible-bound package containing a sizeable Papa Emeritus dildo and a bronze butt plug. It's since passed into merchandising legend, with original sets allegedly changing hands for thousands of dollars.
Last October the band reissued the box as a 10th anniversary edition, which swiftly sold out, but now it's back, and we couldn't be more excited. The package, which retails at $225 and is limited to just two per customer, contains a bible box case with gold embossed artwork and red velvet lining, the butt plug and dildo (both described as "adult toys"), a brushed metal logo pin, and a set of divorce papers.
For those who like to know about this sort of thing, the dildo is seven inches long, with a two-inch width, while the butt plug is three inches long with a two-inch width.
"As a band, you’re basically a travelling shop," a Nameless Ghoul told Metal Hammer in 2017. "Selling whatever you can to make money. Hopefully most of our merchandise is good, although occasionally something slips through – a shitty keyring or something! But, sometimes you just have to have fun with a dildo! We do want to release more offbeat merchandise… but I can’t tell you about it."
Other bands to have released bespoke sex toys include Mötley Crüe, who launched a range of vibrators in 2016, punk legends NOFX, who produced an inflatable sheep sex doll to celebrate the arrival of their 1996 album Heavy Petting Zoo, and GWAR, whose Cuttlefish of Cthulu Dildo was launched two years ago.
The Phallos Mortuus – X Anniversary Edition box set is available now, but not, we imagine, for long.