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GHOST Unmasked – TOBIAS FORGE Interview

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A lot has changed over the past couple of years for Swedish metal outfit Ghost. To some the band have made it to the mainstream big time. A Grammy win and an appearance on American television seemed to suggest that the ‘religious figures’ that once kept them to the underground was finally being ignored and the world were embracing Ghost.

Then came the biggest upheaval that the band could possibly have faced a law suit resulted in the once masked lead singer being revealed as Tobias Forge from Repugnant. Forge however has turned that into a positive – gone now is Papa Emeritus and they have been replaced with Cardinal Copia – and the band are about to release Prequelle, one of the most beautiful heavy metal albums you are ever likely to hear.

As HEAVY Mag sits down to chat to Forge he quickly reveals himself as an artist who is pretty critical of his own work. “I always try to write an album that in some shape or form differs somewhat from the previous one,” he explains. “I usually a record after the recording process with a list of things that I want to do better next time. That’s not to say that I leave every album thinking that it sucks but you always have that little ‘ah next time we are going to do this or next time we are going to do that or that didn’t work out so well, or this was good for this time but next time I am going to do that’. Usually I end up having about two years aiming at the next record and I will be compiling a big pile of musical ideas and stuff for the next one which is what I am doing right now and what I did between 2014 and getting Prequelle together. I always try to write new songs, you want to make them your own timeless craft, you start at zero and then 45 minutes you have one comprehensive roller-coaster whereas with a film you have a beginning, a resolve and then an ending with some kind of message or some kind of feel but then you want these songs (these scenes) to play a great part in your live show. So you write songs that will feel good to play and hopefully work well with the crowd. The record needs to work but you also need to bring something to the table for the show as well. I love making records but my job is to go around the world and play these songs and recreate them with a band an entertain people.”

 

Prequelle will be released on June 1st. You can listen to our full Ghost interview above.

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