Ghost: Tobias Forge, Satanism and the sinister surreal 2018

With this year rounding its way to a close, we look back at the year and talk about why 2018 was Ghost and Tobias Forge’s year.

“Religion was more of a fictional art explosion.”

This year has been one hell of a year for Swedish metal band Ghost and its frontman Tobias Forge. The announcement of Cardinal Copia, the Rats on the Road tour, releasing Prequelle, A Pale  Tour Named Death and Tobias Forge having his first live on camera interview since being revealed as the band’s leader has made 2018 one of their best years to date.

If you look away from the internet for too long lately, you’ll miss at least 5 new pieces of news or interviews that the band has been doing and, as someone that has been following the mythology and music for years, I couldn’t be more proud. In the last week, they have been nominated for two Grammys, Forge did another on camera interview, they were named metal artist of the year and Forge had a deep psychological conversation about Satanism, but we will get into all of that.

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First up is their Grammy nomination that was announced on their social media accounts. This isn’t their first time at the Grammys. Ghost was nominated and won Best Rock Song for “Cirice” back in 2016 after their album Meliora was released. This time around, they were nominated not only for Best Rock Song but Best Rock Album as well. Prequelle is their most well-rounded album to date, with songs in their classic sound, pop-rock, beautiful ballads, instrumentals and booming arena songs.

After the disaster that was the iHeartRadio interview, through no fault of Tobias Forge, fans were waiting for an interview that actually allowed listeners to hear Forge talk about…well, ANYTHING.

That interview occurred with Eddie Trunk on Sirius Talk Radio. The interview was a lot better with an attentive (and silent when needed albeit slightly condescending) interviewer that made for easy listening and watching as Forge premiered another style that would fit nicely into The Parade. Eddie may not be a fan, but at least we could hear Tobias talk.

Among all of the best of 2018 lists that Ghost is dominating, Loudwire named them Metal Artist of the Year and got the chance to sit down with Forge and discuss the decision to kill off the Papas, religious protesters and struggles in 2017, which was a tough year for him amid a forced unmasking due to being sued by former bandmates. The case recently was resolved but the former bandmates are appealing the decision stating the just was biased due to belonging to the same Freemason branch as Forge.

As the cherry on top of it all, Forge recently had an interview with Psychology Today where he discussed the occult themes of Ghost and how his past led him on a direct course to Satanism and metal. It is one of the most interesting interviews I have read with Forge and touches less on the music of Ghost but offers a deeper look just into the steps that led to the creation of Tobias as a musician and his connection to Satan.

"“As a young teen, Satan, and the idea of some sort of world that you could be in touch with that could empower you was very much the symbol for freedom.”"

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He further goes in depth to explain that his experience with the overtly religious has been more negative than positive and that the people who preached kindness and love were the meanest of all. He believes in Jesus as a historical figure who talked of being kind to each other and thinks that people spreading hatred and judgement over what is said in the Bible is just ridiculous. It was a much different interview than his usual and was a nice look into his earlier like that he has just touched on in the past.

If 2018 was this amazing for Ghost, I cannot WAIT to see what 2019 holds. They will start the second half of A Pale Tour Named Death, so those outside of the United States will get a piece of the action. If you are new to Ghost, check out our top 25 songs list, the only list you’ll ever need. If you missed the last tour, read up on our experience at the show.

Fan of the incredible Ghost? Agree the band’s 2018 has been phenomenal? Let the other horror heads know what you think in the comment section below.