Swedish doom metal band Ghost have been performing their unique blend of underground Swedish black metal and on-stage theatrics all around the world since they formed in 2008. Lead by the mysterious frontman Papa Emeritus, the band is made up of unknown individuals who are simply referred to as Nameless Ghouls.
The release of their first album, Opus Eponymous, in late 2010 saw the group nominated for the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards in the Hard Rock category and they quickly became one of Sweden's most in-demand metal acts. It wasn't long before the band broke out into the rest of Europe and by early 2011 they were performing in America on a short tour. They debuted their new album, Infestissumam, in April 2013 to strong reviews. This second album marked their move to a major record label as the American release was under the Republic Records label, a company owned by Universal Music. In late 2013 Ghost released an EP producer by Foo Fighters' front-man Dave Grohl, named If You Have Ghost. The release featured one live track from a previous album as well as four covers of pop songs, including an ABBA track.
In recent years they have toured extensively, working with genre stalwarts Slayer and Iron Maiden in South America and Mexico, performing two years in a row at the Download Festival in the UK, playing with Trivium and In Flames on dates across Europe and heading on a world tour in 2013 that ended with a number of festivals and headline performances in the US to publicize their second album.
The real names of the band members has remained a well-kept secret and the stage act that comes with every musical performance is as intricate to their success as the music itself. They take great pride in the mystery and theatrics of the band, just as the presence of bizarre frontman Papa Emeritus with his Catholic Priest's robes and his hooded Nameless Ghouls might imply. The satanic lyrics and unholy costumes are all firmly tongue-in-cheek and the band happily admits that entertainment is the name of the game. That's not to say the music takes second place though. With endorsements from people such as Phil Anselmo and collaborations with talent such as Dave Grohl, it's clear Ghost are more than just a spooky show.