They are dark. The lyrics all revolve around satanism, and dark subject matter. Don't confuse heaviness and Dark as being the same thing. They indeed are a "Dark" band.
One man founds the band, manages it, writes all the music- word for word and note for note- and the performers who rode his coat tails feel entitled to claim ownership of the group. No wonder he swept them all out the door and replaced them for the tour.
A bit of misinformation that constantly seems to be thrown around is that Forge fired the Ghouls. He didn't fire them, they were offered contracts which they weren't happy with, and decided to turn them down. Even Mauro, the former Air Ghoul, has stated clearly that they weren't fired, yet people still keep saying they were, despite those directly involved disputing it.
Will "removing the mystique" hurt Ghost's popularity? I don't think so. Not for me at least. The theatrics/gimmick drew me in, but I stayed for the music. I don't see the costumes and masks when I'm listening to their albums at work or in my car, they are just the icing on the cake IMO. It does suck to think that one or more band members may be being dicks to each other, but at the end of the day I don't know them or their situations, so they really don't owe me anything. We'll just have to wait and see if this whole mess affects the music going forward or not. I think they would have to come out and say/do some real bastard shit to make me turn away from their already established music.
Malkav1379 when I first heard & saw Ghost was their Cirice video. I said to myself"I love the sound of this band!" So much feeling, great voice, loved the lyrics, beat, rhythm, everything but the masks. I just figured they had some good reason to wear them, because they sure didn't need the gimmick... Got to love their movements, attitudes, professionalism, etc. that is who I loved. If their music gets too dark I am afraid I may not love anymore. Will see.
indeed my friend introduce me to ghost the first song I heard was Elizabeth in his car and it was awesome the Customs were Plus but the music is phenomenal I can't get enough of it
I didn't really like Ghost the first time I heard them BECAUSE of the gimmicky aspect of it. Later I actually sat down and listened to their first album and it was like, "Come for the gimmick, stay for the music". Their second album was better and "Meliora" was a MASTERPIECE. So I'm actually looking forward to the fourth release. Hopefully it will be better than "Meliora". As far as the controversy goes, musicians can always be replaced, vocalists and songwriters can not, they are the glue of the music. Only time will tell.
Malkav1379 I feel the same way. It’s Papa’s (Tobias’) lyrics and music that got me. The look and style was just an awesome plus. And honestly, I don’t think this hurting the band at all... cause they just released a live album and I heard they’re recording a new studio album right now too.
Yeah, it was the opposite for me, too. I had a bunch of people telling me I should check out Ghost and how much I would like them, but I was totally turned off by the whole mask gimmick thing. Once I finally gave them a chance I really enjoyed the music, but I even remember telling the guys in my band "Yeah, their music is awesome but I wish they would drop the gimmick and just be a band. The gimmick overshadows the music." Eventually the whole mask thing grew on me, but it definitely wasn't the reason I like them.
This fandom needs to calm the hell down. You all act like your own bank accounts are being affected by the entire thing. Let them sort their own business out.
This fandom will never stop, not because the bands are that good, it is because most of the people prefer to live free under the limitations of a group hence the need to identify with something, in the end, most of the people will prefer the comfort of being controlled over the burden of being a free thinker.
Exactly. This is not about what fans want but what was promised and agreed internally. It seems to me that they were just naive and young touring together being surprised by the success - forgetting to set up written contracts.
After reading all the court documents on reddit, I side with TF/Papa. He founded Ghost and writes 95% of the music. It started as his project and he handles every aspect. The Ghouls were assembled after TF finished the first record. It's never been the same 5 Ghouls. Every era had lineup changes. At the end of 2016 only one original Ghoul was left from the first show. Only a few Ghouls were sporadicly involved with recording since session musicians were often used. The Ghouls basically play TF's music live and make appearances. Papa was paying them what he could and often out of his own pocket. Each Ghoul getting about $2000-3000 per month towards the end plus bonuses. The 2016 lineup wanted more money and threatened to sabotage the tour. He fired and replaced them. Now Ghouls who didn't create Ghost or write any music are suing him for the Ghost trademark and music royalties. 2 of the 4 Ghouls suing were only in Ghost from 2015-2016. I'm not saying the dozens of Ghouls over the years didn't work hard on tour, but Ghost started and still is TF/Papa's project.
For sure this is a horrible mess, but I'm gonna sit back, let it all shake out, and see what the next album sounds like. It would be easy to let rumors dictate my opinion, so I'm not going to do that.
Tobias is doing what he is supposed to do. In a nutshell, the ex-ghouls became greedy assholes even though they had signed contracts. Ive read the legal documents and there was a SHITLOAD of info. Dont give up on papa!
It's not the lost mystique that bothers me, it's the way things went down with the band. I get there being conflict, etc., but to not get paid for your efforts . . . that doesn't sit well with me.
A band with a tour bus, albums, a Grammy, headlining tours, Iron Maiden support tours, and merchandise sold in hot topic hasn't made any money? Right. Love the band but come on Papa.
Frank Zappa had little tolerance for band members who wanted more than their agreed pay as well. His question was aisle or window, as in that's your choice on your flight home if you don't like what's happening. He believed the show was for the audience, not the performers. I just hope Ghost goes back on tour and records more music.
shanice Brown The drummer and bassist periodically are replaced, the bassist postion was held by Tobias, who would take lead vocals. Omegas brother left the band shortly into things, so drummers have been changed a couple times
My Chime, Same with Trent Reznor. He's been in several bands & branched. NIN came to fruition because of him. Granted the band needs to be paid! If Forge wanted to not see it come to the light it did, he should have left it where it was & it still would have sold. However, he is a showman, so, what's fair is fair! The makeup & mystery is damn sexy! He knows that, again, showman! I, living her, like many of us in the U.S. probably would've never paid mind. Now that the "mystery" is uncovered, it's even more attractive! that's just what it is!
I fell in love with Ghost's music before I even knew about their mystique. After I found out it just drew me in even further. I love the music so much! Literally my favourite band and I've listened to each album all the way through hundreds of times. Even if the mystique is somewhat tainted I'm still looking forward to hearing new music from them in the future. I've loved them since day one and I'll bet my soul that I'll love them till the end.
I hope that the former Ghouls continue to make music because I really like what I've heard so far from "Priest" and from what MCC is doing now. However, I will continue to support Ghost, and am not swayed. I am saddened by the lawsuit, but most bands have problems with contacts, money, and membership. It's very rare to find a group such as Rush, who defied the odds in terms of personal and professional relationships. I think it's not fair to hold other bands to Rush's standard, because trying to coordinate musicians is only slightly easier than herding cats.
Since I started to listen to Ghost in 2013 I have always seen these swedish names flying around in comments and stuff and I have never cared about it, because in interviews when they're asked why they wear masks and stay nameless, they say that it is to get people to focus on the music and not the individuals in the band. And that I think is the deal with Ghost. It is not supposed to matter who is under the masks, it is the music. Every Ghoul plays the same songs the same way and they rock out and look cool. It saddens me to see so many people complain about this. I was hoping this lawsuit wouldn't come out, but it did. I really hope this won't hurt the band too much and I hope that most of the fans will let this slip through and look forward to the next album and such. Go Ghost!
Say you [i.e. anyone who sees this] opened a restaurant: you had the concept, you took out the loan to buy the location, you made the original menu, picked out the decor and stylized the property and branding, you were the head chef and in charge of business, you were the one signing paychecks and making sure taxes were done, made sure that all of the dishwashers and staff had all of the paperwork they needed to be employed and the tools to perform their jobs while you take care of keeping the freezer stocked, health code, licesnes, city ordinance, paying vendors, ect while they all got to just check out and go home while you kept working. You then hire a sous chef who stays for a few years and some line cooks that end up coming on at different times for various lengths of time. Then when they think that you have more money than you used to, they not only ask for a raise, but they ask to be made owners and gain revenue off parts of the business they have never taken part in even though one has been there less than 6 months, another for a little over a year, and they do it with lawyers instead of talking to you first and you decline then hire all new staff, but then your business releases a new item to the menu that is trendy, so they take you to court to try to get more money even though you always paid them what they agreed to be paid. Who is the founder and owner of the restaurant? that is exactly what this is.
It's kinda sad, i liked the way they had the papa succession and the interviews, where they pretend that he's like this old mysterious gentlman and only appeares fir the evenings to do the concerts and they do not really know what he does otherwise and he's totaly not involved. It created a really cool image , but now all this kinda ruines it. It's like watching a good movie but every 15 min a disclamer reminds you that everything is fake and acted! Will still enjoy the music tho! Glad i could see them live before this too
Curtis Yue We probably aren't being told the full story, and the original members have been there since 2006 when this all was just an idea, and even if it started as a solo project, if I was devoting my time into something for over a decade, I too would think a solo project would have evolved into a band, so the confusion and disappointment is understood.
Ghost was formed from some previous bands... I find it difficult to believe that this was started as a one man show with hired musicians ( hired meaning they should be paid!).
I hope the sound is still just as good if not better and that they can settle all the issues and let this just die. I am worried about wether or not papa actually pulled this shit, with all the ghouls claiming he did it's hard to ignore how possible it is that he screwed them over.
Its been such a crazy ride. Two months ago I had never heard of Ghost. I was listening to new Mastodon singles on TH-cam and Square Hammer came up in my suggestions. That day I listened to a bunch of songs and LOVED THEM. I also looked around online about who they were etc, and didnt find out anything concrete. Jump to now and its all out in the open.
initally when i got into them it was their look that caught my eye. however, i really do love their music. i just saw them live a few weeks ago with the new lineup and they completely killed it! outstanding show! i will continue to be a fan through thick and thin
I still love Ghost. I never did appreciate the masks, I think they are totally un-needed, & physically constricting, but this band was formed from several highly talented individuals in their own right, that were friends. That was the backbone, each one supporting the other, sharing ideas & lives. Things are different now. I wish Papa the best. I hope all of the members get the money, fame, & happiness they all deserve. I have my own reasons to question the establishment of religion, so I relate to Ghost. I just don't see how they weren't paid well all this time. Who is ripping them off? Because someone is making hand over fist money here!
Nobody knows who the new NG are so...only rumours, as with the old members. At the beginning was shocked by all this, because can mean the end of one of my favorite bands. I like them since 2012. My fave album is OE, and I did the research (only for myself). Then I discovered that Papa was the one who wrote the lyrics, the music, and was even involved in the art, as he designed the art for some of his former bands. I understood it was his project and no needed anybody to tell me that. It's a deductive thing, logic, that's all. 10 line up changes (I was aware of some of them and hated when Aksel left) just confirm that Ghost is Papa's project, either we like it or not. Besides, from all the 10 musicians who have been part of the band, it is curious that only 4 came with the lawsuit thing, and that from those 4, only 2 where long term ghouls: Simon, from the beginning and Mario, from 2012. Martin, who shares credits for songs is not part of this. And, it this was a recurrent situation, why didn't they act before? BTW, I knew that Simon bought an apartment in Stockholm...with the money Tobias didn't pay to him, of course.
gotta also tell ya...coverkillernation...you awesome!!! ty so much for your videos!! watch ya everyday!! hope you are well!! have a great day!! 😉 and plz keep making em!!
Not a fan of Ghost myself, but looking at this as objectively as possible. Who wrote the music? If it was Tobias(which is what I have heard), then HE is Ghost, and what he says is 'law'. Just like Metallica is James and Lars, Megadeth is Mustaines. The ghouls were nameless and all wore the same disguises. That ghouls have told them where they stand in relation to Tobias(who has the one different gimmick). It will be interesting to see what happens, though.
If Papa owes any of the ghouls past or present then he needs to pay them, if the ghouls were on a contract for a certain period of time and they were fired before their contract was up Papa also needs to pay the ghouls. (I'm not knowledgeable about contracts and that type of stuff in other countries) In the USA most contracts have a term where if you're fired or let go before the contract is up whoever is employing you has to pay you a set amount that was determined before the contract was signed, or the employer has to pay you the rest of what you owe that person if they were to continue to work there until the contract was up. If that's the situation then obviously that's fucked on Papa's end, but if the past or present ghouls are trying to squeeze a few extra pennies out of Papa before moving on obviously that's wrong on the ghouls part.
I enjoy the music. Didn't see what they looked until after I already heard the debut. Doesn't matter to me. Screw all the people who just cared about the image. They're not music fans.
One thing I will say in defence of Tobias is that it does cost lots of mummy dust to do an album! If any of you know the money side of the music business, it is going to a studio that costs the most money - this is why bands in the present time use pro tools more and more to keep cost down. Also I might add that starting with the second Ghost album, there are a lot of extras that Ghost has seen fit to include on a Kiss or Alice Cooper level and those album extras (colored vinyl, booklets album art etc) cost money as well so there is a lot to pay back. Not only do you need to pay back studios and printers you need to pay for tours and roadies (that includes extras like lighting, smoke, bombs and pyro), the making of merch, costumes and mask upkeep and to the artists who design new album cycle costumes as well. However on the other side of things I would think that food and living expenses should not be considered any part of a profit and should come out before hand.
I'm late to learning about this band. Glad I found them. Kinda cool they have the same concept of a "revolving door" of musicians like Here Come The Mummies.
I am curious to see just how "heavy" metal the next album is going to be. Also how it is written, etc. I am wondering if the new Ghouls each have contracts, explaining in detail, what they will be making $, how many days per year they have to work, etc, so they don't have the problems they have now.
Of course Tobias is Ghost. It has always been. Remember this old interview of Repugnant where he said he enjoyed a lot of pop music beside death metal, and that he started to work on a song called "Prime Mover"... Pre-Ghost things. It has always been his vision, his project, the other ghouls saw an opportunity for fame and success, I can understand that, but Ghost has always been the propriety of Tobias. Would you share your house that you designed with your building company just because they contributed to its construction ? No, they get paid for what they did and that's all. Same thing for Ghost.
I don't think it's wise to be taking sides when we can't really know the truth about what's happened and why. Without context, things can go in too many directions and unless you're one of the people involved, you might not know what the fuck you're talking about. I keep caring only about the music. The mystique never mattered that much to me, but it does make for a little more fun.
I only heard of them after all this drama and a youtuber I like mentioning them and saying he liked them. I don't see why it matters if you know their identity, I like their music more than anything. But then again, I have never cared to know who was behind the music of most bands I listened to.
I can say that i first listened to this band a month ago...i had no idea who they were...but im hooked!!! And although the garb and stage presence was the icing on the cake for me...i dont watch their videos that much. I play the SHIT out of their albums at work..its good to be the chef...cuz everybody that doesnt like them wears headphones!
I will still love Ghost. The theatrical aspect is definitely a draw. But true fans are past that now. I will always listen to anything Tobias puts out.
That's what makes this band so cool tho? The fact that we dont know a lot of the musicians that are in this band. Different people bring in different creativity. That's why they will always be so different from everyone else in the metal industry
i saw them the other day for the second time and the guitarists are as good as they could ever be. drummer and keyboarder were solid too. only the new bassist isnt as comfortable yet.
Its VERY likely the band could be in debt. Many artists go through most of their careers without making a lot of money. Even back in the 80s when money was plentiful lots of bands had to break up because they ended up owing money at the end of a tour. One "making it in the music business" semina back in the 90s used the example of a pop artist in the 80s who had a #1 hit single. Song was EVERYWHERE ON THE RADIO, she toured the world on it and ended up only making $18,000 after all the costs of making, promoting and touring on the album were finally paid for.
this worries me. ghost is my favorite band. i dont want them to go away over this. but papa is definitely the keystone to the whole group. also MCC just came out with a new ep and im pretty sure all the members are all the same. how are they on good terms with MCC but not ghost?
Doesn't lose any mystique to me. I think most Ghost fans knew who Papa was a long time ago and really nothing has changed for me. Still just a great concept and I can't wait to see where they(he) take(s) it in the future.
Not sure where I have been but I just found ghost a few months ago and now all hell breaks lose lol this is so sad to see I have fallen for the funny personality of omega and alpha on all the interviews and live stage personality they added in them selves. SEeing papa always take time to thank then at the shows sure did have me fooled, I did read what papa just said about it never being a band,,, that's plain bullshit, America has really placed them on the map. Ghost comes to Philly in July and I wonder who we will get to see,but I still listen every day and cherish the nameless ghouls mask I spent almost a $100 on, I still ❤️ Love there music and pray papa shares the money they all deserve and returns our favorite ghouls,,, It's Never To LAte
Diana Mitchell same. I'm a 42 year old jaded metalhead who couldn't find anything new to love. Then Ghost came along and ....boom obsessed. I adore their sound and will love them whatever. Papa is awesome and the gimmick is still magical even with the drama.
The past ghouls, with at LEAST Omega, should make music, and tour the shit out of it. Ghost has been a breath of fresh air, and we need more acts like it. NOW. MAKE IT HAPPEN, GUYS!
What is the differenece between a solo artist and a band anyway. There are lots of bands which are solo artists with some new boys within: Megadeth, W.A.S.P., Kiss, Guns N Roses. Solo artists which are bands: Neal Morse, Ozzy Osbourne etc. Then we have Dio which was named after Ronnie James Dio but was actually always a band and not solo. I believe band/solo/project status is about money and fame, not about music at all. The Beatles was a band, Led Zeppelin was a band, and Carole King was a solo artist who used a band. Please tell me shy I should care about legal battles anyway. I am not a fan of Ghost but it seems to be a band/project which gets lots of media attention. It is almost as mainstream as Metallica or Adele.
I am late to the party here. I bought some tickets to Iron Maiden and heard Ghost was opening. So, I decided to check them out. Turns out I have been a fan for years and didn't know it. I knew like 4-5 of their songs. It was after that I found out that they didn't this whole mask thing, which I thought was cool, but not why I really like this band. They have a different style than most bands out there and I like it...a lot. Then I found out about the lawsuit and the unmasking, etc. It sucks the band went through this, but it hasn't changed my view of the band. I wish everybody could be happy and keep making great music, but that isn't the world we live in. I have seen Judas Priest split, Iron Maiden split and many other favorite bands. I just hope Ghost continues to put out good music.
I don't think Martin has the energy for that bullshit and he's making some money from royalties so he's not exactly on same grounds as others even tho he's also been extremely pissed at Tobias. Apparently there's been bad blood between Martin & Tobias since 2013. Tobias also has a very bad reputation in Sweden inside music business, that's why sodo is only new ghoul from sweden because no one else wants to work for him. But in the end i believe the biggest cause to all this is the management, seems they wanted to collect the maximum profits on the expense of the ghouls.
No, i don't. Otherwise i could tell why Tobias fucked up a long friendship and a fucking amazing band. Playing one song or producing an album is completely different than touring 250 days a year with a person. Tobias has even said himself that he knows he's a difficult person to work with. But please, explain why there's only one Swedish ghoul when he wanted them all to be Swedish. Yeah, things will come out when the court forces Tobias to reveal shit he's hiding. Funny how he says something but doesn't provide any proof even to the court. But we'll see how this shit show continues.
Simon is pissed about it all and i don't blame him but yeah too much is too much. Should've payed with the merch money he promised lol. Well obviously he hasn't said anything publicly because then he would reveal who's the new ghouls. Megan isn't but she was actually a hired gun, they needed someone to play bass when Martin left (or got kicked out according to some rumours) and HP took the "Aether" role. She came and played the first leg of Popestar and then went back to her other stuff, never perma member. What has so far come up i'd say Simon & the others stand on pretty stable grounds considering the lawsuit, if you've seen the emails it's pretty clear it's been a partnership. Also if you didn't know Martin is in with the lawsuit as a witness for Simon and the others. If they all had been hired guns they would've actually gotten paid properly and wouldn't have to beg for money to have a chance to keep on touring with Ghost. Martin's emails begging for money to be able to do the us tour in '12 is really sad to read. It even seems like they were ready to give up on the partnership and become "employees" to help the financial shit they were going through. The Cross is a decent song but not exactly my thing but i'm not gonna shit on it just because Simon is their producer, it's Linton who's behind the project and for me he can do whatever the fuck he wants. More interesed in Henrik Palm's project, and jfyi Simon is going to play guitar for him live so go ahead start shit on it too.
The keytar was actually his, he had it before joining Ghost. I saw somewhere on youtube a video of him playing it back in 2010 or something, a bit before Simon recruited him for Ghost. But yeah, who actually knows. I really like most of the new ghouls, the new Air left a shitty picture of himself in the beginning by being an asshole on twitter and really dislike his "keytar solo" otherwise he's ok and the Popestar EU Tour drummer was weak imo. for example Secular Haze was horrible by him, but to be fair Aksel is the only one that has played it right. The new guitarists are cool and all but i wish they'd learn the songs better. Sodo is fucking amazing tho i hope he stays for good. I really miss Omega, been my favourite from the first time i saw them live years ago. But honestly i do miss them all, with the old ghouls it felt like a unique concert everytime, now it seems more "scripted" and they can't quite reach the same level of play that Alpha & Omega has for example. From The Pinnacle To The Pit is one example where Alpha blows the new Fire away. You can't blame only Simon on on freezing Tobias away, they all did it. Martin the least because he was kinda the "spokesman" for the ghouls. I try to avoid taking sides but if i'd had to choose i would atm be at the ghouls side in this case atm from what i have investigated. Of course it all can change when Tobias gives his answer to the court and if that proves everything that's come out so far to be complete bullshit i'm going to be extremely pissed at Simon and the others. Well they kinda are, not exactly publicly talk about themselves or post about them being in Ghost on social media apart from Air in the beginning. Also where exactly does Tobias do that? He hates social media so hard to see him post about himeself on Facebook or Instagram.
Let's get one thing straight: Anyone with a brain should've realized that they were never meant to be a singular band. That's why only ONE character has a name. The singer. The rest are "nameless ghouls". What kind of balls does someone have to have, to be a character with no face and no name, and act shocked that you're not irreplaceable?
I love Ghosts music and their image is a nice treat, I do think that the ghouls could've remained the same and Papas image could've been the same from the beginning and i would still be a fan. I do love the last bunch of Ghouls and Papa Emeritus 3 a good bit, they seem to be quite animated onstage. But, they have always been great Live, and I love their videos.
I mean the blue men in the blue man group are not always the same guys. Its not like rotating members is a new thing in music. If no contracts were written up for the ghouls than that is a problem and if they really did not get paid one year than that will have to be done but they are not going to get nearly what they think they should and simply doing this in the first place is likely going to make it very hard for them to find anyone who wants to work with them in the future.
It dodnt hurt him at all. He won the case and now the 4 un named ghouls ow him lawyer fees. They lost. He won. Good for Tobias! Yay! Ghost Rules! His album was # 3 on the top 200. Impressive work!
The answer to the question has the band lost it's mystique and charm? NO! I saw them live tonight and it was still as entrancing and amazing as it would have been had I not known all this mess was going on behind the scenes. Not to muddy the waters further, but I believe fully that those who joined/formed the band early on and stayed until late last year should be compensated for their time and musical input. If Forge wants this to be a solo project with different touring musicians (i.e. NIN) from here on out, it needs to be stated very clearly in their contracts.
I don't think it changes much, the way I see it is that by now, most people know that Papa is Tobias anyways and I always kinda had this theory that they were a "revolving door" of musicians in the first place. As long as they stay in character and continue to play great music all will be well in Ghost
Personal mine was the music and some of the visuals had an spooky 70's feel to it, all the different papas and the nameless ghouls were ok whatever but to me and I'll go back to what I wrote earlier, it was the music and visuals.
I'm not as big of a Ghost fan as some people here. I don't eat, breathe, sleep Ghost, but I do enjoy the music. The honest impression that I have gotten for some time now is that the Nameless Ghouls were kinda like session musicians, which may be a part of the reason why there has always been so much secrecy and the masks, etc. I've seen at least 2 interviews where Tobias himself was dressed as a Ghoul for the interview and you could tell it was him by his voice. This whole lawsuit thing does indeed ruin the mystique of the band, but as long as Tobias can keep delivering I think I could be happy. And he needs to pay the Ghouls properly too. That is a must.
Strange, considering that i remember an interview with a nameless ghoul about a year or go (i believe it was Loudwire's wikipedia fact of fiction), where he stated that papa hadn't written a single song on any of the albums.
That's playing into the Ghost "lore". It was Tobias Forge (Papa) doing that interview and under ASCAP listing Tobias is the author of every song with some credits going to some of the ghouls. Technically Papa didn't write them. Tobias Forge did. Don't confuse the character with the man.
im curious to see more info, such as were contracts involved or was it all verbal, or was it an "unspoken rule" that the "band wasn't really a band. main thing to take away from this get everything in writing with your band members, no matter how cool you are with someone or how long you've known them, they can still sue your ass lol
its sad to know this info and why I ignored most ghost news. I love the gimmick and shane those who want to de mask the bands ID's. and I still see papa, not forge.
Oh I will still love Ghost no matter what! I think the biggest issue here is that everyone thought it was a band and got used to the presence of Ghouls, to Omega, Alpha and the others, to specific people behind the masks. Now, surprise! Personally I feel that the lawsuit was a dirty move nevertheless. I can uderstand that there were some financial issues, but I don't think it was a good enough reason to undermine the mysticism of the band, it is like selling something amazing for pennies. Anyway I hope that they will reach agreement and get back together. Even though Ghouls may have not contributed to creation of most songs, they were still an undeniable personas and presence of Ghost. I keep my fingers crossed that during the next summoning they will all be brought back TOGETHER, to produce another (un)holy, stunning album! And if not, we will have the opportunity to unveil something old but new, Transformation is a part of everything. Let there be GHOST!
This is like Megadeth, there is always a rotating door, but it's still Megadeth or Ghost. The garb and mystic is intriguing, but it's about the music for me. I got into the first and second album well before I even knew there was this Ghoul and Papa mask thing. It was to cool to doscover that after the fact, but I love the latest full length album, it's killer, it's, In my opinion, it's one of, if not THE best metal/rock albums to drop by one of the "new era" bands. Quality tunes, great production, intriguing artwork. I'll take more, masks or not. 💀
I listened to Ghost for a year before I got to ever see them. I love the mystique but the music was first, the excellent show was second. I've now seen them 4 times and have after buying Opus Eponymous, I bought every other album the day they were released. And will continue to - Dark Architect
not a ghost fan only like two songs(alot) but this drama on top of the characters names being revealed does kill the apeal and mystery that came with the band and fans will always take sides so i would say that ghost and its fanbase are in divisive turmoil wich sucks for any band. i hope papa pulls through and the fans can come together with him and his new squad cuz at the end of the day the ghost concept was his idea and project, hence the nameless ghouls..
Based on all the interviews I've seen over the years where a Nameless Ghoul (who I can now tell was Martin Persner in almost all of them) has talked about the band's vision and where "they" wanted to take it, I certainly believe he thought Ghost was a band project and not a glorified solo project.
Singers versus musicians is a conflict as old as opera, which is just why people said it was foolish trash when it was a new concept. If you ask me I'd say all parties involved have probably gained invaluable experience towards whatever their next venture might be. Gothic Rock is still a thing.
If somehow more of them get unmasked because of it, I couldn't care less. I care about their music, whether it is from a ghoul or Papa's. The lawsuit is their problem, not the fan's problem.
I don't care what happens as long as Ghost keeps making music and sticks to the characters after all of this is over. It would be great if they were making money as well though.
I will miss the line up from last year. That's the line-up that got me into Ghost. Gonna miss seeing that woman ghoul. Not many girl bass players out there and she was good. Did they ever reveal her name?
I liked the idea that the nameless ghouls were a part of the band and actually doing most of the writing themselves. Not as cool that it's just one dude doing it all but I guess most bands are like that.
What amazes me about the comments people are making is not one of them have a clue what the bands contract is/was. Not internet gossip but and actual reading and or legal interpretation of their contracts. Not one person knows what was said between the guys over the years. To my knowledge, it's a completely one sided story. Has Tobias officially responded? And by that I don't mean tweets, Facebook etc., I mean officially in the court house. I'm sure he has and will become public record eventually. Until then, everyone should let the process run its course and not be so quick to judge and hope, the music just keeps coming. That's why we're all following the current and former members of the band.
The last album was awesome, as was the first. Didn't pay much attention to the gimmick, so I'll keep listening. Makes for a real fun live experience though, I have to say.
tobias literally writes and produces the majority of their songs so i mean. whatever. i side with him. + i love the current ghouls so much! theyre lovely
Judging by the fact that the radio station he mentioned was across the state border, and is in Morgantown West Virginia. Than he lives in either Maryland, or Pennsylvania.
is it just me who thought that tobias is wearing brown pants on that photo?
me too
TheMcK98 now I can't unsee it.
TheMcK98 hahahahah I see it
Thanks TheMcK98 LOL, now I see Papa wearing wooden baggy pants... HAHAHAHA!
TheMcK98 yeah with fat wooden brown limp pud lol
Nah, I'm still bumping Ghost daily. The dark catchy music still has me hooked for good. The mystique was nice but not why I was drawn to them.
Wade k 21 agreed well said my friend!
Tobias has said himself that if the tunes weren't "rockin" then nobody would care who the band was under the masks!
Wade k 21
I would debate the term " Dark", but it is indeed catchy af
Dark? Ghost is anything but dark lol.
They are dark. The lyrics all revolve around satanism, and dark subject matter. Don't confuse heaviness and Dark as being the same thing. They indeed are a "Dark" band.
One man founds the band, manages it, writes all the music- word for word and note for note- and the performers who rode his coat tails feel entitled to claim ownership of the group. No wonder he swept them all out the door and replaced them for the tour.
A bit of misinformation that constantly seems to be thrown around is that Forge fired the Ghouls. He didn't fire them, they were offered contracts which they weren't happy with, and decided to turn them down. Even Mauro, the former Air Ghoul, has stated clearly that they weren't fired, yet people still keep saying they were, despite those directly involved disputing it.
Greed
If only this was all just a crazy stunt to bring in a Papa IV.
Will "removing the mystique" hurt Ghost's popularity? I don't think so. Not for me at least. The theatrics/gimmick drew me in, but I stayed for the music. I don't see the costumes and masks when I'm listening to their albums at work or in my car, they are just the icing on the cake IMO. It does suck to think that one or more band members may be being dicks to each other, but at the end of the day I don't know them or their situations, so they really don't owe me anything. We'll just have to wait and see if this whole mess affects the music going forward or not. I think they would have to come out and say/do some real bastard shit to make me turn away from their already established music.
Malkav1379 when I first heard & saw Ghost was their Cirice video. I said to myself"I love the sound of this band!" So much feeling, great voice, loved the lyrics, beat, rhythm, everything but the masks. I just figured they had some good reason to wear them, because they sure didn't need the gimmick... Got to love their movements, attitudes, professionalism, etc. that is who I loved. If their music gets too dark I am afraid I may not love anymore. Will see.
indeed my friend introduce me to ghost the first song I heard was Elizabeth in his car and it was awesome the Customs were Plus but the music is phenomenal I can't get enough of it
I didn't really like Ghost the first time I heard them BECAUSE of the gimmicky aspect of it. Later I actually sat down and listened to their first album and it was like, "Come for the gimmick, stay for the music". Their second album was better and "Meliora" was a MASTERPIECE. So I'm actually looking forward to the fourth release. Hopefully it will be better than "Meliora". As far as the controversy goes, musicians can always be replaced, vocalists and songwriters can not, they are the glue of the music. Only time will tell.
Malkav1379 I feel the same way. It’s Papa’s (Tobias’) lyrics and music that got me. The look and style was just an awesome plus. And honestly, I don’t think this hurting the band at all... cause they just released a live album and I heard they’re recording a new studio album right now too.
Yeah, it was the opposite for me, too. I had a bunch of people telling me I should check out Ghost and how much I would like them, but I was totally turned off by the whole mask gimmick thing. Once I finally gave them a chance I really enjoyed the music, but I even remember telling the guys in my band "Yeah, their music is awesome but I wish they would drop the gimmick and just be a band. The gimmick overshadows the music." Eventually the whole mask thing grew on me, but it definitely wasn't the reason I like them.
This fandom needs to calm the hell down. You all act like your own bank accounts are being affected by the entire thing. Let them sort their own business out.
Rammstein45 mein herz brennt
Rammstein45 well said!!!
This fandom will never stop, not because the bands are that good, it is because most of the people prefer to live free under the limitations of a group hence the need to identify with something, in the end, most of the people will prefer the comfort of being controlled over the burden of being a free thinker.
At last! Someone with sense!
Exactly. This is not about what fans want but what was promised and agreed internally. It seems to me that they were just naive and young touring together being surprised by the success - forgetting to set up written contracts.
Gets a big rock hit...band revolts...shit falls apart....
SOUNDS LIKE ROCKNROLL TO ME!
What a shame MCC was put on hiatus for so many years just for the members of that great band to part of a revolving cast of musicians in a show.
To be honest, I don't give a shit about what happens behind the scenes. As long as a band makes good music, I'll support them.
Tell that to Tim lambesis or Ian Watkins lol . That might not be “good music “ in your opinion but lots loved AILD and look how that turned out
After reading all the court documents on reddit, I side with TF/Papa. He founded Ghost and writes 95% of the music. It started as his project and he handles every aspect. The Ghouls were assembled after TF finished the first record. It's never been the same 5 Ghouls. Every era had lineup changes. At the end of 2016 only one original Ghoul was left from the first show. Only a few Ghouls were sporadicly involved with recording since session musicians were often used. The Ghouls basically play TF's music live and make appearances. Papa was paying them what he could and often out of his own pocket. Each Ghoul getting about $2000-3000 per month towards the end plus bonuses. The 2016 lineup wanted more money and threatened to sabotage the tour. He fired and replaced them. Now Ghouls who didn't create Ghost or write any music are suing him for the Ghost trademark and music royalties. 2 of the 4 Ghouls suing were only in Ghost from 2015-2016. I'm not saying the dozens of Ghouls over the years didn't work hard on tour, but Ghost started and still is TF/Papa's project.
For sure this is a horrible mess, but I'm gonna sit back, let it all shake out, and see what the next album sounds like. It would be easy to let rumors dictate my opinion, so I'm not going to do that.
This is the most startlingly reasonable TH-cam comment I've ever read.
Tobias is doing what he is supposed to do. In a nutshell, the ex-ghouls became greedy assholes even though they had signed contracts. Ive read the legal documents and there was a SHITLOAD of info. Dont give up on papa!
It's not the lost mystique that bothers me, it's the way things went down with the band. I get there being conflict, etc., but to not get paid for your efforts . . . that doesn't sit well with me.
A band with a tour bus, albums, a Grammy, headlining tours, Iron Maiden support tours, and merchandise sold in hot topic hasn't made any money? Right. Love the band but come on Papa.
yeah the whole lawsuit costs them all collectively A LOT more, too
Frank Zappa had little tolerance for band members who wanted more than their agreed pay as well. His question was aisle or window, as in that's your choice on your flight home if you don't like what's happening. He believed the show was for the audience, not the performers. I just hope Ghost goes back on tour and records more music.
I truly don't give a FUCK if Ghost was formed as a band as long as they keep making music. This legal shit has postponed production of a new album.
Well, it wont be the same music anymore. So, you dont like Ghost. You like Papa.
Can't like one without liking the other.
Hello they replace the ghouls all the time, guy.
shanice Brown Well, some of them, yes.
shanice Brown The drummer and bassist periodically are replaced, the bassist postion was held by Tobias, who would take lead vocals. Omegas brother left the band shortly into things, so drummers have been changed a couple times
I think Tobias having them called "nameless ghouls" made it obvious that it didn't really matter who was under the mask. It's his music.
I just discovered GHOST a couple weeks ago at an Iron Maiden show. Totally hooked, they made a new fan in me. Don't care about the drama.
My Chime, Same with Trent Reznor. He's been in several bands & branched. NIN came to fruition because of him. Granted the band needs to be paid! If Forge wanted to not see it come to the light it did, he should have left it where it was & it still would have sold. However, he is a showman, so, what's fair is fair!
The makeup & mystery is damn sexy! He knows that, again, showman! I, living her, like many of us in the U.S. probably would've never paid mind. Now that the "mystery" is uncovered, it's even more attractive! that's just what it is!
I fell in love with Ghost's music before I even knew about their mystique. After I found out it just drew me in even further. I love the music so much! Literally my favourite band and I've listened to each album all the way through hundreds of times. Even if the mystique is somewhat tainted I'm still looking forward to hearing new music from them in the future. I've loved them since day one and I'll bet my soul that I'll love them till the end.
I hope that the former Ghouls continue to make music because I really like what I've heard so far from "Priest" and from what MCC is doing now. However, I will continue to support Ghost, and am not swayed. I am saddened by the lawsuit, but most bands have problems with contacts, money, and membership. It's very rare to find a group such as Rush, who defied the odds in terms of personal and professional relationships. I think it's not fair to hold other bands to Rush's standard, because trying to coordinate musicians is only slightly easier than herding cats.
Since I started to listen to Ghost in 2013 I have always seen these swedish names flying around in comments and stuff and I have never cared about it, because in interviews when they're asked why they wear masks and stay nameless, they say that it is to get people to focus on the music and not the individuals in the band. And that I think is the deal with Ghost. It is not supposed to matter who is under the masks, it is the music. Every Ghoul plays the same songs the same way and they rock out and look cool. It saddens me to see so many people complain about this. I was hoping this lawsuit wouldn't come out, but it did. I really hope this won't hurt the band too much and I hope that most of the fans will let this slip through and look forward to the next album and such. Go Ghost!
One of your best commentaries.
Say you [i.e. anyone who sees this] opened a restaurant: you had the concept, you took out the loan to buy the location, you made the original menu, picked out the decor and stylized the property and branding, you were the head chef and in charge of business, you were the one signing paychecks and making sure taxes were done, made sure that all of the dishwashers and staff had all of the paperwork they needed to be employed and the tools to perform their jobs while you take care of keeping the freezer stocked, health code, licesnes, city ordinance, paying vendors, ect while they all got to just check out and go home while you kept working. You then hire a sous chef who stays for a few years and some line cooks that end up coming on at different times for various lengths of time. Then when they think that you have more money than you used to, they not only ask for a raise, but they ask to be made owners and gain revenue off parts of the business they have never taken part in even though one has been there less than 6 months, another for a little over a year, and they do it with lawyers instead of talking to you first and you decline then hire all new staff, but then your business releases a new item to the menu that is trendy, so they take you to court to try to get more money even though you always paid them what they agreed to be paid. Who is the founder and owner of the restaurant?
that is exactly what this is.
It's kinda sad, i liked the way they had the papa succession and the interviews, where they pretend that he's like this old mysterious gentlman and only appeares fir the evenings to do the concerts and they do not really know what he does otherwise and he's totaly not involved. It created a really cool image , but now all this kinda ruines it.
It's like watching a good movie but every 15 min a disclamer reminds you that everything is fake and acted!
Will still enjoy the music tho! Glad i could see them live before this too
That's great and all, but the band members need to be compensated, or you should have clarified that it was a solo project.
Curtis Yue We probably aren't being told the full story, and the original members have been there since 2006 when this all was just an idea, and even if it started as a solo project, if I was devoting my time into something for over a decade, I too would think a solo project would have evolved into a band, so the confusion and disappointment is understood.
Ghost was formed from some previous bands... I find it difficult to believe that this was started as a one man show with hired musicians ( hired meaning they should be paid!).
I hope the sound is still just as good if not better and that they can settle all the issues and let this just die. I am worried about wether or not papa actually pulled this shit, with all the ghouls claiming he did it's hard to ignore how possible it is that he screwed them over.
Its been such a crazy ride. Two months ago I had never heard of Ghost. I was listening to new Mastodon singles on TH-cam and Square Hammer came up in my suggestions. That day I listened to a bunch of songs and LOVED THEM. I also looked around online about who they were etc, and didnt find out anything concrete. Jump to now and its all out in the open.
initally when i got into them it was their look that caught my eye. however, i really do love their music. i just saw them live a few weeks ago with the new lineup and they completely killed it! outstanding show! i will continue to be a fan through thick and thin
I still love Ghost. I never did appreciate the masks, I think they are totally un-needed, & physically constricting, but this band was formed from several highly talented individuals in their own right, that were friends. That was the backbone, each one supporting the other, sharing ideas & lives. Things are different now. I wish Papa the best. I hope all of the members get the money, fame, & happiness they all deserve. I have my own reasons to question the establishment of religion, so I relate to Ghost. I just don't see how they weren't paid well all this time. Who is ripping them off? Because someone is making hand over fist money here!
Welcome Year Zeeeeroooh!!!
You could say they are a GHOST of the past now.
What if it's all a plot to set up the concept of the next album?
Nobody knows who the new NG are so...only rumours, as with the old members. At the beginning was shocked by all this, because can mean the end of one of my favorite bands. I like them since 2012. My fave album is OE, and I did the research (only for myself). Then I discovered that Papa was the one who wrote the lyrics, the music, and was even involved in the art, as he designed the art for some of his former bands. I understood it was his project and no needed anybody to tell me that. It's a deductive thing, logic, that's all. 10 line up changes (I was aware of some of them and hated when Aksel left) just confirm that Ghost is Papa's project, either we like it or not. Besides, from all the 10 musicians who have been part of the band, it is curious that only 4 came with the lawsuit thing, and that from those 4, only 2 where long term ghouls: Simon, from the beginning and Mario, from 2012. Martin, who shares credits for songs is not part of this. And, it this was a recurrent situation, why didn't they act before? BTW, I knew that Simon bought an apartment in Stockholm...with the money Tobias didn't pay to him, of course.
Annat Lamph Nah we know who every past member is lol.
I'm talking about the current ones ;) and I really don't mind who they are
Annat Lamph Ah I took the "rumors, as with the old members" as in all identities from the past were just rumors too :P
gotta also tell ya...coverkillernation...you awesome!!! ty so much for your videos!! watch ya everyday!! hope you are well!! have a great day!! 😉 and plz keep making em!!
Not a fan of Ghost myself, but looking at this as objectively as possible. Who wrote the music? If it was Tobias(which is what I have heard), then HE is Ghost, and what he says is 'law'. Just like Metallica is James and Lars, Megadeth is Mustaines. The ghouls were nameless and all wore the same disguises. That ghouls have told them where they stand in relation to Tobias(who has the one different gimmick). It will be interesting to see what happens, though.
If Papa owes any of the ghouls past or present then he needs to pay them, if the ghouls were on a contract for a certain period of time and they were fired before their contract was up Papa also needs to pay the ghouls. (I'm not knowledgeable about contracts and that type of stuff in other countries) In the USA most contracts have a term where if you're fired or let go before the contract is up whoever is employing you has to pay you a set amount that was determined before the contract was signed, or the employer has to pay you the rest of what you owe that person if they were to continue to work there until the contract was up. If that's the situation then obviously that's fucked on Papa's end, but if the past or present ghouls are trying to squeeze a few extra pennies out of Papa before moving on obviously that's wrong on the ghouls part.
I enjoy the music. Didn't see what they looked until after I already heard the debut. Doesn't matter to me. Screw all the people who just cared about the image. They're not music fans.
One thing I will say in defence of Tobias is that it does cost lots of mummy dust to do an album! If any of you know the money side of the music business, it is going to a studio that costs the most money - this is why bands in the present time use pro tools more and more to keep cost down. Also I might add that starting with the second Ghost album, there are a lot of extras that Ghost has seen fit to include on a Kiss or Alice Cooper level and those album extras (colored vinyl, booklets album art etc) cost money as well so there is a lot to pay back. Not only do you need to pay back studios and printers you need to pay for tours and roadies (that includes extras like lighting, smoke, bombs and pyro), the making of merch, costumes and mask upkeep and to the artists who design new album cycle costumes as well. However on the other side of things I would think that food and living expenses should not be considered any part of a profit and should come out before hand.
I'm late to learning about this band. Glad I found them. Kinda cool they have the same concept of a "revolving door" of musicians like Here Come The Mummies.
i'm going to a Ghost concert tomorrow. wish me luck!
Thank you for pronouncing "Emeritus" correctly!
I am curious to see just how "heavy" metal the next album is going to be. Also how it is written, etc. I am wondering if the new Ghouls each have contracts, explaining in detail, what they will be making $, how many days per year they have to work, etc, so they don't have the problems they have now.
Of course Tobias is Ghost. It has always been. Remember this old interview of Repugnant where he said he enjoyed a lot of pop music beside death metal, and that he started to work on a song called "Prime Mover"... Pre-Ghost things. It has always been his vision, his project, the other ghouls saw an opportunity for fame and success, I can understand that, but Ghost has always been the propriety of Tobias. Would you share your house that you designed with your building company just because they contributed to its construction ? No, they get paid for what they did and that's all. Same thing for Ghost.
No one talks about the fact that the guitarist Omega is it? Has a signature Gibson guitar. Gibson doesn't give signature guitars to just anybody.
I don't think it's wise to be taking sides when we can't really know the truth about what's happened and why. Without context, things can go in too many directions and unless you're one of the people involved, you might not know what the fuck you're talking about. I keep caring only about the music. The mystique never mattered that much to me, but it does make for a little more fun.
I feel like the reveal of the band members ruined it. I liked them because it was something unique and now it's just a bunch of drama
I only heard of them after all this drama and a youtuber I like mentioning them and saying he liked them. I don't see why it matters if you know their identity, I like their music more than anything. But then again, I have never cared to know who was behind the music of most bands I listened to.
Tobias had my support.. one of my favorite.. w all the drama
what song is playing in the background?
I can say that i first listened to this band a month ago...i had no idea who they were...but im hooked!!! And although the garb and stage presence was the icing on the cake for me...i dont watch their videos that much. I play the SHIT out of their albums at work..its good to be the chef...cuz everybody that doesnt like them wears headphones!
I will still love Ghost. The theatrical aspect is definitely a draw. But true fans are past that now. I will always listen to anything Tobias puts out.
I LOve Ghost, and Tobias Forge and his song "Turn" along with the songs which GHost have played for a good while.
That's what makes this band so cool tho? The fact that we dont know a lot of the musicians that are in this band. Different people bring in different creativity. That's why they will always be so different from everyone else in the metal industry
All band members should always get an even split, it's the only way to keep everyone happy and not above anyone else.
I think I'm a little in love with you for taking this so seriously
i saw them the other day for the second time and the guitarists are as good as they could ever be.
drummer and keyboarder were solid too. only the new bassist isnt as comfortable yet.
Its VERY likely the band could be in debt. Many artists go through most of their careers without making a lot of money. Even back in the 80s when money was plentiful lots of bands had to break up because they ended up owing money at the end of a tour.
One "making it in the music business" semina back in the 90s used the example of a pop artist in the 80s who had a #1 hit single. Song was EVERYWHERE ON THE RADIO, she toured the world on it and ended up only making $18,000 after all the costs of making, promoting and touring on the album were finally paid for.
Kevin Richards RPM Vocal Studio interesting for sure, but did that seminar mention all the promo shit and trips and food and travel included ???
this worries me. ghost is my favorite band. i dont want them to go away over this. but papa is definitely the keystone to the whole group.
also MCC just came out with a new ep and im pretty sure all the members are all the same. how are they on good terms with MCC but not ghost?
I love it!
Song in the background?
Doesn't lose any mystique to me. I think most Ghost fans knew who Papa was a long time ago and really nothing has changed for me. Still just a great concept and I can't wait to see where they(he) take(s) it in the future.
There music is great out of this worldIf they wear the makeup or not saw them live they truly are amazing
I wonder what will happen to ghost in a month or two, I am seeing iron maiden in june and ghost is the opening band.
Not sure where I have been but I just found ghost a few months ago and now all hell breaks lose lol this is so sad to see I have fallen for the funny personality of omega and alpha on all the interviews and live stage personality they added in them selves. SEeing papa always take time to thank then at the shows sure did have me fooled, I did read what papa just said about it never being a band,,, that's plain bullshit, America has really placed them on the map. Ghost comes to Philly in July and I wonder who we will get to see,but I still listen every day and cherish the nameless ghouls mask I spent almost a $100 on, I still ❤️ Love there music and pray papa shares the money they all deserve and returns our favorite ghouls,,, It's Never To LAte
Diana Mitchell same. I'm a 42 year old jaded metalhead who couldn't find anything new to love. Then Ghost came along and ....boom obsessed. I adore their sound and will love them whatever. Papa is awesome and the gimmick is still magical even with the drama.
The past ghouls, with at LEAST Omega, should make music, and tour the shit out of it. Ghost has been a breath of fresh air, and we need more acts like it. NOW. MAKE IT HAPPEN, GUYS!
What is the differenece between a solo artist and a band anyway. There are lots of bands which are solo artists with some new boys within: Megadeth, W.A.S.P., Kiss, Guns N Roses. Solo artists which are bands: Neal Morse, Ozzy Osbourne etc. Then we have Dio which was named after Ronnie James Dio but was actually always a band and not solo. I believe band/solo/project status is about money and fame, not about music at all. The Beatles was a band, Led Zeppelin was a band, and Carole King was a solo artist who used a band. Please tell me shy I should care about legal battles anyway. I am not a fan of Ghost but it seems to be a band/project which gets lots of media attention. It is almost as mainstream as Metallica or Adele.
Loved Alpha's interviews
I am late to the party here. I bought some tickets to Iron Maiden and heard Ghost was opening. So, I decided to check them out. Turns out I have been a fan for years and didn't know it. I knew like 4-5 of their songs. It was after that I found out that they didn't this whole mask thing, which I thought was cool, but not why I really like this band. They have a different style than most bands out there and I like it...a lot.
Then I found out about the lawsuit and the unmasking, etc. It sucks the band went through this, but it hasn't changed my view of the band. I wish everybody could be happy and keep making great music, but that isn't the world we live in. I have seen Judas Priest split, Iron Maiden split and many other favorite bands. I just hope Ghost continues to put out good music.
I really liked meliora, but that story disgust me more and more
I don't think Martin has the energy for that bullshit and he's making some money from royalties so he's not exactly on same grounds as others even tho he's also been extremely pissed at Tobias. Apparently there's been bad blood between Martin & Tobias since 2013.
Tobias also has a very bad reputation in Sweden inside music business, that's why sodo is only new ghoul from sweden because no one else wants to work for him.
But in the end i believe the biggest cause to all this is the management, seems they wanted to collect the maximum profits on the expense of the ghouls.
No, i don't. Otherwise i could tell why Tobias fucked up a long friendship and a fucking amazing band. Playing one song or producing an album is completely different than touring 250 days a year with a person. Tobias has even said himself that he knows he's a difficult person to work with.
But please, explain why there's only one Swedish ghoul when he wanted them all to be Swedish.
Yeah, things will come out when the court forces Tobias to reveal shit he's hiding. Funny how he says something but doesn't provide any proof even to the court. But we'll see how this shit show continues.
Simon is pissed about it all and i don't blame him but yeah too much is too much.
Should've payed with the merch money he promised lol.
Well obviously he hasn't said anything publicly because then he would reveal who's the new ghouls.
Megan isn't but she was actually a hired gun, they needed someone to play bass when Martin left (or got kicked out according to some rumours) and HP took the "Aether" role. She came and played the first leg of Popestar and then went back to her other stuff, never perma member.
What has so far come up i'd say Simon & the others stand on pretty stable grounds considering the lawsuit, if you've seen the emails it's pretty clear it's been a partnership. Also if you didn't know Martin is in with the lawsuit as a witness for Simon and the others.
If they all had been hired guns they would've actually gotten paid properly and wouldn't have to beg for money to have a chance to keep on touring with Ghost. Martin's emails begging for money to be able to do the us tour in '12 is really sad to read. It even seems like they were ready to give up on the partnership and become "employees" to help the financial shit they were going through.
The Cross is a decent song but not exactly my thing but i'm not gonna shit on it just because Simon is their producer, it's Linton who's behind the project and for me he can do whatever the fuck he wants.
More interesed in Henrik Palm's project, and jfyi Simon is going to play guitar for him live so go ahead start shit on it too.
The keytar was actually his, he had it before joining Ghost. I saw somewhere on youtube a video of him playing it back in 2010 or something, a bit before Simon recruited him for Ghost. But yeah, who actually knows.
I really like most of the new ghouls, the new Air left a shitty picture of himself in the beginning by being an asshole on twitter and really dislike his "keytar solo" otherwise he's ok and the Popestar EU Tour drummer was weak imo. for example Secular Haze was horrible by him, but to be fair Aksel is the only one that has played it right. The new guitarists are cool and all but i wish they'd learn the songs better. Sodo is fucking amazing tho i hope he stays for good.
I really miss Omega, been my favourite from the first time i saw them live years ago. But honestly i do miss them all, with the old ghouls it felt like a unique concert everytime, now it seems more "scripted" and they can't quite reach the same level of play that Alpha & Omega has for example. From The Pinnacle To The Pit is one example where Alpha blows the new Fire away.
You can't blame only Simon on on freezing Tobias away, they all did it. Martin the least because he was kinda the "spokesman" for the ghouls.
I try to avoid taking sides but if i'd had to choose i would atm be at the ghouls side in this case atm from what i have investigated. Of course it all can change when Tobias gives his answer to the court and if that proves everything that's come out so far to be complete bullshit i'm going to be extremely pissed at Simon and the others.
Well they kinda are, not exactly publicly talk about themselves or post about them being in Ghost on social media apart from Air in the beginning. Also where exactly does Tobias do that? He hates social media so hard to see him post about himeself on Facebook or Instagram.
Totally agree, but there is a huge different between a friend leaving behind and ripping them off.
the new gouls are also great, Ghost forever!
Let's get one thing straight: Anyone with a brain should've realized that they were never meant to be a singular band. That's why only ONE character has a name. The singer. The rest are "nameless ghouls".
What kind of balls does someone have to have, to be a character with no face and no name, and act shocked that you're not irreplaceable?
i love their music. if they all come out and loose the getup id still listen.
I love Ghosts music and their image is a nice treat, I do think that the ghouls could've remained the same and Papas image could've been the same from the beginning and i would still be a fan. I do love the last bunch of Ghouls and Papa Emeritus 3 a good bit, they seem to be quite animated onstage. But, they have always been great Live, and I love their videos.
I mean the blue men in the blue man group are not always the same guys. Its not like rotating members is a new thing in music. If no contracts were written up for the ghouls than that is a problem and if they really did not get paid one year than that will have to be done but they are not going to get nearly what they think they should and simply doing this in the first place is likely going to make it very hard for them to find anyone who wants to work with them in the future.
It dodnt hurt him at all. He won the case and now the 4 un named ghouls ow him lawyer fees. They lost. He won. Good for Tobias! Yay! Ghost Rules! His album was # 3 on the top 200. Impressive work!
The answer to the question has the band lost it's mystique and charm? NO! I saw them live tonight and it was still as entrancing and amazing as it would have been had I not known all this mess was going on behind the scenes.
Not to muddy the waters further, but I believe fully that those who joined/formed the band early on and stayed until late last year should be compensated for their time and musical input. If Forge wants this to be a solo project with different touring musicians (i.e. NIN) from here on out, it needs to be stated very clearly in their contracts.
I don't think it changes much, the way I see it is that by now, most people know that Papa is Tobias anyways and I always kinda had this theory that they were a "revolving door" of musicians in the first place. As long as they stay in character and continue to play great music all will be well in Ghost
Personal mine was the music and some of the visuals had an spooky 70's feel to it, all the different papas and the nameless ghouls were ok whatever but to me and I'll go back to what I wrote earlier, it was the music and visuals.
I'm not as big of a Ghost fan as some people here. I don't eat, breathe, sleep Ghost, but I do enjoy the music.
The honest impression that I have gotten for some time now is that the Nameless Ghouls were kinda like session musicians, which may be a part of the reason why there has always been so much secrecy and the masks, etc. I've seen at least 2 interviews where Tobias himself was dressed as a Ghoul for the interview and you could tell it was him by his voice.
This whole lawsuit thing does indeed ruin the mystique of the band, but as long as Tobias can keep delivering I think I could be happy.
And he needs to pay the Ghouls properly too. That is a must.
Strange, considering that i remember an interview with a nameless ghoul about a year or go (i believe it was Loudwire's wikipedia fact of fiction), where he stated that papa hadn't written a single song on any of the albums.
That's playing into the Ghost "lore". It was Tobias Forge (Papa) doing that interview and under ASCAP listing Tobias is the author of every song with some credits going to some of the ghouls. Technically Papa didn't write them. Tobias Forge did. Don't confuse the character with the man.
im curious to see more info, such as were contracts involved or was it all verbal, or was it an "unspoken rule" that the "band wasn't really a band. main thing to take away from this get everything in writing with your band members, no matter how cool you are with someone or how long you've known them, they can still sue your ass lol
its sad to know this info and why I ignored most ghost news. I love the gimmick and shane those who want to de mask the bands ID's. and I still see papa, not forge.
He's going to need to make a really badass album if he wants to fully escape this.
Man poor James spades has really fallen off... he’s making TH-cam vids now? Someone start him a gofundme
Oh I will still love Ghost no matter what! I think the biggest issue here is that everyone thought it was a band and got used to the presence of Ghouls, to Omega, Alpha and the others, to specific people behind the masks. Now, surprise! Personally I feel that the lawsuit was a dirty move nevertheless. I can uderstand that there were some financial issues, but I don't think it was a good enough reason to undermine the mysticism of the band, it is like selling something amazing for pennies.
Anyway I hope that they will reach agreement and get back together. Even though Ghouls may have not contributed to creation of most songs, they were still an undeniable personas and presence of Ghost. I keep my fingers crossed that during the next summoning they will all be brought back TOGETHER, to produce another (un)holy, stunning album! And if not, we will have the opportunity to unveil something old but new, Transformation is a part of everything. Let there be GHOST!
This is like Megadeth, there is always a rotating door, but it's still Megadeth or Ghost. The garb and mystic is intriguing, but it's about the music for me. I got into the first and second album well before I even knew there was this Ghoul and Papa mask thing. It was to cool to doscover that after the fact, but I love the latest full length album, it's killer, it's, In my opinion, it's
one of, if not THE best metal/rock albums to drop by one of the "new era" bands. Quality tunes, great production, intriguing artwork. I'll take more, masks or not. 💀
I listened to Ghost for a year before I got to ever see them. I love the mystique but the music was first, the excellent show was second. I've now seen them 4 times and have after buying Opus Eponymous, I bought every other album the day they were released. And will continue to - Dark Architect
not a ghost fan only like two songs(alot) but this drama on top of the characters names being revealed does kill the apeal and mystery that came with the band and fans will always take sides so i would say that ghost and its fanbase are in divisive turmoil wich sucks for any band. i hope papa pulls through and the fans can come together with him and his new squad cuz at the end of the day the ghost concept was his idea and project, hence the nameless ghouls..
Will you review Dance and laugh amongst the rotten when it comes out?
Based on all the interviews I've seen over the years where a Nameless Ghoul (who I can now tell was Martin Persner in almost all of them) has talked about the band's vision and where "they" wanted to take it, I certainly believe he thought Ghost was a band project and not a glorified solo project.
Singers versus musicians is a conflict as old as opera, which is just why people said it was foolish trash when it was a new concept. If you ask me I'd say all parties involved have probably gained invaluable experience towards whatever their next venture might be. Gothic Rock is still a thing.
If somehow more of them get unmasked because of it, I couldn't care less.
I care about their music, whether it is from a ghoul or Papa's. The lawsuit is their problem, not the fan's problem.
I don't care what happens as long as Ghost keeps making music and sticks to the characters after all of this is over. It would be great if they were making money as well though.
I will miss the line up from last year. That's the line-up that got me into Ghost. Gonna miss seeing that woman ghoul. Not many girl bass players out there and she was good. Did they ever reveal her name?
I liked the idea that the nameless ghouls were a part of the band and actually doing most of the writing themselves. Not as cool that it's just one dude doing it all but I guess most bands are like that.
What amazes me about the comments people are making is not one of them have a clue what the bands contract is/was. Not internet gossip but and actual reading and or legal interpretation of their contracts. Not one person knows what was said between the guys over the years. To my knowledge, it's a completely one sided story. Has Tobias officially responded? And by that I don't mean tweets, Facebook etc., I mean officially in the court house. I'm sure he has and will become public record eventually. Until then, everyone should let the process run its course and not be so quick to judge and hope, the music just keeps coming. That's why we're all following the current and former members of the band.
The last album was awesome, as was the first. Didn't pay much attention to the gimmick, so I'll keep listening. Makes for a real fun live experience though, I have to say.
tobias literally writes and produces the majority of their songs so i mean. whatever. i side with him. + i love the current ghouls so much! theyre lovely
Judging by the fact that the radio station he mentioned was across the state border, and is in Morgantown West Virginia. Than he lives in either Maryland, or Pennsylvania.