Ghost Band faces have always been covered behind masks, the mastermind behind their acts and narrative is Tobias Forge.
The Swedish rock band Ghost was formed in 2006 after now lead Tobias Forge wrote a song titled “Stand By Him”. He then contacted Gustaf Lindström his former band member from Repugnant to record the song, the duo recorded three songs together in 2008.
Other Swedish rock bands include Swedish House Mafia, Night Flight Orchestra, and Soilwork among others.
Driven by Satanic energy in their songs, Ghost has built a thick narrative over the years and every album has each storyline. Their live events often borrow rituals and themes from the ancient Roman Catholic churches but the crosses are inverted and they show the rituals through the eyes of Satan.
According to Michigan Daily, anonymity is the key for the Ghost and they try to remain as far as possible from the web and media in terms of revealing their identity. They rely on costumes to maintain their anonymity and keep their faces covered with masks.
Let us learn more about Ghost Band and take a closer look at their identity and net worth.
Ghost Band Faces Revealed
Only one member of Ghost Band has revealed his face and that is the lead and mastermind Tobias Forge.
Other Ghost Band members’ faces are always covered in masks or face paint.
However, Papa Emeritus II once revealed his face by ditching his makeup for a special three-song set by Ghost for an Australian website in 2014 but fans are not convinced if the face was really his according to Louder Sound.
Apart from that, all of the Papa Emeritus characters have confined themself inside their own costumes and masks. But one thing is certain, as the new Papas come on stage, they become more ghastly and have a stronger character.
As the face of the Ghost Band members hides behind masks, they do not seem to be planning on ditching their masks in the near future.
We can only say their masks and appearance add more to the metal feeling in the band’s performances, they seem to have a direct line connected with Satan which is reflected in the boldness and lyrics of their performances.
While Papa Emeritus’s characters (lead of the band) change and come with different masks and facepaint every time, other members known as The Nameless Ghouls remain in the background wearing metal masks that covers their faces completely.
However, former members of the band have relieved their faces after their ties with the band ended but they do not speak much about their time with the band and current members with the press.
Ghost Band Members Identities Unmasked
Only past members of Ghost Band have revealed their identity to the general public until now.
The mastermind behind the band is Tobias Forge, he is the primary songwriter for the band and has performed vocals under the moniker Papa Emeritus and Cardinal Copia. Although the band was formed in 2006, Tobias’s identity and role in the band were confirmed after a decade in 2017.
The past members of the band include Martin Persner, Simon Söderberg, Mauro Rubino, Martin Hjertstedt, Henrik Palm, Gustaf Lindström, Aksel Holmgren, Rikard Ottoson, Linton Rubino, and Megan Thomas.
Past characters of the band include Papa Emeritus I, II, III, and Papa Nihil. We will get to know about each character in detail later in this article.
Furthermore, other members in guitars, drums, and keyboards are collectively known as Nameless Ghouls. They appear together in the act and their number is increasing after every album and act. They appear alike in their matching costumes and masks.
Let us look at each past lead character one by one.
Papa Emeritus I
Papa Emeritus I aka the first one appeared with the band as lead vocals in 2010.
The character is believed to be performed by the band’s mastermind Tobias Forge according to his Wikipedia profile.
Papa Emeritus I led the band with vocals until 2012. He held an iconic thurible and walked back and forth on the stage while performing live.
According to Louder Sound, Papa Emeritus I was certainly the first one but arguably not the best Papa in the band.
Papa Emeritus II
Papa Emeritus II replaced his predecessor in 2013.
He was scarier than his predecessor with a ghastlier look and make-up.
He is also the one to ditch the costumes and mask to reveal his face during the three-song set for an Australian website in 2014, but fans find it hard to believe that it was his actual face according to Louder Sound.
He fronted the band until the year 2015 when he was replaced by Papa Emeritus III allegedly his younger brother.
Papa Emeritus III
Papa Emeritus III was third in line to front the band Ghost in 2015.
He allegedly was the younger brother of Papa Emeritus II according to Louder Sound.
He decided to get out of the traditional robe of Papa Emeritus characters and change into a suited-and-booted look. He arguably brought new heights to the character.
Papa Emeritus III was also let go of his character like his predecessors and his decapitated head appeared on the cover of Metal Hammer in 2018.
Papa Nihil
Papa Nihil appeared on stage with the Ghost just minutes after Papa Emeritus III was dragged away.
Nihil unlike other Papas to front the band was very old, and he was not just brilliant with vocals but also played saxophones.
As the old Papa, his role in the band was considered to train and mentor Papas and Papas in making.
Furthermore, Papa Nihil was let go like others during a live performance in Mexico in 2020. His vocals and saxophone solos were not enough to save him.
Cardinal Copia
Cardinal Copia appeared with the band in 2018.
Initially, he did not start as a Papa but was a Papa in making.
Copia has several differences from his predecessors in the line, he was shown being nurtured onstage and on music videos by the band.
Furthermore, his dressing style and make-up also do not match with the previous Papas, at least not until he became one.
Cardinal was also not offed like previous leads but instead was transformed to Papa Emeritus IV during a live performance in Mexico in 2020, minutes after Papa Nihil was dragged away from the stage.
Papa Emeritus IV
Papa Emeritus IV was developed from Cardinal Copia in 2020.
He is often considered one of the greatest Papas in the history of the Ghost and has been fronting the band ever since.
However, as two years have passed time might have come for Papa Emeritus IV to get worried judging by the history of the Band and other Papas.
Emeritus IV has the most extravagant look yet, he has shed off the traditional Papa clothes and has decided to go for new Papa looks and his new looks might be working perfectly.
The Nameless Ghouls
The Nameless Ghouls are other members of the band.
They are the ones who play guitar, drums, keyboards, and other necessary instruments for the band.
The Nameless Ghouls do not have their individual identity but are a collective of similar-looking members of the band.
The mysterious and anonymous-looking figures on stage have grown in number with each passing year.