“Papa is dead, long live Papa!” -Sister Imperator
A new era for GHOST begins.
“The Final Gig Named Death” tour kicks off in Mexico City with introduction of Papa Emeritus IV.
GHOST’s March 3rd concert at the historic Palacio de los Deportes was more than just a special one off show. Tonight’s performance was also a celebration of Tobias Forge’s 39th birthday.
Mid-set, Papa Nihil once again performed the saxophone solo during “Miasma”. Tonight’s solo would be his last though. The geriatric cardinal collapsed and mysteriously died. Was it “Cardi-ac arrest”?
As ABBA’s classic 1976 instrumental track “Arrival” played, Cardinal Copia’s coronation began and he was officially crowned Papa Emeritus IV.
As a historic move, this would be the first time a Papa ascended to Emeritus status outside of the band’s native country.
Long live Popia!
“How do you like the face paint that I’ve finally done? I’ve been fighting for this for years! And finally… unfortunately at the expense of dear old Papa. There can only be one Papa you know.”
Keen fans were quick to point out that Papa Emeritus IV’s face paint mimics the skull of a rat. Papa’s robes also mirror the colors of Sweden’s flag, the band’s country of origin.
The Mexico City show was the first of the new decade, and the only show dubbed “A Final Gig Named Death”. There are currently no 2020 tour dates announced. This could indicate the band will be putting the finishing touches on their upcoming as-yet-untitled 5th studio album.
‘Ghost are a Grammy® Award-winning rock band from Linköping, Sweden. The band’s critically acclaimed third full length, Meliora and its accompanying EP Popestar, elevated the Swedish rock band into the pantheon of rock greats and resulted in a Grammy Award for ‘Best Metal Performance’. Meliora debuted at No. 1 at Independent Retail, No. 2 at Rock, and in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart, selling over a quarter million copies globally. Popestar debuted at the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums Chart. Fans have come along for the ride for years, not knowing for certain who was behind the anonymous band… that is, until Tobias Forge revealed himself as the man behind Ghost in August of 2017. Ghost released their critically acclaimed fourth studio album Prequelle on June 1, 2018 on Loma Vista Recordings. Previous Ghost albums have dealt with broad themes like impending doom (Opus Eponymous – 2010), the antichrist and the Inquisition (Infestissumam – 2013), humanism and avarice (Meliora – 2015). Prequelle delves into the plague, the apocalypse, and dark ages.‘
