Ghost Mastermind Tobias Forge Discusses the Theme Behind 'Impera'

Ghost Mastermind Tobias Forge Discusses the Theme Behind ‘Impera’

2022-08-29

Ghost – Story by Anne Erickson, photo by Ryan Chang

Tobias Forge of Ghost says the band’s latest album is about “machinery of the empire”

Ghost recently kicked off a North American run with Mastodon, and both bands will be playing new material on the trek. For Ghost, expect to hear cuts of their latest album, “Impera.” For Mastodon, they’ll be serving up tracks off their most recent release, “Hushed and Grim.”

Ahead of the tour, Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge caught up with Spencer Kaufman of Heavy Consequence to discuss the overall theme behind “Impera.” It’s a complex motif.

“The record is loosely based on the machinery of the empire and its sort of self-destruction mechanisms. And why they ultimately all sort of crumble, at least in one form or another…and part of that is because of the demigods,” he told the publication. “Usually, and almost always it’s because of someone who has that sort of attitude towards their followers. [The song] ‘Twenties’ is about a demigod speaking with utmost disgust to his own followers, but still trying to trick his followers about them having something in common and a shared goal. So it’s a very deceitful song about trickery.”

Forge also said he already is cooking up ideas for the band’s next release. “I have an album in my head right now that I think is going to be different from the one I just made,” he said. “Both ‘Prequelle’ and ‘Impera’ were ideas that I had since six, seven years back. They were so different from each other in the sense that the ‘plague album,’ as I call it, was about the little person’s annihilation on almost more of like a carnal or a God’s wrath point of view, whereas the ‘imperial record’ was more of a structural demise of the mechanics of society. So they felt like two different things and the idea that I have for the next record is also a different thing from that. It’s just a way for me to compartmentalize the ideas of finding new ways to inspire me lyrically and conceptually.”

Read the full interview here.

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based music reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, Loudwire.com and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.