Swedish band Ghost, widely regarded as the most successful rock band of the 2010s, will release their new album 'Impera' in March.
'Impera' will be the first album from the Swedish rockers since 2018's 'Prequelle' which launched the band into the mainstream, debuting the top 10 the United States and the United Kingdom and topping the charts in their native Sweden.
Ghost are best known to Irish audiences for being the main support act for Metallica's triumphant return to Slane Castle in 2019 and their theatric style of rock which takes 70s and 80s metal and adds a modern twist.
Ghost is the brainchild of singer Tobias Forge, and dons elaborate make-up on stage as part of the act.
Forge is the only consistent member of the band, with the singer backed up by "Nameless Ghouls", a revolving door of studio and touring musicians.
Forge's on-stage persona is Papa Emeritus and at the end of every album cycle, the character is retired in favour of a new iteration of the character.
The 'Prequelle' era saw Cardinal Copia, before being retired in favour of Papa Emeritus IV at a show in Mexico in 2020.
It's as brilliantly daft as it sounds, and if you enjoy your rock music with a bit of silliness and theatrics, Ghost is the band for you.
The lead single from 'Impera' accompanied news of the album, with the band sharing the single 'Call Me Little Sunshine' on streaming platforms this morning.
The single is classic Ghost, with a stadium-ready riff powering the 70s-tinged track.
The single 'Hunter's Moon' was used on the soundtrack for horror blockbuster 'Halloween Kills' and will be featured on the album.
Ghost have drafted in Swedish producer Klas Åhlund to produce the album, who produced their 2015 album 'Meliora'.
Åhlund has worked with artists as diverse as Britney Spears, Robyn, Katy Perry and Madonna, but it was his work on 'Meliora' that launched Ghost into the mainstream.
The band took home a Grammy in 2016 for 'Cirice' and released the single 'Square Hammer' later that year, which was later named by Loudwire as the number one metal song of the 2010s.
'Impera' will release on March 11th, with a European tour likely to follow.
Per the Ghost website, “Over the course of ‘Impera’’s 12-song cycle, empires rise and fall, would-be messiahs ply their hype (financial and spiritual alike), prophecies are foretold as the skies fill with celestial bodies divine and man-made."
"All in all, the most current and topical Ghost subject matter to date is set against a hypnotic and darkly colourful melodic backdrop making ‘Impera’ a listen like no other.”
The Swedes are currently on tour across the United States with Danish band Volbeat, so here's hoping Ghost make their way to Irish shores soon.
Ireland was left off the list for their European tour, which takes in venues across Europe in support of 'Impera'.
The band made their Irish debut supporting Metallica at Slane in 2019 before headlining their first-ever Irish show at the 3Arena in November 2019.
'Impera' is available to pre-order and pre-save from the band's website.
