Hällje never performed as Papa Emeritus and agreed with Persner to let him use the character for his then-new band. Peter Hällje, a former bandmate of Martin Persner, claimed he designed the Papa Emeritus character in 2005, prior to the formation of Ghost. Each album has a 'new singer': originally Papa Emeritus I through to III-a demonic anti-pope-and then Cardinal Copia, who became Papa Emeritus IV in March 2020. During live performances with the band, he performs as its singer. Since 2006, Forge has acted as chief songwriter and business leader of the rock and heavy metal band Ghost, a project and role that contributed to a significant rise in his fame and popularity, following many years of involvement in other underground acts. Ghost įorge performing as the original Papa Emeritus, 2012 Persner left Ghost in July 2016 and reformed Magna Carta Cartel. The band went on hiatus when all three began to focus on Ghost. Forge played guitar and bass, with Persner and Söderberg both handling guitar and singing duties. They released two EPs and one album, So Far So Noir (2006), before disbanding.įorge, Persner and Simon Söderberg, another future Ghost member, were also members of the Linköping-based alternative rock band Magna Carta Cartel (or MCC) from 2006 to 2010. The group also included future Ghost members Martin Persner and Gustaf Lindström on guitar and bass respectively. Subvision and Magna Carta Cartel įrom 2002 to 2008, Forge was vocalist and guitarist of the pop rock band Subvision. Repugnant reunited for the Hell's Pleasure festival in 2010. At some point he also played guitar for the punk rock band Onkel Kånkel. Between 20, Forge was also a guitarist for glam metal band Crashdïet using the Mary Goore name. They recorded their only studio album Epitome of Darkness in 2002, but it was left unreleased when the band broke up in 2004, only being published in 2006. He fronted the Stockholm-based death metal band Repugnant from 1998, under the stage name Mary Goore. įorge was a member of the band Superior under the stage name Leviathan in 1996.

Prior to finding success, he was in several other bands including Repugnant and Crashdïet under the stage name Mary Goore.įor his musical accomplishments, Forge was awarded the 2019 Platinagitarren award from STIM, who explained 'With one foot standing firmly on the metal floor, Forge is a composer pushing the boundaries of the genre.' Jury member and journalist Jan Gradvall stated that Forge is among the 'most visionary and creative in Swedish music history.' Due to 'Ghost's epic progression from underground doom favorites to an arena phenomenon' in the 2010s, Loudwire named Forge the Metal Artist of the Decade. Although the band formed in 2006, Forge's identity as the Ghost frontman was only confirmed in 2017, following a lawsuit by former band members due to a royalty dispute. He is the leader and primary songwriter of the masked rock band Ghost, performing live as their vocalist under the stage names Papa Emeritus and Cardinal Copia. Tobias Forge ( Swedish pronunciation: born 3 March 1981) is a Swedish singer, musician and songwriter.

Ghost leviathan