Lords of Metal
Arrow Lords of Metal

GHOST's re-teams with 'Meliora' producer for 'Impera' album

28-02-2022

In a new interview with El Paso Inc.GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge spoke his decision to record the band’s upcoming album “Impera” with producer Klas Åhlund, who also sat behind the desk for 2015’s acclaimed “Meliora” effort. Asked why he chose to end his streak of working with a different producer on each new GHOST LP, Tobias said: “The thing is you need to keep moving so that you don’t get stuck in friendly comfortable mode. ‘Meliora’, the record I made with Klas, was really good, but the recording and the production itself left a few things to be improved. When time came to record ‘Impera’, the writing and demoing had been done in 2020. But in early 2021, the American producer who was supposed to make the record couldn’t come because of the travel restrictions, and I couldn’t go to America. And because Klas is also a very scheduled person, he had a project lined up that fell through. All of a sudden, he had a few months off, and I was, like, ‘That is well-timed, because I don’t have a producer. Would you like to produce the record?'”

GHOST‘s fifth album, “Impera” will arrive on March 11 via Loma VistaForge worked on the follow-up to 2018’s “Prequelle” with Åhlund and Swedish co-writers Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare, whose credits include Madonna and Lady Gaga.

Regarding his collaboration with ÅhlundAl Fakir and Pontare, as well as OPETH‘s Fredrik Åkesson who was brought in to sharpen the album’s guitar attack, Forge recently told St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “I found that I can work really well with someone I respect, who is always pushing for the best. They make me want to write better, to get my game up a little.”

GHOST kicked off its co-headlining tour with VOLBEAT on January 25 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada. The 26-date trek, which includes special guests TWIN TEMPLE, will conclude on March 3 in Anaheim, California.

The official music video for “Impera”‘s latest single, “Call Me Little Sunshine”, was lensed by iconic director Matt Mahurin and stars Ruby Modine.

In March 2020, at final show of GHOST‘s “Prequelle” tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the new character who will front the act for its next LP phase.

Forge performed as a “new” Papa Emeritus on each of the band’s first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of “Prequelle”.

“Impera” track listing:

01. Imperium
02. Kaisarion
03. Spillways
04. Call Me Little Sunshine
05. Hunter’s Moon
06. Watcher In The Sky
07. Dominion
08. Twenties
09. Darkness At The Heart Of My Love
10. Griftwood
11. Bite Of Passage
12. Respite On The Spital Fields

“Hunter’s Moon”, which was originally released in September, is also featured in the latest blockbuster installment of the legendary film franchise “Halloween Kills”. The “Halloween Kills” soundtrack arrived on October 15 via Sacred Bones, with the film hitting theaters (and Peacock) the same day as well.

Watch the prevously released singles “Hunter’s Moon” and “Call Me Little Sunshine” below.

Social media