“Child, Take Your Dark Memories
Like Seeds, And Plant Them Far From Here”
It's impossible to sum up how far GHOST has come since it was born in Tobias Forge's imagination in the early 21st century. In the nearly 20 years since its inception in Linköping, Sweden, GHOST has become much more than just the most important Scandinavian theater rock band.
Achievements and accolades associated with GHOST's discography include nearly 10 billion streams, five GRAMMY nominations (including winning Best Metal Performance in 2016 for "Cirice"), an RIAA platinum single ("Mary on a Cross"), as well as the American Music Award and iHeart Radio Music Award (both for Rock Album of the Year 2022 for IMPERA, which topped the global charts).
As the band's popularity grew exponentially, so did its ambitions, resulting in the highest-grossing theatrical release in North American hard rock history - the band's debut film RITE HERE RITE NOW. As GHOST continues to strengthen its bond with a global community of fans who come together for its mystical concerts. It's no exaggeration to describe the band as a unique phenomenon on a global scale - and the extraordinary bond it forges with devoted followers who find refuge in the personas, mythology and world created by Forge.
“There Is Something Inside Me
And They Don’t Know If There Is a Cure”
Having devoted most of the past few years to captivating an ever-growing and increasingly devoted fan base during successive concert tours—from the period leading up to the release of IMPERA in March 2022, all the way to the final concert in the U.S., which took place on September 11–12, 2023, at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles (documented in the blockbuster film RITE HERE RITE NOW)—GHOST embarked on a new, uncharted creative path that this time led inward. This deeply introspective shift in Forge’s creative process resulted in the album SKELETÁ —a collection of 10 new tracks that delve as deep as possible.
“And The Road That
Leads to Nowhere Is Long”
Produced by Gene Walker and mixed by Andy Wallace and Dan Malsch, GHOST’s sixth album, *SKELETÁ*, is the band’s most uncompromisingly introspective work to date. While previous GHOST albums focused primarily on observing and describing external themes—such as IMPERA, which analyzed the rise and fall of empires, or Prequelle, which referenced devastating plagues—the lyrics of SKELETÁ convey the emotional landscapes of each of the 10 songs in a direct manner, almost like a conversation with oneself in the mirror. The end result is a collection of timeless, universal emotions, presented from an exceptionally personal perspective. However, SKELETÁ is more than just a collection of songs. The tracks form a thematic arc that begins with the soaring, anthemic “Peacefield,” then plunges into increasingly darker spiritual territories, passing through the bittersweet melodies of “Lachryma,” the devilishly catchy first single “Satanized,” and the introspective, epic ballad “Guiding Lights.”
“Wherever I Go
You’re Always There
Riding Next to Me
The second half of SKELETÁ leads through this darkness back toward the optimism of the opening track. Milestones along this path include “Cenotaph,” which explores the theme of existence beyond the physical grave, and the ominously foreboding “Marks Of The Evil One” with its perversely joyful chorus “There! There!” and the carnal “Umbra.” The album concludes with “Excelsis,” which, though it initially sounds like a dirge, actually carries the promise of eternal life—emphasizing the album’s central theme: the assurance that every era of darkness, every time of mourning and loss, ultimately comes to an end.
“Come With Me
To the Rainbow’s End”
SKELETÁ will come to life during the upcoming SKELETOUR WORLD TOUR 2025. This is the most ambitious installment of GHOST’s concert ritual to date, and the first announced leg includes over 55 dates, including the band’s historic, first-ever headlining concert at Madison Square Garden in New York—additional dates will be announced soon.
Tickets are selling out at lightning speed, and the SKELETOUR WORLD TOUR 2025 promises to be an event that will draw the largest and most diverse audience in the band’s history. From longtime devotees to curious newcomers, from outsiders to those seeking solace in ritual—all are welcome to escape their daily worries and become part of the phantasmagorical spectacle that led The Los Angeles Times to declare: “When it comes to live performances, they’re among the best in the business, ” and The Wall Street Journal to hail GHOST as “the next generation of arena stars.”
