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Ghost frontman Tobias Forge says he’s feeling the pull of his musical roots — and believes now is the right moment to step back from the band’s relentless pace to recharge creatively and personally.
In a recent radio interview, Forge compared his artistic evolution to filmmaker Peter Jackson’s career arc. He described Ghost’s early work as raw and primitive, later albums as increasingly expansive and refined, and his current mindset as akin to Jackson returning to the scrappy energy of his first films — but with decades of experience intact. Forge explained that while artists can’t erase what they’ve learned, they can revisit earlier styles with new perspective.
That sense of looking backward is tied to where he finds inspiration today. Forge said he’s been gravitating again toward the underground death-metal scene that first shaped him as a teenager, calling it a creative comfort zone that reconnects him with the curiosity and excitement he felt discovering music in his youth.
At the same time, Forge said he plans to step away from major Ghost activity after years of near-constant touring and production. He likened his workload to a builder who has run out of materials — someone who must pause before new ideas can take shape. Spending more time at home with his wife and teenage children has become a growing priority, especially as they approach adulthood after years of his absence on the road.
Forge emphasized that the break does not mean inactivity. He said he has multiple creative projects underway, including film work and other music outside Ghost. But he’s also comfortable with the possibility that slowing down could interrupt the band’s momentum — something he once feared but now accepts.
Reflecting on Ghost’s journey, Forge said the band’s evolving sound and elaborate live productions have always been driven by his desire to create immersive worlds similar to cinema. Even if future material draws from heavier roots again, he noted, it will inevitably carry the sophistication gained over years of writing and touring.
For now, he views this period as the start of a new chapter — one that balances family life, outside projects, and a return to the musical influences that first inspired him.
SOURCE: Loudwire