Tobias Jens Forge is a Swedish musician, singer, and songwriter born on March 3, 1981, in Linköping.
He is best known as the frontman, leader, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member of the theatrical rock band Ghost.
In live performances, he appears under evolving stage personas such as Papa Emeritus, in successive iterations, Cardinal Copia, and more recently Papa Perpetua or Papa Emeritus V.
Before Ghost brought him international recognition, Forge performed under names including Mary Goore in other projects.
His identity as Ghost’s masked vocalist remained largely concealed until it was confirmed in 2017 amid a legal dispute with former members.
Forge is married to Boel Forge and is the father of fraternal twins, Morris and Minou, born in 2008.
Siblings
Forge’s older brother is Sebastian Forge, born in 1968 and roughly thirteen years his senior.
Sebastian played a formative role in Tobias’s early life.
He introduced him as a young child to films, records, and artists including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Kim Wilde, Rainbow, Kiss, and Mötley Crüe.
The brothers largely grew up together with their mother after their parents separated.
Sebastian died of heart disease on March 12, 2010.
Career
Forge began making music in his teens.
In the mid-1990s, he played in the black-metal-oriented project Superior, sometimes linked to earlier names such as Absurdum, under the alias Leviathan.
In 1998, he formed the death-metal band Repugnant, adopting the stage name Mary Goore.
The group recorded material including the album Epitome of Darkness, which was released later, before dissolving.
Around 2000–2002, he also played guitar in the glam-metal band Crashdïet under the same alias.
From 2002 to 2008, he was vocalist and guitarist in the pop-rock band Subvision.
He also contributed guitar and bass to the alternative-rock group Magna Carta Cartel.
Ghost took shape around 2006 as a more focused creative vehicle. The band released its first demos in 2010.
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Ghost debuted with the album Opus Eponymous that year.
The band subsequently released Infestissumam in 2013, Meliora in 2015, Prequelle in 2018, Impera in 2022, and Skeletá in 2025.
Forge has remained the central creative force behind Ghost.
He writes the majority of the material, shapes the elaborate lore and visual presentation, and performs as the successive papal and cardinal figures.
Other musicians appear as anonymous Nameless Ghouls.
The project evolved from an underground phenomenon into a major arena act known for blending heavy metal, hard rock, pop melodies, and theatrical Satanic imagery.
Outside music, he has directed or co-directed the concert film Rite Here Rite Now. He has also made occasional guest appearances in other media.
Accolades
Ghost and Forge have received significant recognition throughout their career. The single “Cirice” from Meliora won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.
The award marked a notable breakthrough for a Swedish hard-rock act.
The band has collected multiple Swedish Grammis awards in the Hard Rock/Metal category.
These awards include recognition for albums such as Infestissumam, Meliora, the Popestar EP, Impera, and Skeletá.
In 2019, the Swedish performing-rights society STIM awarded Forge the Platinagitarren for exceptional success as a music creator.
Loudwire named him Metal Artist of the Decade for Ghost’s rise from underground favorites to arena status.
Additional honors include American Music Award and iHeartRadio Music Award recognition connected to Impera.
He also received a Rock Sound Visionary Artist Award in 2025. Commercial milestones include Skeletá reaching number one on the Billboard 200.
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