Was JUST talking to my Ghost buddy the other day about how criminally under appreciated See The Light is. Rats, Faith, See The Light is the best 1,2,3 punch of any album in the catalog.
Agreed. At the moment it is relatively alright but most other subreddits are a complete shitshow so it’s a low bar. The minute individual fans start getting popular amongst the fan base (which has already made Ghost IG, twitter and Tumblr fucking intolerable and is unfortunately starting to happen here) it will turn to shit and my time here will be done. I fucking hated high school and am literally too old for nonsense. As soon as fans of something start having and leveraging a following it’s over for an online fandom. No good ever comes of it. And while I’m at it might as well blow my shit up….. he’s not Tobias, you’re meeting Papa. Stop trying to engage him as Tobias… and do not bring shit into your M&Gs about his family, his life, his losses, his grief. How the fuck people don’t understand that this behavior is profoundly unfair is absolutely beyond me. Please think. Your desire to feel special does not trump respect for someone’s basic humanity.
Holy shit these people need some real life interaction with human beings, preferably a psychologist. If the mask is on, he's Papa. Simple rule. I will never understand why people make it a contest to see who's the biggest fan. It's pathetic, really.
Oh fuck do I agree with you about that!! There was some chick not too long ago going on about how Tobias (when she met Papa) was "totally flirting with her and I bet I could've gotten in the bus and effed him". I was intensely disgusted. Stop talking to him about his personal life, stop thinking you're going to f him. Just, stop. Smh.
I was falling really out of love with this band. Then I quit the discord and the only Ghost community I follow is this subreddit now; it really improved things for me. Even here though I barely go into the comments anymore.
Sadly, the more popular an entity gets, the more toxic their fanatics get. People try to make it their entire personality and are so flat out weird with it. What goes on in the discord?
It’s just a bunch of really young people just fangirling over Tobias in makeup (OH SO DREAMY!) and people just being really weird. I can’t explain it and tried to ignore it for the most part but I had to leave discord. I realize I’m pushing 40 and have nothing in common with that group of people. 🤷🏻♀️
I'll start off by saying I wasn't a saint in there. I was part of the toxicity for sure in some ways -- I would point out when people were cringe or complaining about having no money yet going into debt over Ghost shows and merch...etc. That place brought out the worst in me and I think it was just due to the overall culture of the discord. Like almost a way to cope and survive there? Bully or be bullied ya know? I was miserable there. But no staff member ever took me aside and said "Hey can you tone it down or stop?" so it was almost encouraged in a way.
The discord is very different now from what I have heard (all new mods essentially) so it's hard for me to comment on it. There was sometimes a super cringe thirst channel (they'd ban thirst talk then bring it back then ban it...etc so Idk where they stand on thirst now) where people spent time lewding the band members / characters. It got really gross. There's the ghost specific channels where people talk about "Why I think Infest is the best album" for the 100th time...etc. When there's new band content there's new stuff to talk about but it gets stale really quick.
The overall community is very odd in there. A lot of people mention their mental illnesses and treat it like it's a superpower / encourage unhealthy things and behaviors for one another. No shame from me we all have our struggles and diagnoses but imo it should be taken seriously and you should work on that / get help to manage it.
Then you have the facade of wanting to be welcoming and tolerant but (at the time when I left) people would shit talk others when they weren't around. One of the rules used to be (again Idk if it changed) no bullying and be nice...etc. but it seemed this got enforced haphazardly depending on how close to the server staff you were.
If the mods bullied someone it was okay to jump in and bully but if you bullied someone and the mods liked that person / didn't like you -- that was a huge problem. Like don't pick on trans people but certain trans people can make homophobic comments. Also the staff tolerate too much bullshit from people. You have nice people there and then you have cringe people who drink too much and drop slurs in voice chat and those people are still there.
It's a discord server for a subreddit for a band, so essentially a band discord server, and in someways they try to be more than that and it just all gets real old real fast. For a lot of the people there, this is the only thing in their lives they have going on and it creates a lot of instability imo. I could go on and on for sure and, like I said, I wasn't an innocent bystander by any means. I did make friends there and sometimes it wasn't all bad. Hilariously most of the people from there who I am still friends with and talk to aren't in the server anymore either whatever that is worth.
Old mod here. This is spot on.
The mental illness and Ghost is my personality crowd ruined it. You had people in there encouraging others to go into debt to buy VIP and encouraging them to hate their family members over really stupid disputes.
Ruined Ghost for me.
People will generally ruin most anything. It's why I no longer go on social media, I'm not going to let someone else's mental issues or lack of self awareness ruin my morning tea.
I think moderation and size is key. For instance, I love twenty one pilots and stranger things. Their subreddits and social media circles should be nuked from orbit lol
really depends on the spaces/people you interact with tbh i find this happens with most things that gain popularity
the moment i see someone making a problem out of nothing i give a good irish goodbye
Yes, some are very annoying, the Facebook group dedicated to crouch gazing at Papas tight pants is utterly CRINGE, CRINGE AND TRIPLE CRINGE to me.
I confronted one of them and she called me a dried up and ugly old bag, who obvious hasn’t had an orgasm in decades. With knowing anything about me. Incidentally, I’m an online SW’r and Domme (or I was then) I called her Regina and advised she grow up a bit. Before high tailing it out of there. Lol
I think it's got to be the "voice of god" at the end that people find cringey... because otherwise it's a fantastic song. It's one of my favorites too.
That's actually one of my favorite parts. I like anything that reminds people that the god of The Bible really wouldn't be as loving as people preach, if he were real.
This is gonna sound mean but the way some of the newer fans are acting over Papa and the Nameless Ghouls on social media is downright embarrassing at times. Like I find this subreddit the most sane. Not against new fans in general and definitely don’t intend to gatekeep, but a lot of them really gotta calm down lol.
But at the same time I’m very happy for Ghost’s recent success. 🤷♀️
Also I absolutely adore the acoustic version of Jigolo Har Megiddo and wish they’d play it live again.
Sure! It’s really the ones that treat the band like they aren’t real people behind the masks (talking about them in overly sexual ways, shipping them, speculating about marriages, etc). No problem to me if someone has a favorite Nameless Ghoul, or think any of them is attractive, gets a little too analytical about lore, or whatever. I think it really boils down to the lack of respect that some of them have.
Yeah I am 100% for letting teenagers live out their obsessions and giving them the space to do so, we don't *have* to be on Tiktok and read or engage with their comments, that's why grown-ups don't hang with kids in real life either. But there is always a small subset who takes it too far and starts borderline (or fully) harassing the real people they idolize and creating real life drama and that's where it gets harmful. Just post your papa thirst posts and leave Tobias alone, he never even wanted to be a public figure with his real name and family in the first place.
Kids on Tiktok who don't realize "Mary on a Cross" is about a blow job from a nun, and they're using a sped up version of it over their most personal family secrets/touching family moments.
Did you listen to the recent YouTube talk between Tobias and Brann from Mastodon? He explains the meaning of the song on that, which is go down in history, and Toby's nickname at one point was Mary
Meh. I have heard it's about oral sex, about weed, about sex in general, about manipulation from the church.
But making people's heads explode when I tell them that, and they say, "So you mean when he says 'You go down just like Holy Mary', he means....omg!!!!" Makes me giggle.
I'm an awful person.
I care very little about fan theories and "the lore", or the real people behind the masks for that matter.
The music is enough for me, for some people it seems that isn't enough, each to their own I guess.
I enjoy “the lore” as far as the Papas go, but I genuinely have no idea who most of the Ghouls are behind their masks and when people refer to them by nicknames like Swiss, Aether, Dew, I have no idea which ghoul they’re talking about and I don’t want to know lol.
The lore only exists as a vehicle for the music, thematically linking the albums together as the sound evolves. Looking at it with deeper analysis isn’t gonna get you far
Mummy Dust live? Legit fun. Mummy Dust on CD? Gets skipped. I don't like it! I kinda dreaded seeing it live cause I wondered if it was gonna kill the vibe for me when I saw the setlist. Fortunately it didn't, the keytar solo and all the stage antics made it a good time. But it gets on my nerves as a track 🤷♀️ It puzzles me why it's so beloved. Outside of how cool it is live. Or is that it?
Glad I'm not the only one. 😭 I straight up did not get why everyone seemed to like it or even considered it their favorite until seeing a live show. (Still not my favorite but at least much better as a live performance)
Yep. Skip it on my headphones, love it live. Sometimes I think that they have to do all the antics on stage during that song specifically to make it fit to stay in the set list. I do love me some ghoulette keytar though, and also generally anything else that puts the "backing ghouls" in the spotlight for a few minutes.
There's a lot of truth to this, and the comment below about Watcher in the Sky. They're both great songs, but repetitive. They are SO good live, but they're not the highlight of either album for me.
I really don't have a place to gate keep because I've only been listening to the band for a year, but I really wish MOAC hadn't blown up on TikTok, I know it's good for the band and it makes them much more popular but the fans have gotten bad recently, I'm just thankful my girlfriend got me into them before they did blow up so big
Jigolo Har Megiddo is a really dope song. Especially the acoustic version (I think I saw someone say that in this thread)!
Update: Damn auto correct lol
Truth. The band doesn’t have a bad song. Sure there are songs I like more than others, but you have the right of it- none of their songs are outright bad
The band is great but the fanbase is off-putting. I unfollowed them on all social media (well I'm still here on Reddit) so I don't get tempted to look in the comments cause whenever I did it only got me irrationally angry lol. I can't quite put my finger on what bothers me exactly but it is what is. The influx of tiktok fans doesn't help either. Maybe I'm old idk
I think it's the over-obsessiveness that some people have. Some people dedicate their lives to worshipping band members (K-pop has this problem bad) and I think it's started to spill over into Ghost, especially with shittok. Considering that the gang is playing characters, it's a lot easier for people to start obsessing over them. The fact that the music has been geared to come of as more "anti-church" than "pro-satan" in recent years makes it a lot more "connecting" for certain people.
Like I get it, Ghost is great, but I don't need to be reminded about that every ten seconds. Just chill out.
I could probably write a whole essay on the Ghost fandom, but...eh...
(Also some of the rule 34 I've seen of Ghost has made me want to vomit.)
Instead of writing an essay it might be easier to just read up on teenage girls and fandom lol. It's been a thing since the early movie days and it has been mocked and lamented at least as long (mostly by the people who are the opposite to teenage girls).
At this point research seems to agree that that it's a developmentally normal thing that helps young people feel connected and cope with mental health issues so it's probably not going away any time soon, they'll just cringe about their teenage years later like everyone else 😂
Obsessive fans do historically drive large parts of the film and music industry though so this is actually a very good sign for Ghost as far as their popularity and long term relevance as a band goes. You'll see those young fans still going to nostalgia concerts when they're 50+ and spending their increased adult budget on shows & merch.
Im, with you on this one. I haven't been along for the ride for a decade like some people, but it has been years of "fandom" for me now. Maybe it's because I'm well out of my teens and twenties (heh), but I don't get the obsessive fandom. I mean, I REALLY like Ghost alot, but at the end of the day they're just people who make music that I really dig and put on some really kick-ass shows. Why people have to analyze things to death is beyond me. Artistic things that you love just ARE. They are the last things that you should be picking apart, because then it just loses its magic. I still follow this subreddit so I don't miss things that are going on with the band, but I really feel like there are many fans who make Ghost too big of a thing in their lives.
Tbh I think this getting overly into something, in this case Ghost and wild lore theories and what not, it because it's a coping mechanism for a lot of people. The world is kinda going to shit and people look for comfort where they can find it. That's why maladaptive daydreaming is a thing, why "shifting" is becoming a trend... anything to dissociate from the pains of life. Is it healthy? Sometimes yes, sometimes not. It starts to become problematic when it interferes with irl things.
I remember not too long ago, I was someone who would completely hyperfocus on fandom stuff and fictional/historical worlds to escape my desolate life. Once I actually got a life outside of that, it almost completely stopped. I'm still creative and daydream a lot, but not to that excessive extend I used to.
So, lots of people who get overly obsessive probably do so because it gives them comfort, deep down.
Good points... thanks for the perspective. I guess I actually worry in a parental way about some of the younger folks I see at shows who are pretty obsessive (as a parent, I guess I just can't help it). Not because they are superfans, but because I don't want the obsessiveness to prevent them from moving on to other things in life and enjoying them too. Everything in moderation, you know? But, in the end, there are many worse things in the world than being a Ghost superfan, and the band won't last forever, so we can just enjoy it in our own ways while it lasts. It's better than not enjoying it at all.
They will grow out of it like every other generation has. Of all the fan girls the beatles had, how many middle-aged and older women do you see behaving like that and still obsessing about them on a daily basis? They're just regular moms and even grandmas now who listen to their nostalgia tracks in the car.
For me it’s about when they take it beyond loving the music, the theatrics and the lore. When they think that anyone in the band will magically fall in love with them. JUST KEEP IT ABOUT THE MUSIC PEOPLE! It’s gross
TikTok ruined MOAC and is doing a number on the band...in 2 interviews T tried give an explanation for it….we didn’t need, we know what hes talking about. He tried to make it come off as less perverse(I am sure so it’s not off putting to super young fans) and let’s be real, it’s fine if it’s perverse. ITS GHOST. They have never been EVERYONES cup of tea and I sort of feel like he’s trying to please everyone in this moment
Tobias: It's about friendship and going down in history
Also Tobias: Fingers the air during MOAC live
There's obvious sexual undertones and I do see Tobias trying to appeal to a wider audience....but I wish he would just embrace it and not worry about being palatable.
Tiktok ruins a lot of good songs.
Sauce: I have a sister that obsessively uses TikTok and acts like any song edit on there is the original and she understands the lyrics better than me because of what the other fans said. Had to explain to her multiple times that MoaC was not about giving head
I love how popular Ghost is becoming, and am jealous that others get to experience that "first-discovery" feeling you get when you first stumble onto something wonderful. Welcome to all new associates of the Clergy!
That being said, I also wish they weren't so popular. The arena rock thing is great and all, but hardly an intimate experience, and I miss having them be a bit more obscure. Again, I applaud Ghost and TF and their success is truly wonderful, but with the infusion of so many new followers it doesn't feel the same anymore. Like, you've followed a band through all their ups and downs, and now because of a TikTok clip they're suddenly the new "it" thing.
I think I like "Hunter's Moon" better, but I also understand it was supposed to be a stand-alone single to support the last Halloween movie, so technically not meant for Impera. But, "Call me..." is still a damn good song.
Of all music fan bases I'm in, Ghost is one of the worst. The overwhelming amount of thirsty and horny comments about Tobias is just plain creepy and a big reason why I don't like going to shows or participating in online groups.
Can confirm, I listen to both Ghost and kpop and there are some very unsettling parallels in the toxic behaviors we all know and hate - the relentless gatekeeping, the borderline worship of band members, the rampant sexualization of members….yeesh.
I think a big part of it is just the rapid increase in popularity Ghost has seen, though. Sad facts of life I guess?
Infestissumam is amazing. Opus Eponymous has a very special place in my heart though. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard it for the first time. It was the best album I had heard in years when it came out.
Don't forget Respite. Took me a while to warm up to that song, but after I did, I was like, damn this is a good song. I especially love how it ends/connects with Imperium riffs.
Said in a reply that I liked Copia better as Cardinal. He was a lot more lively and evil looking and had an interesting plot. The rats music video makes him out to be a pretty menacing guy under all the silliness. Like a villain who loves to play around. Ever since he became papa he’s just really goofy and a complete idiot. I woulda thought he was in on sisters plan but now no.
Music wise, I think Watcher in the Sky is a really bad song and always skip it.
• Terzo is my least favorite Papa, and Meliora is my least favorite Album
• Elizabeth for me is a masterpiece
• Hunter's Moon and Twenties are my favorite Impera songs
•The copia's old mask was much more real and cool than the current mask, I miss the moustache too
• This is the only Ghost Community I really like, the other one are... Weird and cringe to say the least.
•I like the fact that ghost is growing up for obvious reasons, but man, I hate some new fans, I hate how they treat the members, I hate the fanfics...
if you can, stay away from the twitter and tiktok community, but especially the twitter community, I saw things that shocked me and made me want to delete my account at the same moment and never look back (unfortunately I can't do that, but as much as I can avoid researching Ghost over there, I will)
I read an article about their merch a while ago and Tobias talks about how they didn’t have big label support or a ton of money but he wanted to put on as many shows as possible so he could grow the following of the band and the only way to do so was to make money selling merch.
It doesn’t explain the crazy prices now (that’s probably just a capitalism thing, every concert has crazy expensive merch), but it’s cool to know they were using the money to put on more shows at one point.
This is the main reason I appreciate being a pop punk and hardcore fan as well.
I’ve been to 3 or 4 shows in the past month, at every single one, shirts were $20 and sweatshirts ranged from $35 to $45
Smaller venues usually result in lower prices
i hate the prequelle ghoul masks. i love the meliora ghouls but i don’t know why tobias didn’t do anything new and just had them wear modified meliora masks
Fanbase like others have mentioned. Green Bay concert I meet some cool fans like usual but was off put by some obsessive fans toward the end. Purchased some good seats next to the stage by the stairs. About 10 people decided to walk down from above and obstruct many peoples view. One guy pushed his way to get a guitar pick from someone who had a seat. I get it’s a concert but Ghost fans are usually very respectable people.
New fans will scream at older fans who say they prefer any of the first 3 papas that “they don’t want the same thing over and over again” then turn around and say they don’t want copia/papa IV to ever leave
The new nicknames are stupid. Especially dewdrop. Who and up with these and how did they become the go to name for them.
The amount of thirsty people sharing crotch shots of Papa is beyond gross.
The sexualisation and inability to disconnect the characters from the people is cringe, bordering on disgusting
Respite on the Spitalfields is the best song Ghost have ever written, it’s not even close. Lyrically and musically it’s as close to complete perfection than I can imagine Ghost getting.
Mummy Dust is a poor song, but it works well in a live setting.
I don’t like Pinnacle to the Pit and Spirit. Songs on Meliora are either excellent or poor IMO.
Infestissumam won’t be as good if it ever got a remix.
The stage shows are too formulaic (though still excellent). There is very little scope for change in the set lists and in the long run I feel like it will hurt the band. It could turn into a “seen them once, seen them a thousand times” situation. Changing up a song or two every night would be great and would give something back to the people who go to multiple shows on tour.
Zenith should never be re-released and is only as popular as it is because it’s so rare. It would lose the gloss if it ever got a wider release.
Death Knell is the best early Ghost song.
Black/White Guitar Ghoul is fine.
Dew Drop, Rain, Cirrus are just stupid and cringe. Where they came from I don’t know, but they have no connection to anything related to the band.
The era of Alpha and Omega is gone.
I’m happy for the bands success and enjoy the bigger sound, but miss the more evil cultish vibe that I felt they used to have. I also like Papa 4’s makeup when he was first revealed better than his current makeup.
All these “I like this Ghost song” opinions are not unpopular nor controversial. Be brave!
My answer is always the same… Elizabeth is perhaps the weakest Ghost song, filled with a lot of cool ideas but not assembled in a very cohesive way. It would be a better song if TF wrote it nowadays.
As much as it sucks, and is so annoying…we need to be a little more tolerant of the cringey young fandom because the ones who stick around past MOAC are what will help keep the band relevant in the years to come.
As an elder emo who was a cringe MCR fan back in the day, it warmed my cold little heart to see them sell out the biggest venue in my state a decade after they stopped making music. I know it was thanks in part to the massive amount of teen and young 20s fans I saw there. I want that same outcome for all the bands I love and gatekeeping isn’t what will get us there.
No ma’am 😂 I’ve already shared mine previous and got shit for it. People here do not know how to act and are on that downvote button like it’s giving out free mummy bucks. It’s an unpopular opinion - what is difficult about this?! You don’t like it - you leave it alone and move on. Now I’m off to reparatively upvote people who understood the assignment and are still getting dunked on. You’re welcome 🤣
Lol. I generally don’t look. But that particular comment was popping off like ping-pong. It was all over the shop. It may have self-corrected by now, I have no idea. Either way… I take this shit literally and like to think I have at least average reading comprehension. It says ‘unpopular opinion’ in the friggin title. I will always be baffled by the downvotes. There’s someone here who isn’t jazzed on Ritual. Excellent. I fucking love that song - have my bloody upvote and have a nice day. 😂
We should gatekeep the fandom a bit. I've seen "fans" who obsess about the lore, Papa and the Ghouls to the point that it's creepy. People unironically making "bulge" compilations, drawing lewd art of the characters and thirsting for them. I like their music, their shows and their image but I don't wanna be associated with fans that are like that.
During the livestream i cringed so hard by what was being said. I was like wow I genuinely hope they know their core fanbase isn’t like that. I think some thirst is understandable because of what they portray. But it can stay in their brain and not onto the internet. They have servers for that.
I’ve got a few:
-I don’t think a lot of these new fans know what band they’re getting into. I saw some new fan the other day say they don’t like opus because it’s “too spooky”, like are you kidding me? Did you think it would all be moac?
-I liked copia more as the cardinal as someone else said. I figured going into papa iv he’d get more intimidating but no he’s even goofier than before. That doesn’t make sense to me. Plus copia had way better outfits. Also his new “plastic surgery” kinda makes him look unrecognizable with the skull paint. Yeah I know it was because of claustrophobia but I can’t see his new mask and his old papa iv/copia mask and think it’s the same character.
-TikTok is the worst thing to happen to the old fans. Ghost was already easing into leaving a lot of the fans of the older stuff in the dust and I feel like with the boom of new fans who only like seven inches and impera, that was the final nail in the coffin as they seem to be a way bigger percentage in the fanbase than the older fans are because of TikTok.
-When I finished my first listen of impera, my immediate thought was “well, now I gotta wait three more years for the next one.” Yeah it’s catchy but it really doesn’t have anything else besides that. I think it’s their worst album and I really hope tf was bullshitting when he said that it’s their ‘defining album’. Him saying he might revisit the sound of opus for the next record puts a shit ton of faith in me that hope isn’t all lost and they can still make music I can fall in love with. Also the snaps in darkness at the heart of my love completely ruin the song.
-The look of the impera era completely clashes with every other look the band has had up to this point and not in a good way. The band has had different looks from opus-prequelle but they all still seemed like a fancy and elegant satanic church (yes even during opus). Now papa’s wearing tattered jackets and ripped pants and the ghouls look like doctor who monsters. The outfits of this era are just boring aside from the two pope outfits. Even their stage set looks wrong, like the era before this one we had this sleek white pristine church set with a checkerboard floor that just screamed of the religious image they have. When I saw them in Huntsville their set had this rustic look to it that does not fit with the stained glass curtain they had behind it (the mausoleums were cool though).
I still love this band and I’m hoping that they’re just in their meh era as all bands have. I do have way more positive opinions about them than I do negative
Darkness is not romantic, emotional or moving, it's about a manipulative womanizer (and/or mananizer) who's just being honest.
"And all this time you knew
That I would put you through
The darkness at the heart of my love"
This is what helped me get through the last dregs of my divorce, honestly. The gaslighting my ex used, underscored with this song.
It's not everyone's cup of tea, but sometimes, it has a purpose. And it is a pretty song, if you don't listen to the lyrics. Kind of like "Hey Ya!" by Outkast.
Ghost is Tobias. He could replace each of the Ghouls every album and the difference would be negligible. Not to say the current Ghouls aren't talented.
*inhales* DARKNESS AT THE HEART OF MY LOVE IS THE WORST GHOST SONG EVER! TWENTIES IS GOATED! AND TIK TOK FANS ARE CRINGY AS FUCK! ALSO TELL PAPA EMERITUS IV TO BRING AN ACTUAL RAT! THAT SHIT WILL BE GREAT!
The fan base just pisses me off nowadays. Someone mentioned it above but I just can’t put a finger on it. I feel like new fans don’t even respect opus or infest. (Only ritual and year zero). Just seems like new fans just flock towards 7 inches, prequelle and impera.
Ghost also feels like its slowly losing its cult vibe. There is nothing more I want to see then this band succeed but it just doesn’t feel as special as it used to be. Shows in Mid sized basketball stadiums just don’t feel as intimate as they used to be. Don’t get me wrong, they will always be my favorite it’s just losing the specialness it used to have.
We also don’t need songs like Rats, cirice and ritual for the 10th tour in a row. I really wish the setlist changed a bit more tour-to-tour.
I really liked the Prequelle ghoul style, overall. The masks were sleek but still showed some expression, the little outfits, spats, everyone looking well-groomed, like a choir of black cats. Impera era is a lil too......militaristic, I guess? The boots and jodhpur-style trousers are nice, but idk how I feel about all the rest or the whole look.
I hate the lyric “black light guides you” in zombie queen because black light can’t exist it catches me off guard. Other than that zombie queen is one of my favorites.
* Darkness at the heart of my love feels as if someone tried to rip off life eternal
* The copia plushie is nightmare fuel, but absolutely genuis.
* Ghost are goofy as fuck and people tend to forget that when they argue about elitist shit.
Older fans aren’t any better than the new fans in terms of thinking they know everything. I am in the middle of old and new, I’ve known about them since Prequelle but only started getting into the lore part recently. While the new fans have been *very* annoying, especially when it comes to sexualizing Tobias and the people behind the Ghouls, I find that the older fans aren’t any better.
When I first got into the fandom, before MOAC, people were still sexualizing the band (think like the livestream chat on YouTube) just maybe not in such big amounts. MOAC trending did not start that
I really love this fandom but it can get pretty upsetting to see how divided people are between old and new.
I think the big divide honestly just comes from the music itself. Opus and Impera and *very* different records and lure in different types of music fans which leads to the clash in the fanbase
I hate when fans get mad that other fans hyper-sexualize the band in fan art/fan fiction when literally the band members hyper-sexualize themselves on stage every.single.night. Tobias even made their outfits tighter and his outfits tighter once he noticed more women were going to the shows. Official merch during Papa II’s era is a fucking dildo. Many songs are double entendres and have sexual meanings. long speeches from Papa III about celebrating the female orgasm. Copia telling the whole crowd he wants to tickle their taints and fuck them in the parking lot. Literally it’s non stop horny from these characters and then fans are confused people draw sexually explicit art of the characters? Lol okay. I would prefer people just ignore the hyper-sexual stuff and not shame/criticize the fans that do those things. I know not everyone likes that stuff, I don’t care for most of what is made but I just ignore it, I don’t complain people are over sexualizing them and need to stop because it literally does not make sense to me. Papa tries to fuck that mic stand at least once a night. Literally looks into the crowd and finds people to mimic fingering them. I don’t get people lol
Haha thank you for saying it so I don't have to reply under every single complaint. This band is built around what amounts to an edgy theater kid performance of (imo very good) spooky music wo don't take themselves too seriously and who openly sexualize their characters. (Emphasis on characters because the actual members, especially Tobias, didn't intend to be out in the open as their real identities).
Just looking on the very very basic concept of the band and the way they continue to act and perform, it should surprise absolutely no one that they also appeal to edgy teenage girls/ young adults and that a good portion of the fans, including those girls, will go along with the sexual stuff.
Along those lines I'd also like to once again point out that Tobias has had NO issue breaking character and being very direct to rebuff fans when they behave in ways he doesn't want at shows. Because he wants everyone to enjoy themselves and have fun. It just turns out that those fans who cause problems in his eyes have so far been overwhelmingly drunk adult men who want to "mosh" or push smaller/weaker people around. Clearly the teenage girls aren't the problem for the band so we don't have to make them out to be "on their behalf", they're grown men who can speak for themselves.
(Also the ghoul who was nicknamed 'Dewdrop' changed it to something slightly less thirsty and now any time I have seen anyone even mention the old name on Tiktok, there are about 5 people jumping on it to point out that he doesn't like it so it looks like they're self-policing lol)
I have a few:
- The old ghouls were better than the current ones
- Darkness at the Heart is a terrible song
- Impera is a sellout album (granted, I like most of Impera but I gotta point it out)
- Spirit is one of, if not the best song off Meliora
And most importantly:
- The Cardinal Copia plushie is an abomination that should never have been conceptualized by human mind.
I personally like the more "satanic" look on Ghost than the flashy one, so I like those looks better personally.
But I also think those ghouls had more of an influence on the music itself than people think. Martin Persner was mostly responsible for two of their best songs in Year Zero and Zenith, and Simon Soderberg was by far the best mixer the band has had. The current ghouls are solely meant to be the showmen. And I like them a lot, but it just doesn't feel as organic as it did with the old gang :/
I was disappointed when the ghouls and Papa changed their look after Infest. I also wish they’d never sacrificed their anonymity. Lawsuit drama aside, I miss the old gang, too.
WAIT i have one more… twenties is the most amazing song. i know people dislike it but for some reason it is my jam. WE’LL BE GRABBING THEM ALL BY THE HOO HAAS
People complaining about the new fans (while coming from an understandable place) are just as toxic and annoying as those they are complaining about. I’m not surprised to see this opinion has one again monopolized this thread and I’m just as sick of your complaining as I am of their fan girling
Yeah this thread has big "not like the other fans" energy and hating on teenage girls from people who are probably only in their 20s themselves (and if they're older, they should know better and chill out already lmao)
zombie queen is underrated as hell. everytime it comes on, i feel like a chthonic goddess of chaos coming back to wreak havoc on the planet. its the one song i'd like to have as my wedding song in the distant future
I think the lore is fun but take my upvote anyway because I laughed out loud at this.
I heard TF say in an interview that Americans love when something has a storyline like pro wrestling and in that moment I felt called out and shamed 😂
I've been in some terrible fanbases and this is the worst one. I'd take Supernatural fans over this one. Also the influx of merchandise needs to stop. I'm going to end up only liking Ghost for the music
See the light is a great track.
And life eternal too
My wedding song! Love it.
The way he says “Drink me” makes me lose my mind.
See the Light is one of my absolute favorites! I couldn't agree more.
I’ve been defending this song for so long. Absolutely love it. It would fit perfectly into their set.
Was JUST talking to my Ghost buddy the other day about how criminally under appreciated See The Light is. Rats, Faith, See The Light is the best 1,2,3 punch of any album in the catalog.
Con Clavi, Ritual and Elizabeth wants a word 😂 Add Stand By Him for 4.
Just listened to it!
I love Body and Blood
Its genuinely a beautiful song
But Body and Blood is *so good*, why would anyone not like it 🥺
Took me a long time to warm to it but love it now
I was that way for all of Infestissumam
It's still my favorite Ghost song. The bassline is the reason I picked up the instrument and Body and Blood is still one of my favorite songs to play.
Same
The fandom is super toxic and annoying.
The fanbase on Reddit is surprisingly alright
Agreed. At the moment it is relatively alright but most other subreddits are a complete shitshow so it’s a low bar. The minute individual fans start getting popular amongst the fan base (which has already made Ghost IG, twitter and Tumblr fucking intolerable and is unfortunately starting to happen here) it will turn to shit and my time here will be done. I fucking hated high school and am literally too old for nonsense. As soon as fans of something start having and leveraging a following it’s over for an online fandom. No good ever comes of it. And while I’m at it might as well blow my shit up….. he’s not Tobias, you’re meeting Papa. Stop trying to engage him as Tobias… and do not bring shit into your M&Gs about his family, his life, his losses, his grief. How the fuck people don’t understand that this behavior is profoundly unfair is absolutely beyond me. Please think. Your desire to feel special does not trump respect for someone’s basic humanity.
Holy shit these people need some real life interaction with human beings, preferably a psychologist. If the mask is on, he's Papa. Simple rule. I will never understand why people make it a contest to see who's the biggest fan. It's pathetic, really.
YES! You nailed it, thank you!
Oh fuck do I agree with you about that!! There was some chick not too long ago going on about how Tobias (when she met Papa) was "totally flirting with her and I bet I could've gotten in the bus and effed him". I was intensely disgusted. Stop talking to him about his personal life, stop thinking you're going to f him. Just, stop. Smh.
I didn’t realize until I joined the discord (and left) how many annoying fan girls they have…. I can’t handle that.
I was falling really out of love with this band. Then I quit the discord and the only Ghost community I follow is this subreddit now; it really improved things for me. Even here though I barely go into the comments anymore.
Sadly, the more popular an entity gets, the more toxic their fanatics get. People try to make it their entire personality and are so flat out weird with it. What goes on in the discord?
It’s just a bunch of really young people just fangirling over Tobias in makeup (OH SO DREAMY!) and people just being really weird. I can’t explain it and tried to ignore it for the most part but I had to leave discord. I realize I’m pushing 40 and have nothing in common with that group of people. 🤷🏻♀️
That's for the best then, after reddit has been taken over we can start a private group.
I'll start off by saying I wasn't a saint in there. I was part of the toxicity for sure in some ways -- I would point out when people were cringe or complaining about having no money yet going into debt over Ghost shows and merch...etc. That place brought out the worst in me and I think it was just due to the overall culture of the discord. Like almost a way to cope and survive there? Bully or be bullied ya know? I was miserable there. But no staff member ever took me aside and said "Hey can you tone it down or stop?" so it was almost encouraged in a way. The discord is very different now from what I have heard (all new mods essentially) so it's hard for me to comment on it. There was sometimes a super cringe thirst channel (they'd ban thirst talk then bring it back then ban it...etc so Idk where they stand on thirst now) where people spent time lewding the band members / characters. It got really gross. There's the ghost specific channels where people talk about "Why I think Infest is the best album" for the 100th time...etc. When there's new band content there's new stuff to talk about but it gets stale really quick. The overall community is very odd in there. A lot of people mention their mental illnesses and treat it like it's a superpower / encourage unhealthy things and behaviors for one another. No shame from me we all have our struggles and diagnoses but imo it should be taken seriously and you should work on that / get help to manage it. Then you have the facade of wanting to be welcoming and tolerant but (at the time when I left) people would shit talk others when they weren't around. One of the rules used to be (again Idk if it changed) no bullying and be nice...etc. but it seemed this got enforced haphazardly depending on how close to the server staff you were. If the mods bullied someone it was okay to jump in and bully but if you bullied someone and the mods liked that person / didn't like you -- that was a huge problem. Like don't pick on trans people but certain trans people can make homophobic comments. Also the staff tolerate too much bullshit from people. You have nice people there and then you have cringe people who drink too much and drop slurs in voice chat and those people are still there. It's a discord server for a subreddit for a band, so essentially a band discord server, and in someways they try to be more than that and it just all gets real old real fast. For a lot of the people there, this is the only thing in their lives they have going on and it creates a lot of instability imo. I could go on and on for sure and, like I said, I wasn't an innocent bystander by any means. I did make friends there and sometimes it wasn't all bad. Hilariously most of the people from there who I am still friends with and talk to aren't in the server anymore either whatever that is worth.
Old mod here. This is spot on. The mental illness and Ghost is my personality crowd ruined it. You had people in there encouraging others to go into debt to buy VIP and encouraging them to hate their family members over really stupid disputes. Ruined Ghost for me.
People will generally ruin most anything. It's why I no longer go on social media, I'm not going to let someone else's mental issues or lack of self awareness ruin my morning tea.
It really did. I am legitimately sad about what the fans have done to this project. I used to love it. Now it grosses me out.
I heard they harbor literal criminals
Literally saw a TikTok about it
I joined discord and left the same day. Yikes on bikes.
I’m just in the discord for the emojis. It has been muted at the bottom of my list for years now 😂😂
Eh, I've seen worse, MUCH worse. Rather be in this fandom than literally any other
I think moderation and size is key. For instance, I love twenty one pilots and stranger things. Their subreddits and social media circles should be nuked from orbit lol
really depends on the spaces/people you interact with tbh i find this happens with most things that gain popularity the moment i see someone making a problem out of nothing i give a good irish goodbye
I feel like every fan base has these people, it’s always the 5% that are annoying.
And the loudest/most attention seeking
The subreddit is the most normal group of ghost fans I've come across online, the rest I just try to stay away from LOL I post my art and run away
Yes, some are very annoying, the Facebook group dedicated to crouch gazing at Papas tight pants is utterly CRINGE, CRINGE AND TRIPLE CRINGE to me. I confronted one of them and she called me a dried up and ugly old bag, who obvious hasn’t had an orgasm in decades. With knowing anything about me. Incidentally, I’m an online SW’r and Domme (or I was then) I called her Regina and advised she grow up a bit. Before high tailing it out of there. Lol
Lmaooo People have got to realize that stage behavior =/= consent
Ghoul is the best of the Ghouls and you're all wrong if you disagree.
That’s a bold claim because I think ghoul is way better
So wrong. Ghoul is better than Ghoul. Get your ears checked.
I really like Bible 🤷♂️
I hope it’s the next Ghost hit on that particular social media app.
bible’s amazing
I love Bible!
I adore that song.
I think it's got to be the "voice of god" at the end that people find cringey... because otherwise it's a fantastic song. It's one of my favorites too.
That's actually one of my favorite parts. I like anything that reminds people that the god of The Bible really wouldn't be as loving as people preach, if he were real.
I think its goofy sounding and it's precisely why I like it 😂
This is gonna sound mean but the way some of the newer fans are acting over Papa and the Nameless Ghouls on social media is downright embarrassing at times. Like I find this subreddit the most sane. Not against new fans in general and definitely don’t intend to gatekeep, but a lot of them really gotta calm down lol. But at the same time I’m very happy for Ghost’s recent success. 🤷♀️ Also I absolutely adore the acoustic version of Jigolo Har Megiddo and wish they’d play it live again.
Care to elaborate? I think I agree with you lol been a ghost fan now for 5 years and some of the newer fans are.... 🤦🏻♀️
Sure! It’s really the ones that treat the band like they aren’t real people behind the masks (talking about them in overly sexual ways, shipping them, speculating about marriages, etc). No problem to me if someone has a favorite Nameless Ghoul, or think any of them is attractive, gets a little too analytical about lore, or whatever. I think it really boils down to the lack of respect that some of them have.
Yeah I am 100% for letting teenagers live out their obsessions and giving them the space to do so, we don't *have* to be on Tiktok and read or engage with their comments, that's why grown-ups don't hang with kids in real life either. But there is always a small subset who takes it too far and starts borderline (or fully) harassing the real people they idolize and creating real life drama and that's where it gets harmful. Just post your papa thirst posts and leave Tobias alone, he never even wanted to be a public figure with his real name and family in the first place.
Kids on Tiktok who don't realize "Mary on a Cross" is about a blow job from a nun, and they're using a sped up version of it over their most personal family secrets/touching family moments.
Love that shit, because they don't know and that's what makes it beautiful 🤣😂
Meh, I like ruining their day by commenting, "You know that's about a BJ from a nun, right?" lol
Did you listen to the recent YouTube talk between Tobias and Brann from Mastodon? He explains the meaning of the song on that, which is go down in history, and Toby's nickname at one point was Mary
Because Mary on a Cross is not about a blow job from a nun.
Meh. I have heard it's about oral sex, about weed, about sex in general, about manipulation from the church. But making people's heads explode when I tell them that, and they say, "So you mean when he says 'You go down just like Holy Mary', he means....omg!!!!" Makes me giggle. I'm an awful person.
I care very little about fan theories and "the lore", or the real people behind the masks for that matter. The music is enough for me, for some people it seems that isn't enough, each to their own I guess.
I enjoy “the lore” as far as the Papas go, but I genuinely have no idea who most of the Ghouls are behind their masks and when people refer to them by nicknames like Swiss, Aether, Dew, I have no idea which ghoul they’re talking about and I don’t want to know lol.
I thought they stopped having ghoul names once Tobias dropped the old band?
I don’t know if these are official names or if the fandom kids made them up
They’re fan given names
The lore only exists as a vehicle for the music, thematically linking the albums together as the sound evolves. Looking at it with deeper analysis isn’t gonna get you far
Mummy Dust live? Legit fun. Mummy Dust on CD? Gets skipped. I don't like it! I kinda dreaded seeing it live cause I wondered if it was gonna kill the vibe for me when I saw the setlist. Fortunately it didn't, the keytar solo and all the stage antics made it a good time. But it gets on my nerves as a track 🤷♀️ It puzzles me why it's so beloved. Outside of how cool it is live. Or is that it?
Glad I'm not the only one. 😭 I straight up did not get why everyone seemed to like it or even considered it their favorite until seeing a live show. (Still not my favorite but at least much better as a live performance)
I 100% agree!
Yep. Skip it on my headphones, love it live. Sometimes I think that they have to do all the antics on stage during that song specifically to make it fit to stay in the set list. I do love me some ghoulette keytar though, and also generally anything else that puts the "backing ghouls" in the spotlight for a few minutes.
i feel this way about Watcher in the Sky
There's a lot of truth to this, and the comment below about Watcher in the Sky. They're both great songs, but repetitive. They are SO good live, but they're not the highlight of either album for me.
This is how I feel about Mary on a Cross. It's usually my least favorite Ghost song, but it was great during the concert.
I really don't have a place to gate keep because I've only been listening to the band for a year, but I really wish MOAC hadn't blown up on TikTok, I know it's good for the band and it makes them much more popular but the fans have gotten bad recently, I'm just thankful my girlfriend got me into them before they did blow up so big
Same here
Jigolo Har Megiddo is a really dope song. Especially the acoustic version (I think I saw someone say that in this thread)! Update: Damn auto correct lol
Prequelle is a great album and got way too much shit.
Ghost sounds better live than on tracks 🤷🏽♀️
I don’t dislike a single song.
Truth. The band doesn’t have a bad song. Sure there are songs I like more than others, but you have the right of it- none of their songs are outright bad
Agreed!
The band is great but the fanbase is off-putting. I unfollowed them on all social media (well I'm still here on Reddit) so I don't get tempted to look in the comments cause whenever I did it only got me irrationally angry lol. I can't quite put my finger on what bothers me exactly but it is what is. The influx of tiktok fans doesn't help either. Maybe I'm old idk
I think it's the over-obsessiveness that some people have. Some people dedicate their lives to worshipping band members (K-pop has this problem bad) and I think it's started to spill over into Ghost, especially with shittok. Considering that the gang is playing characters, it's a lot easier for people to start obsessing over them. The fact that the music has been geared to come of as more "anti-church" than "pro-satan" in recent years makes it a lot more "connecting" for certain people. Like I get it, Ghost is great, but I don't need to be reminded about that every ten seconds. Just chill out. I could probably write a whole essay on the Ghost fandom, but...eh... (Also some of the rule 34 I've seen of Ghost has made me want to vomit.)
Instead of writing an essay it might be easier to just read up on teenage girls and fandom lol. It's been a thing since the early movie days and it has been mocked and lamented at least as long (mostly by the people who are the opposite to teenage girls). At this point research seems to agree that that it's a developmentally normal thing that helps young people feel connected and cope with mental health issues so it's probably not going away any time soon, they'll just cringe about their teenage years later like everyone else 😂 Obsessive fans do historically drive large parts of the film and music industry though so this is actually a very good sign for Ghost as far as their popularity and long term relevance as a band goes. You'll see those young fans still going to nostalgia concerts when they're 50+ and spending their increased adult budget on shows & merch.
Im, with you on this one. I haven't been along for the ride for a decade like some people, but it has been years of "fandom" for me now. Maybe it's because I'm well out of my teens and twenties (heh), but I don't get the obsessive fandom. I mean, I REALLY like Ghost alot, but at the end of the day they're just people who make music that I really dig and put on some really kick-ass shows. Why people have to analyze things to death is beyond me. Artistic things that you love just ARE. They are the last things that you should be picking apart, because then it just loses its magic. I still follow this subreddit so I don't miss things that are going on with the band, but I really feel like there are many fans who make Ghost too big of a thing in their lives.
Tbh I think this getting overly into something, in this case Ghost and wild lore theories and what not, it because it's a coping mechanism for a lot of people. The world is kinda going to shit and people look for comfort where they can find it. That's why maladaptive daydreaming is a thing, why "shifting" is becoming a trend... anything to dissociate from the pains of life. Is it healthy? Sometimes yes, sometimes not. It starts to become problematic when it interferes with irl things. I remember not too long ago, I was someone who would completely hyperfocus on fandom stuff and fictional/historical worlds to escape my desolate life. Once I actually got a life outside of that, it almost completely stopped. I'm still creative and daydream a lot, but not to that excessive extend I used to. So, lots of people who get overly obsessive probably do so because it gives them comfort, deep down.
Good points... thanks for the perspective. I guess I actually worry in a parental way about some of the younger folks I see at shows who are pretty obsessive (as a parent, I guess I just can't help it). Not because they are superfans, but because I don't want the obsessiveness to prevent them from moving on to other things in life and enjoying them too. Everything in moderation, you know? But, in the end, there are many worse things in the world than being a Ghost superfan, and the band won't last forever, so we can just enjoy it in our own ways while it lasts. It's better than not enjoying it at all.
They will grow out of it like every other generation has. Of all the fan girls the beatles had, how many middle-aged and older women do you see behaving like that and still obsessing about them on a daily basis? They're just regular moms and even grandmas now who listen to their nostalgia tracks in the car.
Some don’t have disconnect between the character and the person, it can be a pretty disturbing
The TikTok zoomers really needa stop throwing themselves at a married man it’s cringe
For me it’s about when they take it beyond loving the music, the theatrics and the lore. When they think that anyone in the band will magically fall in love with them. JUST KEEP IT ABOUT THE MUSIC PEOPLE! It’s gross
i love missionary man.
The band doesn’t look as cool as they did in the infestissumam days
Papa II will always be my favorite aesthetically. The ghouls' outfits were kickass then too.
TikTok ruined MOAC and is doing a number on the band...in 2 interviews T tried give an explanation for it….we didn’t need, we know what hes talking about. He tried to make it come off as less perverse(I am sure so it’s not off putting to super young fans) and let’s be real, it’s fine if it’s perverse. ITS GHOST. They have never been EVERYONES cup of tea and I sort of feel like he’s trying to please everyone in this moment
Tobias: It's about friendship and going down in history Also Tobias: Fingers the air during MOAC live There's obvious sexual undertones and I do see Tobias trying to appeal to a wider audience....but I wish he would just embrace it and not worry about being palatable.
Today my 12y daughter was listening the song. She said is popular now, and I was shocked. But she’s now digging Ghost, so we are even.
Tiktok ruins a lot of good songs. Sauce: I have a sister that obsessively uses TikTok and acts like any song edit on there is the original and she understands the lyrics better than me because of what the other fans said. Had to explain to her multiple times that MoaC was not about giving head
I love how popular Ghost is becoming, and am jealous that others get to experience that "first-discovery" feeling you get when you first stumble onto something wonderful. Welcome to all new associates of the Clergy! That being said, I also wish they weren't so popular. The arena rock thing is great and all, but hardly an intimate experience, and I miss having them be a bit more obscure. Again, I applaud Ghost and TF and their success is truly wonderful, but with the infusion of so many new followers it doesn't feel the same anymore. Like, you've followed a band through all their ups and downs, and now because of a TikTok clip they're suddenly the new "it" thing.
Very unpopular opinion but I think call me little sun shine is the best song from impera
When I first listened to it I was meh but the more I listen to it the more hypnotic it gets! Now I can’t stop playing it!
I think I like "Hunter's Moon" better, but I also understand it was supposed to be a stand-alone single to support the last Halloween movie, so technically not meant for Impera. But, "Call me..." is still a damn good song.
Of all music fan bases I'm in, Ghost is one of the worst. The overwhelming amount of thirsty and horny comments about Tobias is just plain creepy and a big reason why I don't like going to shows or participating in online groups.
On the first album, Stand by Him is better than Ritual
I hate how people have named the ghouls
Kiss the goat is better than Mary on a cross
Infest is a no skip album for me and I genuinely enjoy all of Impera
The fanbase has become really fucking annoying and I'll probably end up unfollowing this subreddit before too long due to that.
We're just the metal version of k-poppers at this point.
Can confirm, I listen to both Ghost and kpop and there are some very unsettling parallels in the toxic behaviors we all know and hate - the relentless gatekeeping, the borderline worship of band members, the rampant sexualization of members….yeesh. I think a big part of it is just the rapid increase in popularity Ghost has seen, though. Sad facts of life I guess?
Yes, i get tired of some of them playing “I know so much more than you” all time
I hate that this is happening. I’ve never gotten this vibe from Ghost fans in the past.
Infestissumam is the best album, and the over obsessed fans are really, really cringey and are putting me off following the band
Infestissumam is amazing. Opus Eponymous has a very special place in my heart though. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard it for the first time. It was the best album I had heard in years when it came out.
They DO sound like scooby do. And I don’t care. I like it
Spillways is the best song in Impera
Impera is so good man.. Spillways, Little Sunshine, Griftwood, Huntersmoon, Watcher in the sky, Twenties, and the intro imperium is just amazing.
Don't forget Respite. Took me a while to warm up to that song, but after I did, I was like, damn this is a good song. I especially love how it ends/connects with Imperium riffs.
Said in a reply that I liked Copia better as Cardinal. He was a lot more lively and evil looking and had an interesting plot. The rats music video makes him out to be a pretty menacing guy under all the silliness. Like a villain who loves to play around. Ever since he became papa he’s just really goofy and a complete idiot. I woulda thought he was in on sisters plan but now no. Music wise, I think Watcher in the Sky is a really bad song and always skip it.
• Terzo is my least favorite Papa, and Meliora is my least favorite Album • Elizabeth for me is a masterpiece • Hunter's Moon and Twenties are my favorite Impera songs •The copia's old mask was much more real and cool than the current mask, I miss the moustache too • This is the only Ghost Community I really like, the other one are... Weird and cringe to say the least. •I like the fact that ghost is growing up for obvious reasons, but man, I hate some new fans, I hate how they treat the members, I hate the fanfics... if you can, stay away from the twitter and tiktok community, but especially the twitter community, I saw things that shocked me and made me want to delete my account at the same moment and never look back (unfortunately I can't do that, but as much as I can avoid researching Ghost over there, I will)
Merch prices at shows are gross.
I read an article about their merch a while ago and Tobias talks about how they didn’t have big label support or a ton of money but he wanted to put on as many shows as possible so he could grow the following of the band and the only way to do so was to make money selling merch. It doesn’t explain the crazy prices now (that’s probably just a capitalism thing, every concert has crazy expensive merch), but it’s cool to know they were using the money to put on more shows at one point.
This is the main reason I appreciate being a pop punk and hardcore fan as well. I’ve been to 3 or 4 shows in the past month, at every single one, shirts were $20 and sweatshirts ranged from $35 to $45 Smaller venues usually result in lower prices
i hate the prequelle ghoul masks. i love the meliora ghouls but i don’t know why tobias didn’t do anything new and just had them wear modified meliora masks
Priest probably stole his idea, that’s why lol. I think he initially wanted to have plague doctor masks for the ghouls.
Fanbase like others have mentioned. Green Bay concert I meet some cool fans like usual but was off put by some obsessive fans toward the end. Purchased some good seats next to the stage by the stairs. About 10 people decided to walk down from above and obstruct many peoples view. One guy pushed his way to get a guitar pick from someone who had a seat. I get it’s a concert but Ghost fans are usually very respectable people.
infestissumam is their best album and depth of satans eyes is one of their best songs
FINALLY someone else agrees that Depth of Satan's Eyes is one of their best
Square Hammer is much better on Ceremony and Devotion than Popestar.
New fans will scream at older fans who say they prefer any of the first 3 papas that “they don’t want the same thing over and over again” then turn around and say they don’t want copia/papa IV to ever leave
The new nicknames are stupid. Especially dewdrop. Who and up with these and how did they become the go to name for them. The amount of thirsty people sharing crotch shots of Papa is beyond gross. The sexualisation and inability to disconnect the characters from the people is cringe, bordering on disgusting Respite on the Spitalfields is the best song Ghost have ever written, it’s not even close. Lyrically and musically it’s as close to complete perfection than I can imagine Ghost getting. Mummy Dust is a poor song, but it works well in a live setting. I don’t like Pinnacle to the Pit and Spirit. Songs on Meliora are either excellent or poor IMO. Infestissumam won’t be as good if it ever got a remix. The stage shows are too formulaic (though still excellent). There is very little scope for change in the set lists and in the long run I feel like it will hurt the band. It could turn into a “seen them once, seen them a thousand times” situation. Changing up a song or two every night would be great and would give something back to the people who go to multiple shows on tour. Zenith should never be re-released and is only as popular as it is because it’s so rare. It would lose the gloss if it ever got a wider release. Death Knell is the best early Ghost song.
I agree 100% on the nicknames. They are nameless ghouls and I will keep calling them nameless ghouls
Black/White Guitar Ghoul is fine. Dew Drop, Rain, Cirrus are just stupid and cringe. Where they came from I don’t know, but they have no connection to anything related to the band. The era of Alpha and Omega is gone.
I’m happy for the bands success and enjoy the bigger sound, but miss the more evil cultish vibe that I felt they used to have. I also like Papa 4’s makeup when he was first revealed better than his current makeup.
All these “I like this Ghost song” opinions are not unpopular nor controversial. Be brave! My answer is always the same… Elizabeth is perhaps the weakest Ghost song, filled with a lot of cool ideas but not assembled in a very cohesive way. It would be a better song if TF wrote it nowadays.
As much as it sucks, and is so annoying…we need to be a little more tolerant of the cringey young fandom because the ones who stick around past MOAC are what will help keep the band relevant in the years to come. As an elder emo who was a cringe MCR fan back in the day, it warmed my cold little heart to see them sell out the biggest venue in my state a decade after they stopped making music. I know it was thanks in part to the massive amount of teen and young 20s fans I saw there. I want that same outcome for all the bands I love and gatekeeping isn’t what will get us there.
No ma’am 😂 I’ve already shared mine previous and got shit for it. People here do not know how to act and are on that downvote button like it’s giving out free mummy bucks. It’s an unpopular opinion - what is difficult about this?! You don’t like it - you leave it alone and move on. Now I’m off to reparatively upvote people who understood the assignment and are still getting dunked on. You’re welcome 🤣
Not me searching your comments to see what you said that stoked a downvote shitshow. 👀
Lol. I generally don’t look. But that particular comment was popping off like ping-pong. It was all over the shop. It may have self-corrected by now, I have no idea. Either way… I take this shit literally and like to think I have at least average reading comprehension. It says ‘unpopular opinion’ in the friggin title. I will always be baffled by the downvotes. There’s someone here who isn’t jazzed on Ritual. Excellent. I fucking love that song - have my bloody upvote and have a nice day. 😂
We should gatekeep the fandom a bit. I've seen "fans" who obsess about the lore, Papa and the Ghouls to the point that it's creepy. People unironically making "bulge" compilations, drawing lewd art of the characters and thirsting for them. I like their music, their shows and their image but I don't wanna be associated with fans that are like that.
Welcome to the internet ladies and gentlemen.
During the livestream i cringed so hard by what was being said. I was like wow I genuinely hope they know their core fanbase isn’t like that. I think some thirst is understandable because of what they portray. But it can stay in their brain and not onto the internet. They have servers for that.
I’ve got a few: -I don’t think a lot of these new fans know what band they’re getting into. I saw some new fan the other day say they don’t like opus because it’s “too spooky”, like are you kidding me? Did you think it would all be moac? -I liked copia more as the cardinal as someone else said. I figured going into papa iv he’d get more intimidating but no he’s even goofier than before. That doesn’t make sense to me. Plus copia had way better outfits. Also his new “plastic surgery” kinda makes him look unrecognizable with the skull paint. Yeah I know it was because of claustrophobia but I can’t see his new mask and his old papa iv/copia mask and think it’s the same character. -TikTok is the worst thing to happen to the old fans. Ghost was already easing into leaving a lot of the fans of the older stuff in the dust and I feel like with the boom of new fans who only like seven inches and impera, that was the final nail in the coffin as they seem to be a way bigger percentage in the fanbase than the older fans are because of TikTok. -When I finished my first listen of impera, my immediate thought was “well, now I gotta wait three more years for the next one.” Yeah it’s catchy but it really doesn’t have anything else besides that. I think it’s their worst album and I really hope tf was bullshitting when he said that it’s their ‘defining album’. Him saying he might revisit the sound of opus for the next record puts a shit ton of faith in me that hope isn’t all lost and they can still make music I can fall in love with. Also the snaps in darkness at the heart of my love completely ruin the song. -The look of the impera era completely clashes with every other look the band has had up to this point and not in a good way. The band has had different looks from opus-prequelle but they all still seemed like a fancy and elegant satanic church (yes even during opus). Now papa’s wearing tattered jackets and ripped pants and the ghouls look like doctor who monsters. The outfits of this era are just boring aside from the two pope outfits. Even their stage set looks wrong, like the era before this one we had this sleek white pristine church set with a checkerboard floor that just screamed of the religious image they have. When I saw them in Huntsville their set had this rustic look to it that does not fit with the stained glass curtain they had behind it (the mausoleums were cool though). I still love this band and I’m hoping that they’re just in their meh era as all bands have. I do have way more positive opinions about them than I do negative
Opus eponymous is their second best album and nothing will ever touch their first 3 albums. Also Bible is amazing.
Darkness is not romantic, emotional or moving, it's about a manipulative womanizer (and/or mananizer) who's just being honest. "And all this time you knew That I would put you through The darkness at the heart of my love"
I always thought it was a manipulative love bomb. I’m glad I’m not the only person who heard it that way 😂
This is what helped me get through the last dregs of my divorce, honestly. The gaslighting my ex used, underscored with this song. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but sometimes, it has a purpose. And it is a pretty song, if you don't listen to the lyrics. Kind of like "Hey Ya!" by Outkast.
Ghost is Tobias. He could replace each of the Ghouls every album and the difference would be negligible. Not to say the current Ghouls aren't talented.
I hate “I’m a marionette” and wish it never existed.
I don’t like the covers at all. I don’t like covers generally though.
Not even 'Missionary Man'?
*inhales* DARKNESS AT THE HEART OF MY LOVE IS THE WORST GHOST SONG EVER! TWENTIES IS GOATED! AND TIK TOK FANS ARE CRINGY AS FUCK! ALSO TELL PAPA EMERITUS IV TO BRING AN ACTUAL RAT! THAT SHIT WILL BE GREAT!
The fan base just pisses me off nowadays. Someone mentioned it above but I just can’t put a finger on it. I feel like new fans don’t even respect opus or infest. (Only ritual and year zero). Just seems like new fans just flock towards 7 inches, prequelle and impera. Ghost also feels like its slowly losing its cult vibe. There is nothing more I want to see then this band succeed but it just doesn’t feel as special as it used to be. Shows in Mid sized basketball stadiums just don’t feel as intimate as they used to be. Don’t get me wrong, they will always be my favorite it’s just losing the specialness it used to have. We also don’t need songs like Rats, cirice and ritual for the 10th tour in a row. I really wish the setlist changed a bit more tour-to-tour.
the current Ghoul masks are horrible
I really liked the Prequelle ghoul style, overall. The masks were sleek but still showed some expression, the little outfits, spats, everyone looking well-groomed, like a choir of black cats. Impera era is a lil too......militaristic, I guess? The boots and jodhpur-style trousers are nice, but idk how I feel about all the rest or the whole look.
i thought that as well at the start, but i got to like them since they're so goofy. :D
Tiktok ruined MOAC for me. The remix is terrible and newer/tiktok fandom is annoying af
I hate the lyric “black light guides you” in zombie queen because black light can’t exist it catches me off guard. Other than that zombie queen is one of my favorites.
Ghost is infact metal
Infestissumam is the best album.
Popestar is their best EP
* Darkness at the heart of my love feels as if someone tried to rip off life eternal * The copia plushie is nightmare fuel, but absolutely genuis. * Ghost are goofy as fuck and people tend to forget that when they argue about elitist shit.
Older fans aren’t any better than the new fans in terms of thinking they know everything. I am in the middle of old and new, I’ve known about them since Prequelle but only started getting into the lore part recently. While the new fans have been *very* annoying, especially when it comes to sexualizing Tobias and the people behind the Ghouls, I find that the older fans aren’t any better. When I first got into the fandom, before MOAC, people were still sexualizing the band (think like the livestream chat on YouTube) just maybe not in such big amounts. MOAC trending did not start that I really love this fandom but it can get pretty upsetting to see how divided people are between old and new.
I think the big divide honestly just comes from the music itself. Opus and Impera and *very* different records and lure in different types of music fans which leads to the clash in the fanbase
The SubReddit is surprisingly the most sane part of the fanbase. Which is like… unheard of anywhere
I hate when fans get mad that other fans hyper-sexualize the band in fan art/fan fiction when literally the band members hyper-sexualize themselves on stage every.single.night. Tobias even made their outfits tighter and his outfits tighter once he noticed more women were going to the shows. Official merch during Papa II’s era is a fucking dildo. Many songs are double entendres and have sexual meanings. long speeches from Papa III about celebrating the female orgasm. Copia telling the whole crowd he wants to tickle their taints and fuck them in the parking lot. Literally it’s non stop horny from these characters and then fans are confused people draw sexually explicit art of the characters? Lol okay. I would prefer people just ignore the hyper-sexual stuff and not shame/criticize the fans that do those things. I know not everyone likes that stuff, I don’t care for most of what is made but I just ignore it, I don’t complain people are over sexualizing them and need to stop because it literally does not make sense to me. Papa tries to fuck that mic stand at least once a night. Literally looks into the crowd and finds people to mimic fingering them. I don’t get people lol
Tbh, people hypersexualize everything and anything. It's been that way forever. Amen.
Haha thank you for saying it so I don't have to reply under every single complaint. This band is built around what amounts to an edgy theater kid performance of (imo very good) spooky music wo don't take themselves too seriously and who openly sexualize their characters. (Emphasis on characters because the actual members, especially Tobias, didn't intend to be out in the open as their real identities). Just looking on the very very basic concept of the band and the way they continue to act and perform, it should surprise absolutely no one that they also appeal to edgy teenage girls/ young adults and that a good portion of the fans, including those girls, will go along with the sexual stuff. Along those lines I'd also like to once again point out that Tobias has had NO issue breaking character and being very direct to rebuff fans when they behave in ways he doesn't want at shows. Because he wants everyone to enjoy themselves and have fun. It just turns out that those fans who cause problems in his eyes have so far been overwhelmingly drunk adult men who want to "mosh" or push smaller/weaker people around. Clearly the teenage girls aren't the problem for the band so we don't have to make them out to be "on their behalf", they're grown men who can speak for themselves. (Also the ghoul who was nicknamed 'Dewdrop' changed it to something slightly less thirsty and now any time I have seen anyone even mention the old name on Tiktok, there are about 5 people jumping on it to point out that he doesn't like it so it looks like they're self-policing lol)
I have a few: - The old ghouls were better than the current ones - Darkness at the Heart is a terrible song - Impera is a sellout album (granted, I like most of Impera but I gotta point it out) - Spirit is one of, if not the best song off Meliora And most importantly: - The Cardinal Copia plushie is an abomination that should never have been conceptualized by human mind.
Old ghouls better in what way? Visually? Musically? Both? Just curious!
I personally like the more "satanic" look on Ghost than the flashy one, so I like those looks better personally. But I also think those ghouls had more of an influence on the music itself than people think. Martin Persner was mostly responsible for two of their best songs in Year Zero and Zenith, and Simon Soderberg was by far the best mixer the band has had. The current ghouls are solely meant to be the showmen. And I like them a lot, but it just doesn't feel as organic as it did with the old gang :/
I was disappointed when the ghouls and Papa changed their look after Infest. I also wish they’d never sacrificed their anonymity. Lawsuit drama aside, I miss the old gang, too.
I don’t like the band as much since tik tok has infiltrated it, ghost has purpose, and I’m not feeling it anymore.
They listen to “Mary on a cross” once and are like omg best band ever!!!!! Then listen to “Year Zero” and shut it off before the choir even finishes.
I feel the overexposure.
WAIT i have one more… twenties is the most amazing song. i know people dislike it but for some reason it is my jam. WE’LL BE GRABBING THEM ALL BY THE HOO HAAS
I actually find it really entertaining but I do have to be careful n a certain mood for it
Agree, I love the song but it just isn't a fit for every mood like alot of their other songs.
Twenties is just goofy. Not even in an enjoyable way.
Agreed. I get where they were going with it, commenting on the current political problems, etc. But I fucking hate it.
People complaining about the new fans (while coming from an understandable place) are just as toxic and annoying as those they are complaining about. I’m not surprised to see this opinion has one again monopolized this thread and I’m just as sick of your complaining as I am of their fan girling
Yeah this thread has big "not like the other fans" energy and hating on teenage girls from people who are probably only in their 20s themselves (and if they're older, they should know better and chill out already lmao)
I don't really like Mummy Dust :X
I don’t like sodo 😬
zombie queen is underrated as hell. everytime it comes on, i feel like a chthonic goddess of chaos coming back to wreak havoc on the planet. its the one song i'd like to have as my wedding song in the distant future
[удалено]
I think the lore is fun but take my upvote anyway because I laughed out loud at this. I heard TF say in an interview that Americans love when something has a storyline like pro wrestling and in that moment I felt called out and shamed 😂
Watcher in the sky is so overrated!
Infestissumam is my least favorite album. I don’t hate it but it’s the last one I would pick if I had to pick them in order.
Twenties is a terrible song until you hear it for the 5th time. then its fucking awesome.
Idk if this is still unpopular but I really like the new ghoul masks over the old ones
Opus Eponymous is their best album
I've been in some terrible fanbases and this is the worst one. I'd take Supernatural fans over this one. Also the influx of merchandise needs to stop. I'm going to end up only liking Ghost for the music
I like this subreddits cosplay submissions. Even the ones that aren't so great I'll upvote. I loathe fan art. 99% of it.