Ghost on course for highest charting UK album yet with 'Impera'

The record is charting highly at the midweek stage

Swedish rockers Ghost are on course for the highest charting album of their career with their latest musical tour-de-force, ‘Impera.’

According to the Official Charts Company, Ghost’s fifth record ‘Impera’ is sitting very pretty at Number 2 on the album chart at the midweek stage.

It’s highly likely that ‘Impera’ will be Ghost’s second Top 10 record and their highest charting album to date – predecessor ‘Prequelle’ reached No.10 in 2018.

Ghost’s only other charting album is 2015’s ‘Meliora’, which reached No.23, while 2010 debut ‘Opus Eponymous’ and 2013’s ‘Infestissumam’ didn’t chart on these shores.

Widely lauded by critics, Ghost’s ‘Impera’ album features the Planet Rock playlisted anthems ‘Call Me Little Sunshine’ and ‘Hunter’s Moon’ plus the gloriously bonkers track ‘Twenties.’

It’s unlikely that ‘Impera’ will climb to Number 1 this week as 23-year-old Hampshire rapper Rex Orange County (real name Alexander O'Connor) has built up a healthy lead at the summit.

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, who recently photographed Rammstein’s ‘Zeit’ album cover, is currently at No.3 on the album chart with his fifteenth studio effort ‘So Happy it Hurts.’

In support of ‘Impera’, Ghost play four UK arena shows in April as part of the Imperatour – Europe 2022 tour. Support at all shows comes from Uncle Acid & The Dead Beats and Twin Temple.

Tickets to Ghost’s UK arena tour are on sale from Planet Rock Tickets now.

Ghost’s UK tour dates:

APRIL 2022

Manchester AO Arena – Sat 9th

London The O2 Arena – Mon 11th

Glasgow The SSE Hydro – Wed 13th

Birmingham RWA Arena – Fri 15th

A guide to all of Ghost’s characters through the years:

Tobias Forge's Papa Emeritus, later known as Papa Emeritus I, was the Ghost frontman from 2008 to 2012 during the cycle for the band's debut album 'Opus Eponymous.' Pictured is Papa Emeritus backstage at Download Festival 2011. This is the first of two Papa Emeritus looks and features a red and black chasuble with upside-down crosses and a mitre with the black crucifix.

Papa Emeritus I – aka Tobias Forge – in his imperious live glory at Download Festival 2011. Ghost performed on the third stage (then known as the Pepsi Max Stage) on the Saturday.

A blank-faced Nameless Ghoul dressed in black robes in 2011 during Ghost's European tour.

Towards the end of the 'Opus Eponymous' touring cycle in 2012, Papa Emeritus was tweaked significantly. Tobias Forge now wore white robes and mitre featuring an upside-down gold crucifix.

In keeping with their leader's image change, the Nameless Ghouls also wore all-white costumes with new Bauta masks.

Ghost leader Papa Emeritus I and his Nameless Ghouls band mates flaunt their new all-white guise in 2012.

In late 2012, Ghost welcomed their second frontman Papa Emeritus II. Featuring more realistic skull face paint than his predecessor, Tobias Forge's second Papa wore black and green robes on stage with a silver and white mitre.

In keeping with the all-new Papa Emeritus II, the Nameless Ghouls also wore all black with Bauta masks.

A close-up at Papa Emeritus II's proper horrorshow face at Lollapalooza 2013.

Papa Emeritus II at Rock in Rio Festival, September 2013.

The identity of Papa Emeritus II himself Tobias Forge was still shrouded in mystery in 2014. However, for a 'Papaganda' interview with Vice magazine that year, Forge hilariously 'unmasked' himself as a bald Telly Savalas-like businessman with shades and a moustache. For some unbeknownst reason he also spoke in Italian. Comedy gold.

Coinciding with Ghost's third studio album 'Meliora', in 2015 Tobias Forge unveiled his third Papa to the world - Papa Emeritus III.

Tobias Forge tweaked his make-up for Ghost's Papa Emeritus III. His papal gown was pure black with a white mitre featuring a gold inverted cross.

Ghost's Nameless Ghouls wore chilling silver devil masks for the 'Meliora' era.

A close-up of one of Ghost's Nameless Ghouls in 2015.

In early 2016, Tobias Forge introduced a second more stripped back version of Papa Emeritus III. Appearing at certain events and performances, the look featured a different outfit, white gloves and no mitre. Only the trademark make-up remained the same.

On 30th September 2017, Ghost leader Papa Emeritus III was killed off on stage at Gothenburg venue Liseberg and his apparent elderly replacement Papa Zero (later known as Papa Nihil) shuffled on stage with a walking stick and breathing equipment. Ultimately, however, Papa Nihil wasn't the band's new frontman - he was actually the band's anointer (and a killer saxophonist to boot). However, in 2019, a young version of Papa Nihil appeared as Ghost's frontman in the 'Kiss the Go-Goat' music video, which was set in the 1960s.

Sister Imperator is the head of the satanic clergy of Ghost and is the former lover of Papa Nihil. She was first introduced in the Meliora cycle and the 'older' version of Sister Imperator has been played by two actresses.

In April 2018, Papa Nihil anointed Cardinal Copia as Ghost's new frontman to mark the 'Prequelle' era of the band. Unlike his three predecessors, Cardinal Copia wasn't part of the Papa Emeritus lineage.

Wearing a latex mask, a variety of sharp suits and gloves, Tobias Forge was a lot more agile on stage as Cardinal Copia.

A publicity shot of Ghost leader Cardinal Copia and his Nameless Ghouls in 2018.

A rare photo of an Tobias Forge without his mask at the 2019 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

A Nameless Ghoul in a black devil mask on stage in 2019.

A young version of Sister Imperator in Ghost's retro 'Kiss the Go-Goat' music video in 2019. She's played by actress Liz Fenning.

On March 3rd 2020, at the last show of the Pale Tour Named Death, Cardinal Copia was anointed as Papa Emeritus IV. Note the subtle change to his face makeup. Pictured is Papa Emeritus IV in a publicity shot for Ghost's 'Impera' album in 2022.

The 2022 incarnation of the Nameless Ghouls sees them don Star Wars-esque steampunk helmets and military uniforms.

Tobias Forge's 'stripped back' version of Papa Emeritus IV on stage in North America in February 2022.

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