Ghost follows last year's international chart-topping opus IMPERA as intended from the start with Phantomime, a diverse and spellbinding sampling of the Grammy Award-winning band's musical DNA.
Featuring covers of classics by Television, Genesis, the Stranglers, Iron Maiden and Tina Turner, Phantomime pays tribute to these unlikely bedfellow influences while stamping them all with Ghost's undeniable sonic signature.
The original announcement of Phantomime’s impending release also solved the mystery of Ghost’s recent “Jesus Is Coming” campaign, as referenced in the Good Friday premiere of the band’s long-running webisode series, Chapter 17: Nap Time.
Phantomime’s release was foreshadowed by the band’s interpretation of Genesis’ 1992 satirical stab at televangelists, “Jesus He Knows Me,” featuring a video directed by Alex Ross Perry, a video that makes the case that one person’s beauty is another’s blasphemy. Culminating in a climactic ritual that must be seen to be believed, Ghost’s visual interpretation of “Jesus He Knows Me” rises to the occasion in unholy fashion… and then some. Viewer discretion is advised!
The Easter Sunday release of the track and video for “Jesus He Knows Me” continued two established Ghost traditions. The first being following up the release of a full-length studio album with a set of uniquely Ghost-ified cover versions. Past releases have included reinterpretations of favorites by ABBA, the Beatles, Depeche Mode, Roky Erickson, Eurythmics, Metallica, Pet Shop Boys and many more. The second tradition being challenging, confronting and upending societal conventions and authority figures, often taking on specific antagonists. In this case its Father Jim DeFroque, host of the evangelical radio show Jesus Talk with Father Jim DeFroque on KLAQ in El Paso TX - and also star of the “Jesus He Knows Me” video.
The release of Phantomime coincides with Ghost’s first live dates of 2023, beginning with a May/June European run of festival and headline dates including appearances at Primavera Sound 2023 where the band share a bill with Blur, Depeche Mode, Halsey and Kendrick Lamar, among others, and Sweden Rock Festival 2023, where Ghost are one of four headliners alongside Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, and Motley Crue. Ghost will then make their triumphant return to North America for its RE-IMPERATOUR U.S.A. 2023 summer tour with special guest Amon Amarth.