Ghost have revealed the name of their “new” frontman, Papa V Perpetua, the latest evolution of the band’s ever-changing singer.
Keen-eyed fans were quick to notice the name when it appeared on the poster for Black Sabbath’s final concert when the news broke on Wednesday morning (February 5th).
Among the special guests performing at the concert is one “Papa V Perpetua” of Ghost. The band then followed up with an official announcement on social media: “We wish to inform you V is coming…”
Little else, such as the physical appearance of the new Papa, has been revealed, though the post did include a simple graphic with the Roman numeral “V.”
Of course, Ghost fans are already speculating about the rest. One Facebook commenter pointed out that the V graphic is purple — potentially a hint at the color scheme for the new Papa’s attire. Another dug a bit deeper into the etymology of “Perpetua”: Could the new Papa actually be female, in reference to the third-century Christian martyr Vibia Perpetua?
For those completely out of the loop as to what any of this means, Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge has performed under an evolving alias since the band’s inception. For each album cycle of the band, there is a new “Papa” to front the Ghost “clergy,” building out the band’s lore and storyline via Christian symbolism and Biblical references.
In this case, Papa Emeritus IV, the most fleshed-out Papa in the Ghost universe, will be retired as Papa V Perpetua takes over for the 2025 touring cycle, including a summer run of US arena shows (get tickets here). Papa V will also most likely be the frontman for Ghost’s as-yet-unannounced forthcoming album.
You can check out Ghost’s social media post introducing Papa V Perpetua below.