Ghost launch dramatic new single Twenties

Tibias Forge in costume standing in a spooky cathedral
(Image credit: Mikael Eriksson / M Industries)

Ghost have launched a new single, Twenties, the third single to be taken from their upcoming fifth studio album Impera.

Ghost leader Tobias Forge tells Metal Hammer that Twenties is “A call to arms. It could be a very optimistic song about a future where we can grab people by the pussy and just fuck shit up. So it’s meant as a party track, if you like that stuff."

With a dramatic orchestral intro giving way to rattling drums and a thundering riff, Twenties also features the lines, "Listen up, you motherfuckers / Those Ivy League dopes, they want to mock us / Tell em all this is war / And not fighting a war is for suckers," which may or be not be a reflection on the current state of world politics, but who knows?

"To compare it to other artists, it’s more like Iron Maiden’s concept albums," says Forge, "like a record that loosely dabbles with the concept of pharaohs or time. On Powerslave, there are other songs that aren’t technically about pharaohs. Or like on Somewhere In Time, the songs have a chronological element in them. Impera is similar, where the songs are shining a light on various things within an empire. I guess you could say they show the cracks inside of it.”

Twenties follows in the hallowed footsteps of previous singles Hunter's Moon – released last September – and Call Me Little Sunshine, which came out in late January. Impera will see the light of day on March 11. The band tour the UK and Europe this April and May, with support from Twin Temple and Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats. 

Ghost feature on the cover of the new issue of Metal Hammer, which goes on sale tomorrow in shops across the UK and online.

Ghost 2022 UK and European Tour

Apr 09: Manchester AO Arena, UK
Apr 11: London O2 Arena, UK
Apr 13: Glasgow OVO Arena, UK
Apr 15: Birmingham Resorts World Arena, UK
Apr 17: Rotterdam RTM Stage Ahoy, Netherlands
Apr 18: Paris Accor Arena, France
Apr 19: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
April 21: Leipzig Quarterback Immobillen Arena, Germany
Apr 22: Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany
Apr 24: Prague Arena, Czech Republic
Apr 27: Tampere Nokia Arena, Finland
Apr 29: Stockholm Avicii Arena, Sweden
Apr 30: Oslo Spektrum, Norway
May 01: Malmo Arena, Sweden
May 03: Brussells Forest, Belgium
May 05: Milan Mediolanum Forum, Italy
May 07: Barcelona Olympic Arena Badalona, Spain
May 08: Madrid Vistalegre Arena, Spain
May 11: Vienna Stadthalle, Austria
May 13: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
May 15: Hanover Zag Arena, Germany
May 16: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
May 18: Budapest Arena, Hungary

Tickets are available now.

Fraser Lewry

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.