Ghost recently got the rare opportunity to play Ireland's esteemed Slane Castle on their current European tour with Metallica. In an interview with Dublin-area publication Overdrive, singer and band proprietor Tobias Forge admits the group's writing and recording schedule will lead to a 2021 release date for the band's next album — so as not to coincide with any preoccupation on America's next presidential election.
"Unfortunately or fortunately, depends on how you see it, the U.S. elections are happening [in 2020], so bearing that in mind, it's not the best time to release new material when peoples [sic] minds are focused on other things," says Forge. "I just want to make sure that when we release this new album, we have peoples [sic] attention."
When pressed on a timeline for the coming years, Forge relays, "Let me be very transparent here. I am indeed going into the studio where I will be beginning the work in January ... after New Year's we are gonna have maybe one or two small things at the beginning of the year and then it's gonna be all about the new album."
He then breaks down the process behind creating Ghost albums, explaining that he spends five to six months just writing in a studio before the full band ever start laying down tracks at all. The musician's home life also affects the pacing of the work, as he likes to "work traditional hours" to maintain a normal family life when not on the road.
Once this process is completed following the current tour cycle, Forge wants to give the group a bit of a break to cool down between album release cycles as well as allow the "dust to settle" while the 2020 American presidential election is in full swing.
While you're waiting for the next two years to tick by, check out a recent acoustic performance Ghost delivered of their hit song "Dance Macabre" on Studio Brussel's segment The Tunnel.
