GHOST’s Tobias Forge Pushes Back on “Rock Is Dead” Claims Following Billboard Success of Ghost, Sleep Token & More

It’s been a banner year for heavy music, even if some diehards remain skeptical about the genre’s current champions. Swedish occult rockers GHOST are one such band flying the flag high. Their latest album Skeletá delivered the band their first-ever #1 spot on the Billboard 200, moving an impressive 86,000 album-equivalent units in its debut week.

However, GHOST weren’t alone in that achievement. Fellow masked alternative metal breakout SLEEP TOKEN made waves shortly after, shattering records with 127,000 album-equivalent units for their latest effort Even In Arcadia. That figure also secured them a #1 debut on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, melodic hardcore favorites TURNSTILE landed at #9 with 38,000 units sold.

These victories are particularly notable considering the age of these bands compared to the evergreen titans of rock and metal that have long dominated the charts. For years, there’s been concern over the future of headliners in heavy music as legacy acts like METALLICA, AC/DC, and GUNS N’ ROSES edge closer to retirement. Bruce Dickinson of IRON MAIDEN even lamented the lack of future festival headliners back in 2023.

But with this younger wave of artists breaking through, there’s now renewed optimism that the future is not as bleak as once feared.

In a recent conversation with Consequence, GHOST mastermind TOBIAS FORGE (aka Papa V Perpetua) addressed the long-running “rock is dead” debate, a claim often cited by KISS bassist/vocalist GENE SIMMONS. Forge pointed to the success of his band, Sleep Token, Måneskin, and others as proof that the next generation of headliners is already rising:

“I think it was Gene Simmons that said it most times, but I mean a lot of people have said that rock ‘n’ roll is dead and there will be no new headliners. I understand that it’s been sparse, but… I do believe that with time there will be more [headlining rock] bands.”

He continued:

“Sleep Token or Måneskin or Greta Van Fleet are all new bands. I think they prove that you can absolutely go places. You can form a band tomorrow and theoretically become a big band within a few years. I think you do so by trying to want to create something.”

Forge also reflected on the perception of what is considered “new” or “old” in music today, pointing out that younger fans likely see Ghost as an established legacy act after 15 years, despite their still-growing mainstream success.

“If you ask a lot of our fans who are 15 years old now, just the fact that our band has been around for 15 years, do you think that they think that we are a new band? No. And that’s how it should be. I think they are right in the sense that we’re an old established band.”

With new headliners rising, Ghost, Sleep Token, and others continue to challenge outdated narratives about the death of rock, offering plenty of hope for the next generation.

Do you love independent bands, or are you in one? The Mosh Network is not just a rock/metal news website, but it doubles as an independent band directory, designed so that visitors can browse independent bands by not just subgenre, but location as well. It’s perfect to keep your finger on the pulse of your area’s hottest and newest bands or if you’re in a band, it’s a great way to find bands to network with! Click the banner below and start discovering bands all over the world, now!