Former GHOST Member Publicly Identifies Himself For First Time

Swedish musician Martin Persner has released a two-minute video message claiming to have played guitar for the band GHOST under the name Omega. In the clip, which can be seen below, Martin says: "Hi, my name is Martin, and I've been a part of the rock band GHOST for seven years. Some of you people know me as Omega or Quintessence or a Nameless Ghoul or a fucking asshole for that matter.

"Since July of last year — 2016, that is — I'm no longer a part of GHOST, as some of you have noticed. The reasons why we'll take at another date, not today.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you so much to everyone that has supported us, and me, and having come to the shows and all the tours and everything. I'm very, very happy and humbled for having been able to do this. And I'd like to say a massive thanks to every one of you from the bottom of my heart.

"A long time ago, there was a band called MCC, MAGNA CARTA CARTEL. MCC went to sleep seven years ago as GHOST emerged. There really wasn't much time for MCC and hasn't been for a long, long time. Now things have changed and it's time that MCC wakes up and rises up again."

Up until now, none of the GHOST bandmembers' real names have ever been revealed, although singer Papa Emeritus is believed to be Swedish rock musician Tobias Forge, who writes almost all of the group's music and does most of the act's interviews disguised as a member of his backing band of Nameless Ghouls.

Since none of the musicians in the band are ever identified, personnel changes in the group have gone unannounced. It is believed, however, that the lineup has changed a few times over the years, including at the end of 2016, when Forge is rumored to have fired all five of the Nameless Ghouls following the completion of GHOST's North American tour. As a result, GHOST's upcoming European headlining trek — which kicks off at the end of March — will apparently mark the live debut of GHOST's new lineup, featuring Forge as the sole remaining member from the band that previously toured in support of "Meliora" and last year's "Popestar" EP.

During a recent interview with Metal Wani, the GHOST leader touched on the subject of lineup changes and how they have affected the band's sound over the years.

"From a practical point of view, you're interested in, on the one hand, preserving the sound, or the elements that make up the sound, and you still wanna progress," he said. "I think one of the secrets behind our preserving ability is the fact that we don't necessarily have to have the same six people in the room to make that sound, which helps.

"It's always a blessing and a curse when you have some of these classic bands over the course of rock and roll history, where in order for them to sound like that exact band, you need those four individuals, and if one is missing, it does not sound like that," he continued. "And, fortunately, we don't have that problem. Because performing GHOST and recording GHOST has never really been the same thing. So that we can preserve our sound; we don't have to rely on… if some people come and go, which is good. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE is the same thing. Everything goes through Josh's [Homme] hands, and therefore it sounds like QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, regardless of who he brings in and out of the band, which is, I guess, a similar situation."

MAGNA CARTA CARTEL has just released its first new music in eight years.

"Sway" is the first track from an upcoming MCC release, due later this year. Like many before it in the world of music, it is a song about love and hate with lyrics dealing with two different persons perspective — and the lack of the same.

"Sway" was recorded last October at Studio Underjord and Secret Location Studios and was engineered by Joona Hassinen and produced by Niels Nielsen and MCC.

"Sway" will also be released as an exclusive 500-copies-only seven-inch vinyl single on April 20.