Ghost has always been fronted by Tobias Forge, but that wasn't the original plan. Forge reveals in an interview with Revolver that he just wanted to be the guitarist for the band when it was still being formed. He reveals that he asked a few different notable frontmen to possibly front Ghost, all of whom said no.
Forge's choices were ex-Candlemass vocalist Messiah Marcolin, current Candlemass and ex-Adagio vocalist Mats Levén, Mindless Sinner frontman Christer Göransson, and Grand Magus and ex-Spiritual Beggars vocalist JB Christoffersson.
Forge's first choice for the vocalist position was Messiah Marcolin, former singer for Swedish doom masters Candlemass. But Marcolin turned him down. Forge then approached Mats Levén, a veteran Swedish vocalist who did a brief stint in guitar wizard Yngwie Malmsteen's band and has since become the latest singer of Candlemass. But Levén passed, as well.
So did Christer Göransson of Mindless Sinner, Eighties metal heroes from Forge's hometown of Linköping, Sweden. ("He said, 'I have my own band and this seems a little bit goofy,'" Forge recalls.) So did JB Christoffersson of Grand Magus. Forge became Ghost's singer by default.
While all those are great choices, would Ghost still be nearly as effective as they are if it wasn't Forge at the forefront?
