On this day 15 years ago, a definite belter of a debut album So Far So Noir was released by Swedish indie rock band Subvision . This is an album I have discovered only this year through my pursuit of content related to the Ghost universe but it’s a record that connected immediately with me upon first listen. I regret not knowing it sooner and I regret not being aware of Sweden’s answer to England’s (then) new incarnation of Britpop at that point in time. Released in 2006, it sounds just like that era of pop/rock bottled (think Artic Monkeys, etc) yet it still holds up strongly today.
Subvision was one of several bands Tobias Forge fronted in his broad and multi-genre musical career before he struck gold with Ghost (2006–present). Their 2004 The Killing Floor EP pre-empted Forge’s pop music sensibilities and quite frankly was a million miles away from the output of his retro death metal band Repugnant (1998–2004, 2010). So Far So Noir is a glossier, tighter and better-realised extension of The Killing Floor EP which not only demonstrates a lush and considered production aesthetic but also showcases Forge’s emotional-self as a songwriter: something Ghost actively eschews. According to Subvision Unofficial | Facebook, So Far So Noir was almost titled Cure For Sentiments due to the “dark forlorn and love lost lyrics” (https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3D5464354610272594%26id%3D235020793206028&show_text=false&width=500). I will note here that across his career, Forge always writes in the English language (with the exception of occasional Latin but we will get to that).
When Tobias Forge was revealed as Ghost’s singer and mastermind in 2017, his musical back catalogue became simultaneously available for scrutiny and analysis. It has become very easy to trace the professional history of this key character of Swedish rock music, and sources of his recorded output are available on multiple platforms either to buy or stream. However I have noticed that the vast majority of physical copies of his previous albums and EPs are highly sought-after and therefore come with hefty price tags attached. Although still not yet a household name (do any rockstars ever really become household names though? Could your mother pick James Hetfield out of a lineup?) Tobias Forge (better known currently as Papa Emeritus IV) is clearly one of rock’s leading stars right now. He has a fascinating creative background, not only as a musician (under many aliases, most notably as Mary Goore) but also as the death metal ‘zine Outshitten Cunt Mag co-founder and editor, and as a visual artist (his art features on Repugnant releases and interestingly on Portrait’s 2011 Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae cover art). It’s only fitting he was crowned Loudwire’s Metal Artist of the Decade (https://loudwire.com/ghost-tobias-forge-interview-metal-artist-decade/) and was awarded the Music Export Prize from the Swedish Minister of Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs (https://nextmosh.com/ghost-music-export-prize-2019/), deservedly recognising his work in Ghost as a global success.
Critics of Forge might disregard So Far So Noir as a self-indulgent, overly emotional, and pop-filler-heavy album which bears no resemblance to Ghost’s wild mashup of occultish imagery, heavy metal riffs and ABBA-esque vocal harmonies or Repugnant’s old-school death metal screams and snarls, hard hitting of everything and general sense of orderly chaos. I’m here to tell you different. Subvision was the perfect transitional band for a musician who has a raging fire for making music and for participating in the industry.
- Room 611: My personal favourite from the album. The opening overdriven guitar struck a chord with me instantly. I suddenly felt 22 years old again and I felt like putting my electric guitar back in its soft case and on my back and heading off on the bus to Dublin to jam with my old rock band. Whatever shadows were in my mind were cast away by the radiant riff, the beautiful shimmering whammy bar dives and Forge’s youthful vocal. I also (strangely enough) felt as if I heard this song before, as if I overheard it in a shop many years ago. For me, listening to this song sounds like a bright sunny morning every single time. Contrastingly there’s also a sombre edge in Forge’s vocal which sets the tone for the whole album.
- Killing Floor: Straight-up indie pop/rock to fill a dance floor. I can definitely imagine this getting played in any of the haunts I used to play in and being enjoyed by the audience of the era. It’s very catchy and sounds like Forge studied the works of his Swedish pop music peers before writing this. It deserved a single release for sure.
- Scenario: Another top pick for me. Forge’s vocal is centre front of a beautiful stereo image of sharp, staccato guitars (perhaps a deliberate musical impression of getting stabbed in the heart/back as he recounts the love he lost to someone else), drums and bass. To note, this song features an Italian reference “in semenario” (in seminary), which is an early indicator of Forge’s use of a second language (other than English), something that would later reoccur often on Ghost’s records. The lyrics are somewhat clunky but this can be forgiven as Swedish songwriters, despite having fluent mastery of the language, have a history of occasionally making up their own version of English: Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way (Andreas Carlsson & Max Martin) being a very obvious example! The bright, pop/rock song takes a dark turn in the bridge thanks to an evolving key modulation and a subsequent one full tone downward key change. A quirky reference to Barry Manilow features in the bridge as an “allusion to a lothario character who would take your girlfriend away behind your back” (Subvision Unofficial Facebook).
- Cartwheeling The Void: A beautiful drum kit recorded in a beautiful room is the centre piece of this song. Again, carefully thought-out guitars flank the drums and a rolling, chunky bass guitar dreamily floats or cartwheels around the track. Forge’s vocal performance portrays youthful energy but his lyrics are dark, heavy and pensive. He reveals himself as someone who often reflects on the past as he opens a memory box and once again feels “aching emotional stirs” because “once again the barrel of love has been left leaking into the sea”. This song might seem forgettable to people seeking the thrill of Ghost’s anthemic hits but don’t forget, this is an album for several repeated listens for those interested to better understand the mind of a talented songwriter.
- Lady Morgue: A stand-out track with probably the most brilliant song title ever. Others have compared this to Ghost’s (2013) Ghuleh / Zombie Queen but I’d argue this is a finer work. Forge’s lyrics are most-noticeably bitter as he deals with the aftereffects of his broken heart. We have some interesting sonic anomalies audible from the onset of this recording: a click right before the bass and drums come in and some AC hiss. Helter Skelter Studio boasts a fine array of analogue and digital equipment, considering the album was recorded well into the Post-Millennial music production world and sounds bright and shiny, it is nice to hear artefacts were left on the recording. The sense of a band playing together in one room was maintained throughout the album’s production while reaping the benefits of multi-tracking and overdubbing technologies. Fans of the Foo Fighters would enjoy this song (if they’re feeling sombre) for the guitar sound alone.
- Fault: Yet another top track for me. This is very much a sibling of Scenario and is a strong pop/rock number with a fabulous disco beat, rhythmic guitars and a solid, chunky bass underpinning everything. There’s a fantastic third guitar part in the background that deserved more attention in the mix: a descending whammy bar dive which settles into a Twin Peaks-like shimmer. I suspect Persner is responsible for this guitar as this signature sound is all over Magna Carta Cartel’s (2009) Goodmorning Restrained. Forge commands his audience to listen as he proclaims he’s pouring out the worst of himself: he’s bravely showing us his broken heart, knowing full well we are probably sick of hearing about it at this stage but he’s reminding us it’s the fault of his previous lover. His vocal is authoritative but the catchy hook of “How I fell into the seas of wonder” is so very singalongable. There’s a wonderful two-part guitar solo in this song: not every Subvision song has a solo so this is a treat. It’s unclear whether Forge or Persner performed which solo parts but a trademark signature of Forge’s sound across his discography (yes, even in his Repugnant days) is melodic guitar solos. Forge is a very accomplished guitarist and his style leans towards considered, melody-driven solos (think Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden) rather than frenetic fretboard shredding (Janick Gers of Iron Maiden). You can literally sing every guitar solo Forge is linked to.
- Beyond The Moon: Another strong favourite with another strong guitar solo. The opening electric guitar is a beautiful tone with delightfully fresh guitar strings. We can almost hear them bouncing under the fingers of Forge or Persner. The bass and drums are locked super-tight in this and to be honest, this track deserves to be played at eleven to get that full smack. There’s a wonderful sense of authentic and energetic performance throughout this entire performance. However Forge’s lyrics read clunky again at times: “Still snowmen succumbs to the spring” but he gives us gems such as “Like phoenix rose above the ashes, I must ascend before the fall” and “I’d die to go beyond the moon, a universe beyond the tune. I seek a magic unimagined love affair, I seek a love that wasn’t there”. Who would I be to crush his romantic picture of Swedish snowmen melting under spring morning sunshine? The chorus is huge, stratospheric and certainly foretells the fact Forge is going to be a superstar with Ghost.
- Psycamore: This is a clever song title. Despite that, it’s probably my least favourite song as I don’t like Forge’s vocal delivery in the chorus: he doesn’t sound like himself and he sounds like he’s trying too hard. The song is a definite off-cut of Fault with more psychedelic sounds thanks to the combination of a massive reverberation on Forge’s vocal and the sustained wah-wah guitar (panned right). The chorus lyric is clever: “This psycamore is really killing me” as he describes love gone toxic over time.
- Son of May: This sounds like it was fun song to record. Here we have a brilliant moment that’ll knock any Ghost fan off their feet when they hear it for the first time: “In times of trouble and the enemies to face, go find your shelter in our secular haze”. Obviously that was a thought Forge kept with him and made note to use again. Good idea, sir.
- Necropolis: Definitely a song that forebodes Ghost. Forge’s voice is very different on this to what we’ve heard thus far, yet Ghost fans will recognise this as the voice of Papa Emeritus, especially during the verses. Another lyrically dark song, definitely the most Ghost-like lyrics to be found on a Subvision record. Yet this song sparkles in the chorus and Forge invites us to sing along.
- Eraserhead: Forge really is a clever lyric writer. Perhaps it’s the fact he is Swedish that he has full creative license with the English language… Erase her head/eraser head of an analogue tape machine. He sings this song from the perspective of his friends: “We’re here to the rescue of a friend, a lost companion with a heart to mend” who clearly tell him to get over the love he lost: “Live and learn to forget, they said. Live and learn but erase her head,” and the woman he built up to be the most important thing in his life and cannot get out of his mind: “There’s this girl with whom none compare. There’s this girl his castle of air”. This is a beautiful recording and song and is also one of my top picks of the album.
- Until You’re Mine: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is another personal favourite. Yes, So Far So Noir is an album I really enjoy! This is exactly what it says on the tin: a straight up song about having a crush and being wildly attracted to someone. It’s upbeat, catchy and poppy, and closes the album on an optimistic note that our love-torn songwriter will live happily ever after.
So Far So Noir shows Tobias Forge the songwriter in a way that Ghost refuses to do (and with valid reason): a youthful, contemplative and sensitive person on the brink of their lives about to change forever in the best possible ways. It’s a time capsule of a young, experienced and serious musician, and while he may be currently bored as a songwriter with writing about himself, preferring to draw lyrical inspiration from religion and historical events nowadays, Forge should be proud of his creative work. There’s nothing wrong with wearing your heart on your sleeve. His recording catalogue displays a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional music career which his fans absolutely love him for.
Before I sign off, I leave you with news that Mary Goore has risen from the dead and is to feature on the new record from Polish musician’s Me And That Man New Man, New Songs, Same S**t, Vol 2. The song Under The Spell is co-written by Forge and Adam “Nergal” Darski. Mary Goore has appeared in many guises throughout Forge’s career as a messy, corpse-painted, blood-soaked, ripped jeans, Morbid Angel sleeveless t-shirt wearing misfit, as a glam-rocker, as a nun, and as a lookalike of the biker from the Village People. The deviant hasn’t been seen or heard from since 2011 so this is exciting news!
Also, Ghost are set to appear on Metallica’s upcoming Blacklist with a cover of Enter Sandman. Forge has never shied from covers: Repugnant covered Celtic Frost and Morbid, Subvision covered John Vastano & Vini Poncia, Ghost covered The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, The Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, ABBA, Roky Erickson and The Aliens, Imperiet, The Rolling Stones, Army of Lovers, Eurythmics, Echo & The Bunny Men and Simian Mobile Disco.
So I finally sign off with happy 15th birthday So Far So Noir! An album of catchy guitar riffs, beautiful songs, finely recorded instruments and amazing performances. An album that’s simultaneously light and dark, happy and sad, pop and rock. Thanks Tobias Forge, for entertaining me with an amazing back catalogue of music, I look forward to your new releases! Skål!
Stephanie Caffrey 