Before the theatrical spectacle, elaborate costumes and arena-filling anthems of GHOST, Tobias Forge was delivering savage old-school death metal with REPUGNANT. Now, the Swedish musician is bringing his cult underground band back from the dead!
For fans who know Tobias Forge as the mastermind behind GHOST, the return of REPUGNANT offers a fascinating glimpse into a much darker and more extreme chapter of his musical history.
Long before the masked ghouls, papal personas and infectious occult rock anthems, Forge was carving out a reputation in Sweden’s underground extreme metal scene.
And while GHOST have gone on to become one of the biggest contemporary rock and metal bands in the world, REPUGNANT have maintained a cult following among devotees of old-school Swedish death metal.
The prospect of hearing that music brought back to life is an exciting development for fans of the heavier side of Forge’s career.
๐ REPUGNANT Rise From The Grave
REPUGNANT were originally formed in Stockholm in 1998, emerging during a period when Sweden’s death metal scene was already internationally respected.
The band developed a raw, aggressive sound heavily influenced by the underground death and thrash metal movements of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Their music combined vicious guitar riffs, relentless drumming, guttural vocals and a deliberately sinister atmosphere.
It was a world away from the polished, theatrical productions that would eventually make GHOST internationally famous.
During his time with REPUGNANT, Forge performed under the name Mary Goore, a pseudonym that became closely associated with his early extreme metal work.
Although the group never achieved the mainstream recognition that Forge would later enjoy, their recordings developed a dedicated following.
Now, after years of inactivity, the return of REPUGNANT promises to reconnect Forge with his underground musical roots.
๐ธ Before GHOST, There Was Mary Goore
Tobias Forge’s career is often associated with the elaborate mythology of GHOST, but his musical journey began long before the Swedish band’s breakthrough.
As Mary Goore, Forge explored the more extreme side of heavy metal, drawing inspiration from the aggression and atmosphere of early death metal.
REPUGNANT embraced a deliberately uncompromising approach.
Rather than focusing on radio-friendly choruses or theatrical arena performances, the band’s sound revolved around distorted guitars, frantic rhythms and horror-inspired imagery.
The project demonstrated Forge’s interest in dark musical themes long before he began incorporating similar influences into GHOST’s more melodic compositions.
While the two bands sound very different, there are unmistakable connections in their fascination with horror, occult imagery and dramatic presentation.
๐ฟ Epitome Of Darkness โ A Cult Death Metal Classic
At the centre of REPUGNANT’s legacy is their only full-length studio album, Epitome Of Darkness.
Recorded in 2002 and eventually released in 2006, the album has become a cult favourite among fans of traditional death metal.
Its sound draws heavily from the genre’s formative years, combining the aggression of early Swedish death metal with elements of thrash and blackened extremity.
Tracks such as Hungry Are The Damned, Premature Burial and Spawn Of Pure Malevolence showcase the band’s relentless musical approach.
Unlike the melodic sophistication and layered production associated with GHOST, Epitome Of Darkness thrives on its rawness.
The guitars are vicious, the drums are punishing and Forge’s vocals are almost unrecognisable compared with his later performances.
For fans who discovered Forge through songs such as Square Hammer, Cirice or Mary On A Cross, hearing REPUGNANT for the first time can be quite a shock.
But for those who appreciate underground death metal, that is precisely the appeal.
๐ฅ Why REPUGNANT Matter To Swedish Death Metal
Sweden has produced some of the most influential bands in death metal history.
ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER, GRAVE and UNLEASHED helped establish the country’s reputation for aggressive, distinctive extreme metal.
REPUGNANT arrived after the initial explosion of the Swedish death metal scene, but they drew inspiration from the raw intensity of its earliest recordings.
Their music also reflected the influence of bands such as AUTOPSY, POSSESSED and MORBID ANGEL.
Rather than following the increasingly melodic direction adopted by some Swedish metal acts during the late 1990s, REPUGNANT looked backwards to the genre’s underground foundations.
That commitment to old-school extremity helped earn the group a lasting cult reputation.
Their relatively limited discography has only added to their mystique.
๐ป From Death Metal Underground To GHOST Superstar
The contrast between REPUGNANT and GHOST illustrates just how varied Tobias Forge’s musical interests have always been.
When GHOST emerged around 2006, the project took a dramatically different approach to heavy music.
Drawing inspiration from classic hard rock, traditional heavy metal, psychedelic rock and theatrical pop, Forge created a band built around memorable melodies and elaborate visual storytelling.
The release of Opus Eponymous in 2010 introduced audiences to GHOST’s distinctive combination of occult imagery and accessible songwriting.
Further albums, including Infestissumam, Meliora, Prequelle, Impera and Skeletรก, helped transform the group into an international phenomenon.
Songs such as Rats, Dance Macabre, Square Hammer, Cirice and Mary On A Cross brought the band widespread recognition.
Along the way, Forge developed an elaborate series of stage characters, from Papa Emeritus to Cardinal Copia and beyond.
GHOST’s success has demonstrated his remarkable ability to combine theatrical presentation with accessible rock songwriting.
Yet REPUGNANT remain an important reminder that his musical foundations were considerably more extreme.
๐ฌ REPUGNANT Return In New Horror Film V/H/S/MIXTAPE
The unexpected revival has now been revealed through the horror anthology film V/H/S/Mixtape, which premiered on streaming service Shudder on 9 October 2026.
The film features a newly created music video for REPUGNANT’s Premature Burial, a song originally recorded more than two decades ago.
Rather than simply reusing archival footage, Forge has reunited several musicians associated with REPUGNANT to revisit the band’s material.
There is also a particularly exciting addition: WATAIN frontman Erik Danielsson provides the vocals.
Danielsson and Forge have been friends for years, making the collaboration a fascinating meeting of two very different figures from Sweden’s extreme metal scene.
๐ฅ The REPUGNANT Line-Up
The musicians credited with the performance featured in the film are:
- Tobias Forge โ Guitar
- Gottfrid ร hman โ Guitar
- Gustaf Lindstrรถm โ Bass
- Thomas Daun โ Drums
- Erik Danielsson (WATAIN) โ Vocals
The appearance marks a significant reunion of musicians connected with REPUGNANT’s earlier history.
Forge originally handled both guitar and vocal duties in the group, making Danielsson’s involvement an especially interesting development.
His ferocious vocal style brings an additional black metal influence to REPUGNANT’s old-school death metal sound.
๐ป Is A Full REPUGNANT Reunion Coming?
That remains the biggest unanswered question.
Although the new Premature Burial video confirms renewed activity involving REPUGNANT musicians, a full reunion, new studio album or live tour has not been officially announced.
There have also been rumours that Forge is working on a separate death metal project during his break from GHOST.
However, it is not yet clear whether those reports are connected to REPUGNANT or an entirely different musical venture.
For now, fans have something tangible to celebrate: the unexpected return of a cult Swedish death metal band in a new horror film.
๐ค THE RIFF REPORT VERDICT
Tobias Forge returning to his death metal roots is a development that many longtime fans probably never expected to see.
The addition of WATAIN’s Erik Danielsson makes the resurrection even more intriguing, while the involvement of former REPUGNANT musicians gives the project a genuine connection to its underground origins.
Whether this proves to be a one-off horror-film collaboration or the beginning of something much bigger remains to be seen.
But one thing is certain: the man behind GHOST clearly hasn’t forgotten his extreme metal roots.
From Papa Emeritus to Mary Goore, Tobias Forge is proving that some musical demons never stay buried! ๐๐ฅ๐ค
