IHSAHN Explains Why GHOST, SLEEP TOKEN And SLIPKNOT Attract Crowds: 'It's The Masks, The Visuals, The Mystery'

Summary

• Ihsahn explains how bands like Ghost, Sleep Token, and Slipknot use mystery and anonymity to captivate audiences.
• He compares today’s hyperexposure with the old mystique of acts like Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Iron Maiden.
• Emperor might not have succeeded if fans had seen their teenage beginnings through modern social media.

Ihsahn has no interest in blurring the lines between personal life and stage persona. In his opinion, keeping those worlds apart explains why bands like Ghost, Sleep Token, and Slipknot generate such obsessive fascination.

During a conversation with Metal Global, the Emperor frontman pointed to a time when artists thrived on mystery. Groups like Kiss and performers like Alice Cooper didn’t have to worry about social media draining the intrigue out of their public image. Audiences were left to wonder who these people really were, and that uncertainty worked in their favor.

Recalling his early days as a fan, Ihsahn explained, “Watching Kiss or Alice Cooper was like seeing something otherworldly. My first Iron Maiden concert felt surreal. Breathing the same air as them was unbelievable. We weren’t flooded with photos of what they ate before the show. That kind of mystery matters, especially in metal.”

For him, bands like Ghost and Sleep Token have weaponized this approach. With Ghost, the identity of Tobias Forge stayed under wraps for years, only officially surfacing in 2017. Sleep Token has taken anonymity even further; despite endless internet detective work, nobody officially knows who’s behind the masks.

Slipknot entered the discussion too. According to Ihsahn, part of what propels these bands is simple: “It’s the masks, the visuals, the mystery. That combination hooks people. The theatrics pull them in, the anonymity keeps them guessing.”

He expanded on this using Judas Priest as another example. Rob Halford might be one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet offstage, but once the lights hit, he transforms entirely: “I met Rob Halford. He’s as humble as they come. But when he steps on stage, he becomes the Metal God. Nobody wants humility in that moment. They want to see the Metal God. They want spectacle. They want ritual. Today’s hyperconnected world strips some of that away.”

The same dynamic applies to Ihsahn’s own career. Speaking to Metal Hammer last year, he admitted that if social media had been around when Emperor first launched, things might have turned out very differently.

“Today, fans get too close to the artist, and that’s not always good. What Ghost and Sleep Token do so well is maintain distance. That space between the music and the person creates allure. I doubt people would’ve embraced our early albums the same way if they saw us as just some acne-riddled teenagers fumbling around in a garage.”

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