Tobias Forge (17,158 views)

[1999]

Tobias Forge (3 March 1981)

Also Known As: Cardinal Copia, Mary Goore, Papa Emeritus (I, II, III, IV, Nihil)
Vocal Range: D2 - G♯5
Associated acts: Crashdïet (2000-2001) as a guitarist, Ghost (2006-present), Magna Carta Cartel (2006-2010) as a guitarist, Repugnant (1999-2004), Subvision (2002-2008), Superior (1996-1997)

Significant high notes:

G♯5 ("Life Eternal")
F5 ("Last Night", "Spillways")
E5 ("Kaiserion", "Pooney Tune", "We Don't Need Another Hero")
E♭5 ("Body Voltage", "Dance Macabre", "Pooney Tune")
D5 ("Absolution" live Deezer Session, 2015, "Cirice", "Deus In Absentia", "Hunter's Moon", "Kiss the Go-Goat", "Here Comes the Sun", "Killing Floor", "Mummy Dust" live In The U.S.A / 2017, "Rats", "Son of May", "Square Hammer" several live performances between 2019/22, "Twenties", "Watcher In the Sky")
C♯5 ("Necropolis", "P.C.P", "Spillways")
C5 ("Dance Macabre" Carpenter Brut Remix, "Darkness at the Heart of My Love", "Death Knell", "Deus In Absentia", "Elizabeth", "Enter Sandman" several live performances during 2022, "Fault", "Griftwood", "Mummy Dust", "Respite on the Spitalfields", "Ritual" live In The U.S.A / 2017, "Secular Haze", "See No Evil", "Square Hammer", "Twenties", "Witch Image", "Year Zero", "Zenith")
B4 ("Depth of Satan's Eyes", "Enter Sandman", "Hanging Around", "Kaisarion", "Killing Floor", "Life Eternal", "Majesty", "Mary On a Cross", "Pooney Tune", "Respite on the Spitalfields")
B♭4 ("Body and Blood", "Call Me Little Sunshine", "Cirice", "Con Clavi Con Dio", "Dance Macabre", "Darkness at the Heart of My Love", "Death Knell", "Elizabeth", "Griftwood", "Here Comes the Sun", "Hunter's Moon", "Idolatrine", "Kiss the Go-Goat", "Mary On a Cross", "Majesty", "Per Aspera Ad Inferi", "See the Light", "Pro Memoria", "Spillways", "Spirit", "Square Hammer", "Watcher In the Sky", "Year Zero", "Zenith")
A4 ("Absolution", "Bible", "Call Me Little Sunshine", "Con Clavi Con Dio", "Cirice", "Crucified", "Deus In Absentia", "Enter Sandman", "Eraserhead", "Faith", "Fault", "Griftwood", "He Is", "Here Comes the Sun", "Idolatrine", "If You Have Ghosts", "Jesus He Knows Me", "Jigolo Har Megiddo", "Kaiserion", "Killing Floor" The Killing Floor EP version, "Monstrance Clock" live In The U.S.A / 2017, "Necropolis" The Killing Floor EP version, "Phanotom of the Opera", "Pro Memoria", "Rats", "Scenario", "Satan Prayer", "Son of May", "Spillways", "Spirit", "Sympathy for the Devil" live on På Spåret 2021, "Twenties", "Watcher In the Sky", "We Don't Need Another Hero")
G♯4 ("Alienore", "I Believe", "Last Night", "Life Eternal", live improv. unidentified performance, "Mary On a Cross", "Necropolis", "P.C.P", "Pooney Tune", "Prime Mover", "Psycamore", "See the Light", "Sympathy for the Devil" live on På Spåret 2021, "Witch Image", "Zenith")
G4 ("Absolution", "Beyond the Moon", "Bible", "Body and Blood", "Call Me Little Sunshine", "Cartwheeling the Door", "Cirice", "Crucified", "Dance Macabre", "Darkness at the Heart of My Love", "Depth of Satan's Eyes", "Enter Sandman", "Fault", "From the Pinnacle to the Pit", "Ghuleh / Zombie Queen", "Griftwood", "Hanging Around", "He Is", "Hunter's Moon", "I'm Not Afraid", "Idolatrine", "It's a Sin", "Jesus He Knows Me", "Killing Floor", "Kiss the Go-Goat", "Majesty", "Mary On a Cross" live version, "Monstrance Clock", "Necropolis", "Pooney Tune", "Pro Memoria", "Psycamore", "Radiocative Man", "Rats", "Respite on the Spitalfields", "Ritual", "See No Evil", "See the Light", "Square Hammer", "Twenties", "Under the Spell", United States of America live Sioux Falls, SD, 2019 + other shows on the same tour, "We Don't Need Another Hero", "Witch Image")
F♯4 ("Alienore", "Beyond the Moon", "Bible", "Body Voltage", "Death Knell", "Elizabeth", "Enter Sandman", "Eraserhead", "Ghuleh / Zombie Queen", "He Is", "I Believe", "I'm a Marionette", "If You Have Ghosts", "Jesus He Knows Me", "Last Night", "Love is a Fire", "Mary On a Cross", "Missionary Man", "Necropolis", "P.C.P", "Per Aspera Ad Inferi", "Prime Mover" live Teatro Vorterix, Argentina 2014, "Radiocative Man", "Room 661", "Son of May", "Stand By Him", "Sympathy for the Devil" live on På Spåret 2021, "Under the Spell", "Waiting for the Night")

Significant low notes:

D3 ("Absolution", "Bible", "Body and Blood", "Call Me Little Sunshine", "Death Knell", "Depth of Satan's Eyes", "Ghuleh / Zombie Queen" live @ SiriusXM, 2015, "Here Comes the Sun", "Hunter's Moon", "Idolatrine", "Jigolo Har Megiddo", "Majesty", "Psycamore", "Ritual", "Room 661", "Satan Prayer", "Spirit", "Stand By Him", "Twenties", "Under the Spell", "We Don't Need Another Hero")
C♯3 ("Body and Blood", "Death Knell", "Eraserhead", "House of Affection" unreleased solo track, "I Believe", "If You Have Ghosts", "Missionary Man", "Under the Spell")
C3 ("Body and Blood", "Cirice", "Dance Macabre" Nocturnal Version, "Darkness at the Heart of My Love", "Enter Sandman", "Griftwood", "He Is", "I'm Not Afraid", "Idolatrine", "Majesty", "Pro Memoria", "Room 661", "Satan Prayer", "We Don't Need Another Hero", "Witch Image")
B2 ("Dance Macabre" Nocturnal Version, "House of Affection" unreleased solo track, "I Believe", "Kaiserion", "Mary On a Cross", "The Olde One - Papaganda Ep. 1" warming-up, "Secular Haze")
B♭2 ("Avalanche", "Idolatrine", "Mary On a Cross" live version, "Monstrance Clock", "The Olde One - Papaganda Ep. 1" warming-up)
A2 ("Absolution", "Bible", "Con Clavi Con Dio", "Enter Sandman", "From the Pinnacle to the Pit", "He Is", "Kaiserion", "Nocturnal Me", "Per Aspera Ad Inferi", "Respite on the Spitalfields", "Ritual", "Room 661", "Satan Prayer", "Spillways", "Spirit", "Sympathy for the Devil" live on På Spåret 2021)
G♯2 ("I Believe", "Life Eternal", "Mummy Dust", "Nocturnal Me", "Respite on the Spitalfields", "Watcher In the Sky")
G2 ("Avalanche", "Call Me Little Sunshine", "Crucified", "Dance Macabre" Nocturnal Version, "Darkness at the Heart of My Love", "From the Pinnacle to the Pit", "He Is" Acoustic Session in Paris, 2015, "Hunter's Moon", "I'm Not Afraid", "Kiss the Go-Goat", "Monstrance Clock", "Mummy Dust", "Nocturnal Me", "Respite on the Spitalfields")
F♯2 ("Crucified", "Deus In Absentia", "Ghuleh / Zombie Queen", "Sympathy for the Devil" live on På Spåret 2021)
F2 ("Avalanche", "Call Me Little Sunshine", "Zenith")
E2 ("Deus In Absentia", "Ritual", "Zenith")
D2 ("Enter Sandman", "Darkness at the Heart of My Love")

..............................................
*Underlines marks notes sung in backing vocals/overdubs.
*Italics marks non-melodic notes.
*Blue marks soft falsetto notes.
*Green marks harsh distorted notes.
*Boldface marks noteworthy passages or performances.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}
G5 ("Spirit"[2][most definitely a female vocalist])
F5 ("Watcher In the Sky" [2][could be a guitar], "Zenith"[2][could be a female vocalist])
E5 ("Faith"[4], "Mary On a Cross"[4])
D5 ("Spirit"[4])
C♯5 ("Elizabeth"[4], "Scenario"[4])
C5 ("Hunter's Moon"[4])
B4 ("Ghuleh / Zombie Queen"[4], "It's a Sin"[4], "Jigolo Har Megiddo"[2][the fact he's not singing this live makes me suspicious], "Killing Floor" The Killing Floor EP version[2], "P.C.P"[2])
B♭4 ("Until You’re Mine"[2])
A4 ("Pooney Tune"[2][doesn't really sound like Tobias to me])

C3 ("Year Zero"[4])
B2 ("P.C.P"[3])
A2 ("Body and Blood"[4], "Lady Morgue"[4], "Psycamore"[4])
E2 ("Ghuleh / Zombie Queen"[4])
D2 ("Absolution"[5, weak fry][There might be some countable E2s], "Hunter's Moon"[2], "Twenties" [4])
A1 ("Enter Sandman"[1])

- "Nocturnal Me" outro has got some weird backing vocals that I think are just a reverse FX.
- "Radioactive Man" has got suspicious backing vocals, considering the fact the whole EP has a lot of counter-vocalists all over it.
- "I'm a Marionette" might have some falsetto backing vocals that are too buried into the mix to identify. Same applies to "Griftwood" and "Respite on the Spitalfields"
- I’m not counting the whispers included in "From the Pinnacle to the Pit" and the weird growl-ish notes from "Faith". Both passages are not supported enough and don't seem to hold a specific pitch.
- I won't add any note both from the band "Superior" and "Repugnant", these notes don’t sound solidly pitched or following any melody line at all.
...........................................

[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Album Ranges}
With Subvision:

2003 - Pearls for Pigsnawps: F3 - E♭5 - F5
2004 - The Killing Floor EP: G♯3 - A4
2006 - So Far So Noir: A2 - A4 - D5

With Ghost:

2010 - Opus Eponymous: E2 - G♯4 - C5
2013 - Infestissumam: F♯2 - B♭4 - C5
2015 - Meliora: E2 - C5 - D5
2018 - Prequelle: G♯2 - D5 - G♯5
2022 - Impera: D2 - F5

EPs:
2013 - If You Have Ghosts: F♯2 - A4 (excluding Secular Haze)
2016 - Popestar: G2 - C5
2019 - Seven Inches of Satanic Panic: G2 - B4 - D5
2023 - Phantomime: C3 - C5 - E5

[Kreuger]

I thought that G#5 was removed when I saw this the other day. I'm not convinced it's him. When they do it live, I think the 3rd guitarist is usually harmonizing with him and his voice sounds like the recording.

[1999]

It was not removed, "Life Eternal" is simply the last song in Ghost current discography.
Btw, it doesn't make any sense to me that the guy is literally singing every falsetto background in his entire discography but that one. And I don't see him having a hard time hitting a G♯5 tbh.
Also:

link

[Gilad]

I see no reason to doubt the D5s in Rats

[1999]

Nice ! just wanted a second thought.

[Kreuger]

I meant removed from the thread. And I'm aware of the interview. I'm not saying he can't do it. It doesn't sound like him to me.

Edit: And I'm pretty sure he had a choir help on the song.

[Gilad]

The big choir part comes in right at the end, before that I'm pretty sure most of the harmonies are done by Mr. Forge. The G#5 sounds quite thin, so I doubt it's a female choir member. Also during that part, there are some slightly lower harmonies that are very clearly Toby boy.

[Smitty.]

link to the G#5 and E2 is dead.

[1999]

I can see it. :scratch:

[Batfleck]

youtu.be/Y4bZVvTrjF8?t=146

[Kreuger]

The G#5 link doesnt do anything for me either but its not hard to hear...

[1999]

I just changed it, let me know if it works guys!

[Batfleck]

Mar 23, 2021 10:43:08 GMT 1999 said:

I just changed it, let me know if it works guys!

It works, but the E2 is still dead. And there's a few more that's still dead too (the A2s in "Bible" and "Satan Prayer", the F4 in "See the Light", and the A4 in "Spirit")

[1999]

Literally on the first word of the line (TO where we'd hide as children)
link - G2 or am I hallucinating?

[Henny Macc]

Oct 5, 2021 22:07:12 GMT 1999 said:

Literally on the first word of the line (TO where we'd hide as children)
link - G2 or am I hallucinating?

Definitely lots of G2s in the backing vocals there that I see you've already added, but I'm also hearing a possible backing D2 just before that timestamp on "I'm coming back for you my FRIEND", or at least an F2 on "back FOR you". It sounds like there's also a whisper track behind the main vocal as well though, which makes it hard to tell if and where the lower vocal drops off. Can we get some more opinions on that?

[1999]

I see what you mean, definitely need more opinion

[Smitty.]

lowest i could make out is F2, i can't hear him get down to D2 there

[1999]

link - Background vocals, can't really make out if he's following the main vocals [♭ I (F♯) raise my eyes] or just singing the entire line on F♯. :-/

[1999]

Here's a new tricky one for you guys, is the background vox going down to an F2 or is it just the guitar that is fooling me :scratch:

link

[Gilad]

I'm hearing the F2s, here's an easier one to hear

[1999]

Mmm... That's weird, I do hear a background vocal singing one octave lower on the: you can always reach me, part, so that will be A2 and B♭2, however, the line you are referring to (you will never walk alone) doesn't sound like having a layer underneath.

Also, what do you guys think about bolding the B♭2s in the verses? they do sound quite strong/solid.

[1999]

Would you guys count this G? It's quite airy but it's an area where he's more than capable of singing, so I'd personally see it more of a stylistic choice than a struggle, still, the note itself is not very solid. link

[Gilad]

That's 100% countable

[Henny Macc]

I'd say the one at 1:17 is more countable. Neither is particularly outstanding, but that one hits the pitch audibly enough to be worth counting I'd say.

[1999]

Thanks guys!