Between the world tours and the release of SKELETA, it has been a great year for Ghost… though perhaps not so much for their former frontman, Frater Imperator.
The occult-rock outfit’s deposed singer (formerly known as Papa Emeritus IV, and before that as Cardinal Copia) has had to adjust to working behind the scenes as current vocalist Papa V Perpetua has risen to the top of the charts. And right now, Frater’s done with it, as the latest dramatic Chapter sees him taking a leave of absence from the clergy.
The newly delivered Chapter in the ongoing drama is called “The Portrait,” and it first finds Frater Imperator faced with a clergy member painting an unflattering likeness of him…but the prideful Imperator tries to takes it in stride (“That’s what I look like — kinda rubbery, kinda fake-looking and with kind of an unrealistic color. And I look like I had a bad facelift.”)
He meets up with other members in his finally-finished office, which is adorned in kinda sad reflections of his past glory (an alternate timeline movie poster reads RITE THERE RITE THEN). The titular portrait hangs above his desk in comically grotesque fashion, its narrow-set eyes and oddly teeny, twisted mouth rivaling the great Ecce Homo cock-up, and likewise landing like a farcical Dorian Gray-ism.
Following some platitudes from the staff, Frater Imperator takes stock of his situation and decides that he’s going on vacation, “very briefly.” He thanks everyone for their time, grabs his bag, waves goodbye to everyone — including the ghostly Sister Imperator — and walks out of the building to the strains of Sid Vicious’ “My Way.”
A semi-truck whips down the street as the humbled figure walks past the gate and out of view. Blood splatters the screen, possibly implying Frater Imperator’s goodbye might be for good.
Is this truly the end of Frater Imperator’s story? Hard to say, but you can peep it all in this closing Chapter up above.