The time has come for a new "Papa." Ghost have a long running tradition of their leader, Papa Emeritus, being replaced at the end of each album cycle and it looks as though the time has come for the next in line of succession.

During the band's performance in Gothenberg, Sweden, Papa Emeritus III found himself hauled offstage in the midst of the encore, "Monstrance Clock." As Papa sings and the song winds down, two men in suits barge onto the stage and grab the singer and take him away. Meanwhile, the fellow Nameless Ghouls all immediately exit the stage as well.

As can be seen in the video below, it's only a few moments before two other men in suits flank a somewhat feeble new figure, who enters the stage using a cane, wearing a white robe and headdress and using an oxygen tank. The man then removes his oxygen mask to reveal black and white corpse paint similar to Papa and asks for the microphone to address the crowd.

"I am Papa Emeritus Zero. The party is over and now a new era begins. The Middle Ages begin now," states the figure as seen in the video.

Ghost leader Tobias Forge, who has performed as Papa in each iteration, recently revealed that work had begun on the next studio album. “We’ve been in the studio for about a month now. And by the end of the year, if everything goes according to plan — knock, knock — we’re gonna have a new album, not out, but we’re gonna have a new [album] recorded and mixed and delivered," said Forge, who went on to predict a tentative April 2018 release.

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