Ghost frontman and mastermind Tobias Forge has made it very well known there will be a new record in 2020. Much like Prequelle, he’s promising this record will be “darker, heavier.” We’ve heard that before, but in an interview with Revolver, Forge does admit Prequelle got “a little ballad heavy” and that the new stuff will lean much more in the direction of Meliora than anything else.

Forge also notes he plans to hit the studio in January.

“I want to make a different record from Prequelle. I want it to feel different,” says Forge, being careful with his words to avoid misleading fans. “If I dare to say heavier, people think that it’s going to be Mercyful Fate all the way … but I definitely have a darker, heavier record in mind.”

Prequelle, he says now, was “a little ballad heavy.” The next one will lean more in the imposing direction of 2015’s Meliora without repeating the same ideas. He’s worked to make each album different, starting with 2010’s gloomy, metallic debut, Opus Eponymous.

Forge also touches on the idea of a Ghost film, which he says he’s very interested in doing and just needs to lock down the logistics.

“The cog wheels are turning on that one,” he says. “We’re just trying to figure out a lot of the practicalities. Making a film is a big endeavor. Another problem that I have had over the course of my career is that I don’t have a shit-ton of time. I am also a father of two kids and I’m married. I try to not to break my back. I’ve been so close so many times to overworking and I said yes to everything just because I was so keen on not losing momentum. I’ve learned over the years that it’s really important not to do everything at once.”

Keep an eye out for maybe a new Ghost EP this year.