GhostOpus Eponymous

I have got right into ghost every album is a music adventure and this is up there with the rest well done keep the music coming

By the time Opus Eponymous came out the Heavy metal scene had been over run by Growling Monstrosities which call themselves "Extreme Metal". This music is suppose to sound evil, brutal and down right nasty. But they all pale in comparison to this beauty of a band.Run by the evil genius musicians who have no name, Ghost are a old fashioned Heavy metal band. They support upside down crucifixes, satanic lyrics, masked musicians and a Satanic Priest for a lead singer.Upon listening to the introduction to the album I expected to hear the wall of sound from Death Metal legends Deicide but instead got a hard rock groove from the likes of AC/DC and a sweet, soft voice very reminiscent of Blue Oyster Cult.Seriously... what the hell did I just hear. The 35 minute long album quickly blazes through mid tempo songs "Con Clavi Con Dio", "Ritual" and "Elizabeth". I really was taken by surprise with the unique sound and lyrical content of this band. So well spoken but particularly disturbing lyrics. "Stand By Him", "Satanic Prayer" and my favourite "Death Knell" keep the pace going at a nice steady rate. Not one bad track so far. "Prime Mover" and "Genesis" finish the album off with the same eerie sounds, heavy rock grooves and acoustic guitars.The production of this album is clear and very well done. It is not brick walled like most albums these days. You can hear every single detail and it is beautiful. The perfect balance between guitars and keyboards is something not heard in rock music since the 70s.The playing is very enjoyable. This band know how to use restraint. The resemblance to mid 70s Blue Oyster Cult is striking. Had I heard this without knowing the name I would of honestly thought it was a new release from the American Legends.Not once do they over play or show off. If there is a guitar solo it is clearly very well thought out and has much soul. This is a nice change in Metal in this day and age. To hear a drummer lay down a groove with very few, sweet fills is a god (devil?) send.The highlight of Opus Eponymous though is definitely the lead singer Papa Emeritus. His soft spoken, eerie voice is extremely chilling as he sings this satanic poetry with what can be considered the oddest thing since King Diamond.A remarkable start from a band I originally considered all hype. I regret not listening to this album sooner. This is a fantastic, perfect album that is short but sweet. A must have for all who loves old and new school Heavy Metal.Published by Steven Lornie of Demonszone

As far as debut albums go this one is pretty darn good. In metal terms if we were to class the likes of Sabbath's astonishingly timeless and self titled metal debut as the 5star bee's knees of first goes (Death Knell opens with a tribute to the opening Black Sabbath album track...um... also called Black Sabbath... The similar sound of rain is present and contains lovely use of bell chime too, whilst they are also incidently sometimes singing a bit like Duran Duran!! What's not to love here!?)...then I'd put the brilliant Ghost's Opus a bit below that bit of music history. Whilst not as daring as Sabbath's debut overall, however, this album sets the scene really well for Ghost, sewing the seeds you feel for the next three albums which each seem to grow in ambition and scope. Highlights here are the first five tracks, particularly Elizabeth which is so catchy. Opus does feel more grounded than Prequelle and Meliora as a whole... The sonics very much in the realm of Kiss meets the Beatles meets the monks of doom. Ritual showcases the demonically innocent pop sensibilities of Tobias's delicately flavored characteristically charming vocal style. Opus is flat out rocking as a whole album. Satan's prayer opens with verses that nicely step on the toes of Stone Roses somehow in their hayday. This is clearly the work of a songwriter with a vision that borrows lovingly and eclectically from a range of very successful rocking metaltastic modes like the Roses, Kiss, Bowie, Sabbath...yet for me shows the potential here to cast a new fresh light on metal history.... Nightwish are the other band who recently have clearly achieved this kind of music history making status. Fantastic debut overall. Fave tracks Con Clavi Con Dio, Elizabeth, Ritual and Death Knell...but gotta mention Genesis...all by itself makes me imagine myself as Beethoven enjoying some cheesy 80s film soundtrack written by Somewhere In Time era Iron Maiden whilst at the same time watching Flash Gordon. Crazy and brilliant ending. Crazy and brilliant album....crazy and brilliant band.

Ghost, it would seem, are a band who split opinion right down the middle. When I first heard them, I have to admit that I was puzzled by them; here was a band who look like they should be shrieking, growling black metal demons but actually in fact sound something akin to what it might sound like if Black Sabbath were melded with the Blue Oyster Cult and Queens of the Stone Age; a bit sludgy, a bit proggy but with a bit of groove and attitude. It's all a bit bewildering, and my other half hates them, but I would heartily recommend them if you're looking for a band who sound a bit different to anyone else.Once you get over their slightly baffling but intriguing image, you'll soon discover that it's backed up by some absolutely stonking tunes and this, their first long player, is packed to the rafters with them. It was the first album of their that I listened to and I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it after the first listen, but found that it definitely tempted me back for a second listen. After my second listen to it, it had started to dig its hooks into me and by the fourth of fifth I was a card-carrying Ghost fan. It really did happen that quickly.This album has got the sort of grooves and hooks that a million bands wish they had, right from the stunning bass groove of the opening track "Con Clavi Con Dio" there's a veritable feast of tasty licks, hooks and riffs, backed up by Papa Emeritus's slightly nasal but very distinctive crooning.It's the sort of sound that in theory shouldn't really work but someone Ghost have sprinkled all of the correct amounts of the right ingredients into their potion of sonic alchemy and deftly weave a tapestry of aural incantations, spells and hexes into your ears and brain which ultimately leave you begging for more by the end of the final track.

Availability

While my least favorite album, it's display presence is fantastic. Great artwork.

Esta nueva edición del álbum debut de Ghost realizada por Rise Above Records quedó bien lograda; portada con el nombre de la banda en relieve y metalizada (embossed & foil) sin contar que al menos a mi me tocó un disco color “red sparkle” (rojo con brillos plata).

Um bom álbum de estreia. Soa como um remaster de um álbum dos anos 70. Bateria alta e a voz do Papa Emeritus I se sobrepõe de forma autoritária sobre os instrumentos; e isso é ótimo!A aparência da banda passa a imagem de algo pesado, mas pude sentir um som leve, boas melodias e um potencial em ascendência. Pude provar do potencial ouvindo a discografia atualmente. (Hunter's Moon).Já estava de olho na banda há um tempo, gostando de uma ou duas faixas até despertar um interesse de me aprofundar.As artes são interessantes, neste álbum há apenas letras das músicas e poucos desenhos, mas bons desenhos.Álbum curto de aprox. 35min. Duas músicas instrumentais. Ouvi em CD e caso fosse um disco o lado A seria meu favorito. Ritual é a grande música do álbum (na minha opinião).Recomendo o álbum, a proposta da banda e todo seu trabalho que só melhorou ao decorrer dos anos.Hail S.

Todo correcto.