I guess by now everyone has either heard or at least knows a little bit of the Swedish band known as Ghost, which features six unknown individuals. Cloaked in mystery five of them play the instruments while the dark unholy priest himself, known as, 'A Ghoul Writer' sings and writes all of the lyrics. While the anonymous line-up and their stage and promo attire may have instantly drawn attention to them it goes without saying that, 'Opus Eponymous' is a special album that has made Ghost one of the most talked about bands out there currently.Musically Ghost is a throwback band all the way, which combines the hard rock/heavy metal sounds of Blue Oyster Cult and Black Sabbath with the vocal and lyrical styling of Mercyful Fate plus a keyboard sound that's quite similar to Goblin. There's hardly anything original about Ghost, but I don't think they were trying to be original. Its all about bringing back a style of music that was lost long ago and through this debut album they pull is off wonderfully.
Although all nine songs pass by in thirty five minutes I find that just about every last second is worthwhile. Filled with great guitar riffs, classic feel good solos, vibrant bass guitar, horror-ish proggy keyboards, cleanly sung soaring semi-operatic vocals and Satanic themed lyrics have made Ghost a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention that every song (even the two instrumentals) are ridiculously infectious and its pretty likely that songs, such as, 'Con Clavi Con Dio,' 'Ritual' or 'Death Knell' will be doing overtime in your head after you put the CD back in the jewel case.
While I'm sure other throwback bands like, Graveyard, The Devil's Blood, In Solitude or Blood Ceremony (note to self: check these bands out!) are fantastic too it seems Ghost and its enigmatic members have stolen the lead for now. Having also seen the band perform live a few months ago I can also say these guys are not a band to miss since the onstage atmosphere is quite high and they put on a fantastic performance.
But, yeah, like I said in the beginning I suppose you know Ghost already, so, get back to enjoying, 'Opus Eponymous' as I surely will too.
Personally I rank The Devil's Blood over Ghost but they're certainly holding the second place on the listing of bands you mention above. After Ghost I'd place Jex Thoth and then Graveyard and last Blood Ceremony. I've heard too little from In Solitude to form a proper opinion.
ReplyDeleteBack to this album, I was kind of dissappointed when I listened to this CD for the first time, the sound seemed too clean and polished, compared to the demo and the "Elisabeth" EP. However once I got used to the different sound it became one of the most listened albums in my house. Dangerously catchy and sounds good live too.
I really need to check out The Devil's Blood. I have a feeling its something I'm really going to dig. Jex Thoth I saw at Tuska as well and I really need to get my hands on their album.
ReplyDeleteWell, I was a little bit of late bloomer with Ghost since I didn't hear the demo or EP and I didn't even buy the album until a few months ago. But I definitely like it a lot and I'll be seeing them live for a second time next month. So, I'm psyched for that gig.
That's cool, I'd like to see them again too, preferably playing in a club. Is the gig you're going to see part of some tour?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely check out the Jex Thoth album, it's one of those albums that I really started listening to only after seeing them live. The Devil's Blood is awesome, though I heard their demo first as well and was having the same issue as with Ghost (album sounds too clean). Seeing them live at first Hammer Open Air in 2010 converted me totally to them. :) You might want to check out their "Come, Reap" EP and "Graveyard Shuffle" 7" before the album.
Yep, they are touring the states with Enslaved and Alcest. So, I'm expecting it to be a good gig and since its in Chicago it will most likely be packed in the tiny club they are playing, which means I'd best buy my tickets soon.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep those The Devil's Blood Jex Thoth releases in mind and maybe buy at least one of them soon. :)