Ghost - Opus Eponymous

Not since Coven’s 1969 cult classic Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls has a slow, brooding, even hauntingly beautiful been so heralded so quickly. Unlike the Chicago-based Coven with the innovative and sexy Jinx Dawson at the helm, Ghost is the living embodiment of an enigma; nothing is known of the band’s identities, save for that they hail from (surprise!) Sweden. What is also known is how quickly this band has risen to cult status with one highly-collectible 7” single and a recent full-length titled Opus Eponymous under the looming cloak. So who the hell is this Ghost?

Within the span of 35-minutes I find myself enjoying some very progressive-laced music that bounces back and forth between pure evil put to music and catchy, even poppy hooks that are the furthest thing from trite or contrived. The song “Ritual” sounds like something you might have heard on AM radio back in the day until you realize the band is calling on the Dark Lord to rise from…well, wherever it is he or she might reside. The fantastic tongue-in-cheek element here is the horrifically-Satanic lyrics over what could easily pass for top-40 prog if the audiences weren’t so polluted with garbage and third-rate American Idol rejects. You can actually find yourself grooving to the praise for the horned one - it’s not only great fun but clever beyond reason.

The music on Opus Eponymous is a brand of Mercyful Fate that doesn’t scream “Curse of the Pharoahs”, but one listen to the track “Elizabeth” and you hear Hank Sherman and King Diamond throughout, which is a much more resonating tribute than some of the clones out there going for that “Devil Eyes” galloping riff and high-pitched scream to pay homage. Ghost manages to touch on elemental pieces of the grander puzzle and create something unique, highly potent and dynamically sound. The vocalist (unknown) has a clean, clear tone that sounds very 70’s and is as powerful as it is soothing; one listen and you’ll know exactly what I mean by that. It’s almost relaxing to hear him sing “The Devil’s power is the greatest one” in the track “Stand By Him”, which also has some great power chord evil pouring out of the notes, a seemingly lost art form in the era of the tremolo speed picking and drop-tuned C-chord. The band is a brand of psych-doom that has really caught on to the underground with a bellowing Sabbath or Pentagram tone that lays waste to any and all late comers to the game. Psychedelic-doom: it just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?

Something this clean and unblemished by bad production or narcissistic hubris should be always showcased accordingly. This sound doesn’t reek of NWOBHM per se; while you certainly hear some of the majesty of that era in tracks like the aforementioned “Stand By Him” or “Prime Mover”, the mid-70’s prog movement is the best example I might pass on to you, the faithful, yet very fickle metalhead in need of something newer and exemplary. Ghost fits the bill and then some. I can’t get over the absolute ease with which some of the more malevolent lyrics I’ve heard in some time spill out like clear water from the tap.

The mass speculation around the band leads me to wonder if the members are otherwise engaged in other bands or projects under contract to another label or manager, thereby lending understandable credence to the mystery. Or do we further wonder if the band purposely created such a mystique to garner more attentive fans, because if the latter is the case…bravo, it worked! Seeing as how I can’t even obtain a personal copy of the Elizabeth single for under $80 anymore, I’d say the seed is growing out of control at this point. Whatever the blueprint was upon initial formation, Ghost makes the journey all the better by actually being under-the-top good and leaving me wanting much, much more. This might be a classic in the distant future, but time will tell; in the meantime, enjoy a step back within ten forward.

Release Date: October 18, 2010
Label: Rise Above/Iron Pegasus

TRACK LISTING

1.  Deus Culpa
2.  Con Clavi Con Dio
3.  Ritual
4.  Elizabeth
5.  Stand By Him
6.  Satan Prayer
7.  Death Knell
8.  Prime Mover
9.  Genesis

Total playing time:  34:41

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*Comments:

Reviewer: Chris

December 19, 2010