Band:	Ghost
Album:	Opus Eponymous
Style:	Hard rock, Heavy metal
Release date:	October 2010

01. Deus Culpa
02. Con Clavi Con Dio
03. Ritual
04. Elizabeth
05. Stand By Him
06. Satan Prayer
07. Death Knell
08. Prime Mover
09. Genesis
10. Here Comes The Sun [The Beatles cover] [Japanese bonus]

Ghost are a young band from Stockholm, Sweden formed merely three years ago. I think it won't hurt their feelings to say that they are a part of the let's-go-back-to-the-70s-hard-rock movement. I'm sure that the vast majority of you have heard of these lads before and are wondering about what it is that makes Ghost different, or maybe even better, than The Devil's Blood, Graveyard or In Solitude?

Well, first of all, image. I know that some may think it shouldn't be an important factor when reviewing MUSIC, but let's face it. If they didn't hide their identities, perform in monk-like habits and distort their voices while giving interviews (sorry, one interview), they might've not become so popular. This aura of mysticism certainly attracts a lot of people.

What about music? Is it lost somewhere between the musicians' disguise and unwillingness to reveal what they're truly about? Definitely not. Like I mentioned before, their music is basically going back to the roots of hard rock. On the one hand, they didn't invent anything new. They are a perfect example of recycling in music - creating something new from already existing patterns. On the other hand, this doesn't take away the joy of banging your head to the pieces included on Opus Eponymous. So you have ridiculously simple, yet memorable riffs - just listen to "Con Clavi Con Dio" or "Ritual". They're just so brilliant in their simplicity. There are also melodies that prove that there's a piece of ABBA in every Swede. They're catchy in the "humming in the shower" sense. Yes, I've checked it.

So now, we can move to the lyrics, which are also an important factor when it comes to discussing the band's uniqueness. We're used to satanism in heavy metal so it comes as no surprise Ghost also use satanic themes. But it's all about the way they do it. When you hear words about human sacrifice sung like it was the jolliest moment of their lives, you realize that these guys are not a regular heavy metal band. And that is way scarier than any growled story about mutilating a dead corpse. Then again, can they be 100% serious? I don't doubt that there are some bands that truly believe in what they do (Watain, anyone?), but combining two elements - direct satanic worship and catchy melodies - doesn't sound reliable. But maybe this is what gives me shivers every time I listen to it, it's so unreal and absurd that I subconsciously know it's way more fucked-up than dozens of Gorgoroths, Marduks and Satyricons.

Opus Eponymous is a successful debut. Many bands could learn from Ghost how to call attention. But their image and their music go hand in hand when it comes to the quality and deliberateness. A perfect start and a breath of fresh air in the metal world.