First we have the spooky introduction "Deus Culpa". Just a simple organ-based tune, it nonetheless sets a creepy tone for the album. "Con Clavi Con Dio" opens with a nice distorted bass riff, before being joined by some heavy guitars. Original vocalist Papa Emeritus sounds great on the track, like King Diamond without his trademark falsetto. The satanic subject-matter of the music will certainly bother some, but with Ghost it feels more theatrical than genuine. The chanting in the background enforces the creepiness of the song, a great opener. "Ritual" is my favorite track on the album. I love the main riff, which is contains elements of doom metal and groove metal at the same time. Emeritus sounds great on the track, and its hard to believe that these fairly smooth and pop-like vocals are coming from a man dressed like a demon pope. As the musicians in Ghost remain nameless (they call themselves Ghouls), I cannot directly comment on their work. However, the guitar solo is great, as is some solid bass playing throughout the album.
"Elizabeth" is another song about the murderous Elizabeth Bathory. The subject-matter has been discussed in metal ad nauseum, but remains an interesting subject. The song is quite simply awesome, retaining a very catchy and almost poppy feel despite being about the worst female serial killer in history. I love the organ playing on the track, it adds a unique feel and separates Ghost from many other bands. "Stand By Him" is another ode to Satan (they all are, really). The song instantly reminded me of Alice Cooper, with its roots firmly planted in the sound of the 1970s. After some nice guitar aerobics, we are treated to some spooky organ and even more chanting. But then that chorus comes back in, a wonderful piece of songwriting that will stick in your brain for long after you have stopped listening to this album. A stellar solo closes out the song, and at this point I realize what all the fuss is about.
"Satan Prayer" is one of the weaker songs on the album in my opinion. The lyrics are starting to blend together. Like King Diamond, the satanic theme gets to be a bit much. Much more modern sounding, the song has some pretty heavy riffs. The bass work is excellent on the track however, as it the bone-chilling solo. "Death Knell" opens with a cool bass riff again. Crunchy guitars drive the song along, peppered with that omnipresent organ. The organ will certainly turn off some hardcore metal listeners, but it makes the music even creepier in my opinion. Despite the over-the-top lyrics, the song is quite good. Black Sabbath would be the reference point for this tune, very doomy and sludge-like. Emeritus can sing like an angel, despite the ghoulish appearance, a great voice in rock and its nice to hear a metal band actually singing nowadays, as opposed to grunting in a extremely low voice.
"Prime Mover" is another doomy and sludgy song. A lead bass riff drives along the song. Bass forms an integral component of the band's sound, and the bass playing is great on the album. The demonic organ and chant-like vocals really creep you out, not the heaviest sound in terms of distortion, but heavy on so many other levels. Latin is thrown into the song, obviously drawing parallels to the Catholic mass. Sacrilegious? Obviously....a good song? Yes. "Genesis" closes the album. A classical-tinged clav riff opens the track, showing that Ghost are not afraid to try something different. A heavy riff accompanies the clav, and it actually sounds great. Lonely and sombre guitar leads play over the bass and clav, and the sound in wonderfully desolate and dark. Piano comes in, adding a further element of isolation. A great instrumental, it really shows that the band have chops, despite all the smoke and mirrors.
If you are offended by spooky and satanic lyrics, stay away from Ghost and Opus Eponymous. However, if you are able to separate the message from the music, you will find something to like here. Seamlessly combining 1970's hard rock and modern metal, the band is a great fusion of old and new.
Rating-8.5/10
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