Opus Dei

An absolute necessity in ones industrial album collection. Powerful and driving. 5 stars? A *MILLION*!

My favorite Laibach album. It's what turned me on to them. The hard drum beats, deep no-nonsense bass of the vocals, the stern, militant expression of the music.

I just simply didn't enjoy it. That doesn't mean you won't. But I can't give it more than one star.

I think what many people miss about Laibach is that what they've been up to this whole time with their Fascist/Nazi overtones is some very sharp social/cultural commentary. On one level, you can think that what's up here (and elsewhere) is some jackbooted group doing Nazi-symp cover versions. But given that Laibach has given both hints and overt statements that their 'mission' is, in fact, cautionary and satirical, it puts releases like this as well as others of their pop-oriented projects into a very interesting perspective. The pop industry, in a real sense, _is_ something of a fascistic proposition imposed on the marketing of culture. And by doing these versions of such Euro-fluff as 'Life is Life' as well as Queen's more overt 'One Vision' (which, I should note, they don't change here lyrically aside of translating the lyrics into German...scary, hm?), Laibach appears to be making some nasty statements about the machinery that delivers...and often comes up with...our entertainment. Aside of the artistic focus here, this is amazing, brutal, and sometimes funny stuff. I recall there was an alternative station in Nashville (back when 'alternative' really MEANT SOMETHING) that took a perverse glee in playing 'Leben Heisst Leben' at 7 AM, just when ones' clock-radio might click on...and yes, it was an effective gesture. A must-hear release, perhaps the best of Laibach's 'pop' records.

Former Yugoslavian group LAIBACH has to be one of the most mysterious, yet artful bands to ever come out of Europe. Their controversial use of imagery (which heavily leans on fascism and even nazism) might put some people off, but it's more of a shock value thing. The music is even harder to describe. This album in particular, "Opus Dei" sees the band at their most "rock oriented" phase. Combining classical arrangements with militaristic drum machines and a voice that might have been the true influence for RAMMSTEIN, this album is an oppressive, dark, yet funny musical statement. The band cover "life is Life", originally by Euro Rock band OPUS DEI, in two versions: english and german. But both versions differ greatly in the arrangement of music and excecution. The german version sounds hilarious (taken into account that you DO remember the original's happy-go-lucky singing style!)and sounds as heavy as it can get! The music on this album could be best described as "Industrial", but it too differs greatly from other so called "industrial" bands such as MINISTRY, NIN, EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN and even RAMMSTEIN. The music is incredibly heavy, without becoming "heavy metal", although some songs do have that "metal guitar" sound.This was the second LAIBACH album I heard and it has become one of my favorite, if not MY favorite. It's diverse, heavy, dark, brooding and yes, even funny (the band also cover QUEEN's "one nation" in "geburt einer nation"). If you're looking for something fresh and out of the ordinary, then check LAIBACH!

I've been with Laibach since their early days on Wax Trax! Records. Few musical artists have successfully created a world of their own with their own self expressive manefesto, yet Laibach seems to have cultivated a "lifestyle" unto itself. Like haujobb or :Wumpscut: Laibach isn't for everybody; they exist in a parallel universe that is darker, richer, and considerably more ominous than what we expect from approachable EBM/IDM.Has there ever been a more lovely and majestic paean as "The Great Seal?" Never before have I heard an anthem of such spacious grandeur. Truly a extraordinary moment in modern industrial music.For those who prefer more serious minded theater-of-the-mind, "Opus Dei"(and "Slovenska Akropola") are the preeminent soundtracks for your cerebral hinterland.

This is where Laibach took the brutal kick-in-the-head elements of their early material and bottled them for the consumer. The result is not watered-down Laibach. Instead, the poppy packaging makes the band sound all the more alien. Picture the elephant man wearing a business suit, sitting at a mahogany desk and chatting with a secretary. See what I mean? It's all the more surreal when the grotesque masquerades as the ordinary.

This is the lone Laibach album I own at this point, but I plan to remedy that. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums in my collection. Laibach brings Melody to harsh Industrial in this album, making what I'd call Military Industrial. With the horns, the military-esque beats, and the deep German vocals, it turns out being a great listen to all Industrial lovers.

It was my first Laibach album. A friend at school lent it to me but I had to visit another friend in order to be able to have a listen (CD players were still a bit of a luxury). I will never forget her face when Leben heisst Leben marched out of the speakers. Well, at least one of us became Laibach fan for life...Musically it's the most essential of Laibach's albums, presenting the pinnacle of the style that elevated them to the position they occupy since (there are, of course, other artistic and political aspects of their activities, but let's just stick to the music here). Of course, it's not for everybody. The martial industrial, as it's been described, is highly uncompromising and sits quite comfortably on the same shelf as early Swans and let's not forget that Laibach is quoted as the strongest influence by members of Rammstein.But the thing I love about it most, I think is that it's all so funny. The moment I recognised Life is Life and One Vision I genuinely laughed and they still amuse me today, some twenty years later.If you've just about heard about Laibach and want to give it a try, this is a great album to start, but I would highly recommend a streaming service before purchasing.

Not my usual fare, rock/metal would be that, but I have an eclectic taste and this is worthy of it. Some tracks are just too far out but the majority of the album is well worth listening to. Highly recommended.

Ich kann mich noch gut erinnern, als ich Anfang der Neunziger diese Scheibe aus einem CD-Verleih bezog und das erste Mal die Marschmusik-Version des langweiligen Sommerhits "Life is Life" hörte, und das gleich zweisprachig. Als dann noch die deutschsprachige Industrial-Version des Queen-Hits "One Vision" (Geburt einer Nation) erklang, war ich hin und weg. Der Rest des Industrial-Albums-schriller Wagner-Bombast mit rezitativen Einschüben und donnernden Elektro-Rhythmen-verstörte mich anfangs, faszinierte mich aber bei jedem Hören mehr und mehr.Jahre später fasziniert mich dieses Album genauso wie zu Anfangszeiten, wobei ich gut verstehen kann, dass Laibach mit ihrer provokativen Ästhetik eine gefährliche Gratwanderung zwischen Schein und Sein unternehmen-viele werden ihr Image ernst nehmen, obwohl es sich hier -wie auch im Avantgarde-Track "Jägerspiel" ausgedrückt-nur um "Schauspieler" handelt. Und die Band provoziert heute noch genauso wie ehedem-mit der gewagten Interpretation verschiedener Nationalhymnen (was ihnen vor allem in Russland mächtig viel Ärger einbrachte) und ihren Live-Auftritten in Nordkorea. Es handelt sich aber um Provokation auf hohem Niveau-die Band verherrlicht nichts, sondern lädt uns ein, über das totalitäre Wesen nachzudenken.Dafür fünf Punkte und eine Kaufempfehlung für alle Unvoreingenommenen!

Excellent

groupe polémique pour son esthétique,LAIBACH devrait être jugé comme d'autres groupes pour sa musique. Musicalement cet album est excellent et de grande qualité, tout d'abord deux reprises qu'ils arrivent à se réapproprier( "life is life" d'opus et "one vision" de queen avec de nouvelles paroles). Puis des morceaux rock avec le puissant "how the west was won" et les "wagnériens" "f.i.a.t", "trans national",la reprise de queen,et le final solennel qu'est "great seal". Cet album est un grand disque très méconnue qui ne fiqure jamais dans les listes des meilleurs albums et pourtant cette musique est riche et innovante,et n'a pas vieilli par rapport à d'autres groupes de cet époque. Laibach "opus dei" album grandiose est un classique de la musique