Opus Dei (album)

Last updated
Opus Dei
Opus dei album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Laibach
ReleasedMarch 23, 1987
Genre Martial industrial, neoclassical dark wave
Length37:17 (LP version),
58:60 (CD version)
Label Mute
Producer Rico Conning
Laibach chronology
The Occupied Europe Tour 83-85
(1986)		Opus Dei
(1987)		 Slovenska Akropola
(1987)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Opus Dei is the third studio album by Slovenian band Laibach, released in 1987. It features "Geburt einer Nation" ("birth of a nation"), a German language cover version of Queen's "One Vision", and two reworkings of the Austrian band Opus' sole international hit single "Live Is Life". The Opus song became the German language "Leben heißt Leben" and the English language "Opus Dei". "The Great Seal" is the national anthem of the NSK State, the lyrics taken from Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech. A new arrangement of the song appears on Laibach's album Volk , with the title "NSK". On Volk, the song is credited to Laibach and Slavko Avsenik Jr.

Contents

There are two further connections with Queen's A Kind of Magic album. Although the drum loop in "Trans-National" is nearly identical to that in Queen's "Don't Lose Your Head", it is composed in fact from samples from the introduction musical theme from the movie Battle of Neretva , composed by Bernard Herrmann.[ citation needed ] The elements of "How the West Was Won" (specifically the rhythm and harmonised guitars) are inspired by Queen's "Gimme the Prize".[ citation needed ]

The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [3] In 2023, Consequence ranked it at number 6 in its list of the "50 Best Industrial Albums of All Time". [4] Al Jourgensen of Ministry named it one of the ten essential industrial records. [5]

In December 2024, Laibach released Opus Dei Revisited, a "collection of new versions which radically interrogate the source material". The release consists of two complete versions, the first reworked by the band themselves and the second by Rico Conning, who produced and mixed the original album. [6]

Track listing

  1. "Leben heißt Leben" (Live Is Life)(Opus) – 5:28
  2. "Geburt einer Nation" (Birth of a Nation)(Queen) – 4:22
  3. "Leben - Tod" (Life - Death)(Laibach) – 3:58
  4. "F.I.A.T." (Laibach) – 5:13
  5. "Opus Dei" (Opus) – 5:04
  6. "Trans-National" (Laibach) – 4:28
  7. "How the West Was Won" (Laibach) – 4:26
  8. "The Great Seal" (Laibach) – 4:16

+ On CD editions, 4 tracks from "Baptism":

  1. "Herz-Felde" (Heartfield)(Laibach) – 4:46
  2. "Jägerspiel" (Hunters' Game)(Laibach) – 7:23
  3. "Koža" (Skin)(Laibach) – 3:51
  4. "Krst" (Baptism)(Laibach) – 5:39

References

  1. ↑ "Opus Dei - Laibach". Allmusic.
  2. ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998). "Laibach". Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Groves Dictionaries. pp.  3110. ISBN   1-561-59237-4.
  3. ↑ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (7 February 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN   0-7893-1371-5.
  4. ↑ "50 Best Industrial Albums of All Time". Consequence . 17 July 2023. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  5. ↑ Kaufman, Spencer (19 July 2023). "10 Industrial Albums Ministry's Al Jourgensen Thinks Every Music Fan Should Own". Consequence . Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  6. ↑ Ruly, Marta (2024-12-13). "Laibach Revisit Their 1987 Album 'Opus Dei'". Mute. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
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