Editing Laibach (section)

=== International breakthrough, acceptance and wide popularity in Yugoslavia (1986–1991) ===
Laibach's following release was the live album ''The Occupied Europe Tour 1985'', featuring a choice of recordings from their concerts in Ljubljana, Hamburg and London.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> In June 1986, the band held four concerts in England, the mini-tour being entitled ''Laibach Over America''.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> During their staying in London, they recorded three songs for a [[List of Peel sessions|John Peel session]],<ref name="Janjatović170"/>  and performed with the [[Michael Clark (dancer)|Michael Clark]] dance company in London and [[Manchester]], in the company's play ''No Fire Escape from Hell''.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> On 10 October 1986, the group performed in [[Graz]], [[Austria]], on the festival entitled Concert for the Abolishment of Fascist Trade Unions.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> 

Having signed for [[Mute Records]], Laibach started recording their third studio album, ''[[Opus Dei (album)|Opus Dei]]'', working with composer [[Slavko Avsenik Jr.]]<ref name="Janjatović170"/> The [[Album cover|inner sleeve]] of the cover featured a [[swastika]] consisting of four bloodied axes designed by [[John Heartfield]], an anti-Nazi artist.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> The record was sold secretly in some European countries, as the meaning of the cover was not recognized.<ref name="Janjatović170"/><ref name="megla219"/> The group achieved commercial success with the cover versions of "[[Live Is Life]]" by [[Opus (Austrian band)|Opus]], entitled "Life Is Life", and "[[One Vision]]" by [[Queen (band)|Queen]], entitled "Geburt einer Nation" ("Birth of a Nation"), which would mark the direction of their future releases.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> The track "How the West Was Won" was also well-received by the audience.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> The usage of the name ''Opus Dei'' caused the [[Opus Dei|Catholic institution of the same name]] to sue the group, but the case was eventually decided in favor of Laibach.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> Following the album release, the group embarked on the United States of Europe Tour, during which they stated at a press conference in [[France]] that their influences are [[Josip Broz Tito|Tito]], [[Toto (band)|Toto]], and [[Jacques Tati|Tati]].<ref name="Janjatović170"/> On 7 April 1987, they recorded three more songs for a John Peel session.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> During May, they once again performed in Clark's company ''No Fire Escape from Hell'' play, in [[Brighton]] and [[Leicester]].<ref name="Janjatović170"/>  On 28 July, they presented the work of Neue Slowenische Kunst at the [[London International Festival of Theatre]].<ref name="Janjatović170"/> With Clark's company they performed in [[Los Angeles]], holding three performances in September 1987.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> In the [[United States]] they were invited to a reception hosted by the [[Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C.|British ambassador]]. They appeared on the reception wearing their uniforms, and the actor [[Walter Gotell]] (known for his role of [[General Gogol]] in [[James Bond]] film series), who was also present on the reception, saw this as a provocation.<ref name="megla219">{{cite book|last=Megla|first=Maja|title=Leksikon YU mitologije|year=2015|publisher=Rende – Postscriptum|location=Belgrade – Zagreb|page=219}}</ref> In Yugoslavia, the play was performed at the [[Belgrade International Theatre Festival]], however, performance by Laibach and Tito's speeches were omitted.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> In September 1987, the band also performed in Hamburg's [[Deutsches Schauspielhaus]] production of ''[[Macbeth]]'', for which they also wrote the music.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> The music from the play would be released two years later on the album ''[[Macbeth (album)|Macbeth]]''.<ref name="Janjatović170"/>

In Yugoslavia, ''Opus Dei'' was released in November 1987 by the state-owned major label [[ZKP RTLJ]].<ref name="Janjatović170"/> The release was followed by the double album ''[[Baptism (Laibach album)|Krst pod Triglavom – Baptism]]'', featuring the music from the play of the same title.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> The members of the band were invited to a meeting with Jože Osterman, Secretary of the League of Socialist Working People of Ljubljana, who tried to persuade them to change their name to Ljubljana, as, despite the lifting of the ban on the name Laibach, the group's name still sparked occasional controversies in their home country.<ref name="megla219"/> Despite them, the band held a sold-out concert in Ljubljana entitled ''Svoji ka svojim'' (''To Their Own''),<ref name="megla219"/> and Yugoslav [[Lifestyle journalism|lifestyle]] and entertainment magazine ''Start'' pronounced members of the group the fourth on the list of Best Dressed Men in Yugoslavia.<ref name="megla219"/> After the performance in Ljubljana, the band went on another European tour, during which they appeared at the end of every concert with [[horned helmets]].<ref name="megla219"/> On their performance at the [[Vienna Festival]], they provoked the audience with the intro: "[[Austrians]], You Are [[Germans]]", which almost forced organizers to interrupt the concert.<ref name="megla219"/> Their performance in [[Amsterdam]] was a part of [[European Capital of Culture]] program. During the band's performance on a five-meter–high stage, the performance crew roasted an [[ox]] on a stake on the hall's balcony.<ref name="megla219"/>

In October 1988, the group released the album ''[[Let It Be (Laibach album)|Let It Be]]'', featuring cover versions of all the songs from the [[Beatles]] album [[Let It Be (album)|of the same name]], with the exception of the title track, which they did not record owing to lack of studio time,<ref name="Janjatović170"/> and "[[Maggie Mae]]"; under the title "Maggie Mae", the band released their versions of German [[Folk music|folk]] songs "[[Auf der Lüneburger Heide]]" and "[[Der Freischutz|Was Gleicht Wohl Auf Erden]]".<ref name="Janjatović170"/> Their version of "[[Across the Universe]]" featured [[Anja Rupel]] of the Ljubljana-based [[synth-pop]] band [[Videosex]] on vocals.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> A part of the recorded material from the album would be broadcast by [[Paul McCartney]] before his concerts.<ref name="Janjatović170"/>

[[File:LAIBACH Press Photo 1989.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|Laibach in 1989]]
In 1989, the band went on a [[North America]]n tour.<ref name="megla219"/> On their concert in [[Toronto]], they were joined by [[Austria]]n artist and [[Art theory|art theoretician]] [[Peter Weibel]], who appeared on stage half-naked with a horned helmet on his head.<ref name="megla219"/> After their return from North America, they went on a Yugoslav tour, starting with a sold-out concert in Ljubljana's [[Tivoli Hall]].<ref name="megla219"/> Their performance in Zagreb started with the traditional Serbian instrument [[gusle]], and in Belgrade, the NSK philosopher Peter Mlakar held a speech which was a cynical parody of [[Slobodan Milošević]]'s speeches in [[SAP Kosovo]].<ref name="Janjatović170"/>

The following year, the group released ''[[Sympathy for the Devil (EP)|Sympathy for the Devil]]'', an album of different cover versions of the [[Rolling Stones]] [[Sympathy for the Devil|song of the same name]].<ref name="Janjatović170"/> The release was followed by European and North American tour.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> Upon returning to Yugoslavia, the group embarked on a tour across industrial regions of Slovenia.<ref name="megla220">{{cite book|last=Megla|first=Maja|title=Leksikon YU mitologije|year=2015|publisher=Rende – Postscriptum|location=Belgrade – Zagreb|page=220}}</ref> Their concert in Šentjurje was visited by only five people due to poor promotion, but the band nevertheless performed the whole set.<ref name="megla220"/> The band celebrated their tenth anniversary with a concert held on 21 December 1990 in Trbovlje, at the town's [[thermal power station]], which was their first concert in their hometown.<ref name="Janjatović170"/> At -15°C, the visitors of the concerts were welcomed by a [[brass band]] and [[majorettes]].<ref name="megla220"/> 16 years later Chris Bohn of ''[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]'' magazine proclaimed this show as one of the 60 most powerful concerts of all times. After this concert, the group undertook a tour of [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]].<ref name="Janjatović170"/>