Ghost Reveries

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I had intended to do a occult concept piece lyrically and got off to a great start with some downright evil lyrics like "The Baying of the Hounds" and "Ghost of Perdition", then I did "Isolation Years" which had nothing to do with the intended concept but I liked it so much I decided to ease up on the concept idea in favour of this one lyric. Why I decided on a occult theme? Well, I've always been intrigued by it, especially Satanism and stuff like that. I studied some books that oddly enough my wife had in her collection like "Servants of Satan" as well as "Witchcraft and Sorcery" + some more. I figured it'd be interesting to see what a mature 31 year old mind would make of this subject as opposed to the 16 year old kid who used to pose in front of his Bathory poster. I'm quite happy with them to be honest, and they're ... evil!" Your computer may be infected with malware or spyware that makes automated requests to our server and causes problems.

Final song is Isolation Years. This sounds STRAIGHT off Damnation, almost exactly. Is that bad? No, not really, but it's not good because it's very normal. Nothing stands out about this song. It's just kinda pretty.

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Some copies of Ghost Reveries were mastered using HDCD. Although it is unmarked, playing the album in a CD player able to decode HDCD will give superior sound quality. Bipolar does not only define Opeth's characteristic sound. It is also applicable to the quality of their works. Reflection of that, Ghost Reveries is not a perfect release, and there are several problems with it, but the good songs have the capacity of compensating that. Let me start by stating the obvious: Opeth isn't exactly the most accessible metal band around. Too boring for those who only need METAL!!!1 and too extreme for the fans of lighter genres, it takes either a fair amount of patience, or an unusual enough taste to appreciate. Ghost Reveries doesn't change this at all, with five large, complex compositions and three shorter, calmer songs working, as great as they are, as interludes more than anything else. Still, there's plenty of those, including the one writing this, who really enjoy thorough digging into the creations of Mr Akerfeldt and co., and the reason is simple enough – it's extremely rewarding in every way. The journey we're taking on Ghost Reveries isn't exactly an optimistic nor a simple one – we're dealing with ghosts (in the more spiritual meaning rather than the fantasy one), solitude, guilt, and even occultism at more than one point. It takes time and patience to fully get into the world presented here, but the way it is presented makes it worth the effort entirely. Opeth's lyrics always deserve some attention, and in Ghost Reveries, this remains true. Mikael Åkerfeldt writes elegantly about the themes mentioned above and does not fall much in the trap of the silliness found in most satanic lyrics. The Baying of the Hounds is an example of well written Devil worship, with Satan seducing the main character ("Everything you believe is just lies/Everyone that you love is a dead burden"). The Grand Conjuration also has some well-thought verses ("Tell me why/Love subsides/In the light/Of your wish"). Harlequin Forest has some strong imagery to convey the feeling of being trapped off the main character. Not all is dark (or malignant dark), though, and Isolation Years brings out that sad, poetic side of Åkerfeldt that would be so prominent in Watershed.

First impressions were promising though. The artwork is as gorgeous as ever, and I think it's important never to underestimate the importance of artwork and image - I wouldn't judge a band on it, but to me, a band that puts care and effort into creating a consistency of approach across everything that bears their name creates a world of their own that the listener can lose themselves in, and in this way the band transcends the music industry and becomes something far greater, something to believe in. I'm thinking here of bands like Maiden, Emperor, and Mastodon, and the extra something that they bring to their bands is what turns me from fan into obsessive. Nowadays, Opeth is one of the most criticized band within the metal circles. Mikael Akerfeldt probably is one of the best metal composers at the moment (perhaps I'm a fanboy, but oh well) and he is constantly criticized and accused of selling out - first because of the Damnation album and then because of the signing with Roadrunner; he is criticized because all Opeth songs are too complex and disjointed; he is criticized because Opeth is now loved by the same boys and girls that scream “Metal!” when listening to Avenged Sevenfold. Smith, Rod (September 2005). "Opeth Ghost Reveries – Wargasm of the Worlds". Decibel magazine. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008 . Retrieved 13 January 2008. The Grand Conjuration is an example of how the drumming is so good, I mean, Lopez doesn't try anything ultra-technical there, but the drum work sounds so EVIL, if you know what I mean. That’s it for another episode of A Scene In Retrospect! It’s always a pleasure to delve into records that shaped our musical journeys, and I hope that you feel the same way reading these articles. What are your thoughts on this band and album? Are there any you would like to suggest for this feature? Leave it all in the comments!Keyboards by Per Wiberg, the latest addition to the band, add the much needed depth to Ghost Reveries, where he does not get overly involved, yet maintains a great balance. This, my friends, is probably the biggest injustice ever committed within the metal circles, as unjust as all the critics Metallica got after releasing the (great) Load album. One good point for the album, but it’s a thing Opeth always does: They are always on the count. The chorus of The Grand Conjuration, and Beneath the Mire prove that. Lee, Cosmo (13 September 2005). "Opeth – Ghost Reveries – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021 . Retrieved 1 March 2021. Oficjalna lista sprzedaży:: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 February 2014.

Isolation Years. Opeth sure can make ballads, and IY can prove that rough music, growls, and double-base can’t be the only thing a (metal) band’s capable of. Very good lyrics. Next is Atonement, a purely soft song. However, it takes the Egyptian/Middle Eastern vibes of the last one and amplifies it greatly. The result is a great song with a good groove and awesome piano and guitar and bomgos, I think. Problem is, it's two minutes too long. It'd be great if it stopped at around 4:30 by quietly floating out, or even at around 5:20 with the soft noises fading out, but it keeps going. It's not that bad, but it could be shorter. Otherwise, freakin' awesome song.Another key factor that makes Ghost Reveries what it is, is the top notch production, one of the best I've ever heard. All the instruments are audible (the bass is a bit low, however) and the album has a powerful sound, with the guitars assuming, obviously, the biggest role. The keyboards aren't too loud, but they are still there, very audible, also assuming an important role on the record, giving, as I've already said, a fresher and warmer atmosphere to the album. The drums sound great too, we finally hear clearly Martin's bass drums, yay! At first I will admit, Ghost Reveries didn't strike me straight away. I don't think disappointment is the right word to use, but I will use it anyway. It then came to me that I am like this with every Opeth album on first listen. They always have to grow on me, and once they grow on me, I realise that this is truly incredible stuff. This is exactly how I feel about GR. Once again, musically, this is a masterpiece. There are surely few bands that can rival Opeth, in terms of dissent amongst fans. Heritage is something of a battle line, over which self-appointed ‘true fans’ lob ire at their favorite band’s softer, ‘sell-out’ phase, while some (myself included) are fond of just about everything the band made after Steven Wilson got involved. There are, however, a few seemingly universal points of agreement. Ghost Reveries is just such a point, a near-universally (and rightly) lauded work that is, in my mind, the quintessential Opeth album.