Ghost Reveries appreciation thread *FUCKING DOT*

[staveoffzombies]

My third favorite Opeth album. To me it seems like a great capstone to the Still Life - Damnation era of Opeth in the way it was a great blending of everything Opeth had to offer.

 

[Aeonblade]

Good album, Ghost Of Perdition and Isolation Years are great, though it's all good.

 

[Cynical Bastard]

The problem I have with the album is it's very unbalanced. One you get past the first three tracks, it just seems to drag ass and doesn't give me that sense of closure like most the other albums do. The soft songs are pretty decent tracks and all, but nothing extremely memorable, and definitely not something that I get a craving to listen to more than once or twice a year. Reverie/Harlequin Forest is one of their most overrated songs. The way Mike used his clean vocals over heavier parts is better displayed on their new songs (from what we've all heard at least). And let's not get into the atrocity that is The Grand Conjuration; easily Opeth's worst song.

Those are the biggest drawbacks to the album, and what really knocks it down in the rankings.

I would agree with most of what you said here.

And me not liking the album as much as BWP, Still Life, and MAYH is not so much about expectations. It's simply a matter of taste and what moves me. GR has a lot of great parts to it, but if a song doesn't move me, then it doesn't. So many of the songs on BWP had this beautiful combination of artsy folk elements and heavy death metal, yet all wrapped up and tied together with this majestic feel with tons of atmosphere. Majestic is the best word I can use here. That feel on MAYH, SL, and BWP is what drew me to Opeth and what made them stand out to me. Heavy, crushing, and acoustic parts... but all with a kind of majestic, classy almost... elegance?

I also LOVE the use of the E-boe effect with the guitars in the background throughout the whole BWP album INSTEAD of keyboards. It makes it sound so crushing and amazingly atmospheric with this ocean of guitars all over the place, rather than it being like "oh there's the organ poppin up again" from the keyboard player as this additional instrument coming in over top of the guitars (see BOTH, which I love after the first two minutes or so). Don't get me wrong, I love piano parts in Opeth (end of TLA, AFJ) and really dig the keys and mellotron in damnation but I feel that keyboards are so overused by a lot of metal bands and sound cheesy if not used effectively. Deep Purple sounded amazing with them, but it doesn't fit in that same way as well in Opeth, imho.

If there had been a lot of keyboards sounds, say, in a song like Bleak on the record version I think it would've worsened the sound of it. For example, I love GOP, but about 2/3 in, right before Mikael sings "To see her beloved son" I think the keys make that part sound so cheesy and overdramatic, like some Lifetime movie. I get the intended effect, and it's pure nitpicking on my part because its a great song. Just my opinion though. Also with a song like GOP; it's great but the Tool (after opening part) and Porcupine Tree (2/3 way through) influence stands out and makes me hear the song as less of a cohesive work and more of something like Opeth by the numbers + Tool & Porcupine tree parts. On a song like Godhead's Lament from SL, to my hears Opeth was just being Opeth and I dug it more; that's all.

And I would add that I think the mix of Ghost Reveries is actually one of their worst. It's better than a lot of albums out there, especially metal ones. It's not even a matter of just my opinion though. Case in point, if I put in BWP in my stereo, any stereo, I don't have to touch a nob on the stereo, except maybe bump the bass a bit. On GR, the guitars drown things out, they sound too trebbly and many of the sound elements on the cd sound a bit mashed together. Another thing is the recording itself...

The acoustic guitars have NO intonation. They sound plasticky and thin and no, it's not intentional, because I remember in the recording diary or somewhere Opeth said they had trouble with this on this recording. Anyway, not a huge issue and not Opeth's fault but still.. after hearing Steven Wilson's production I guess I'm spoiled. He is amazing, especially with the softer parts, and for my ears, the heavy ones as well. I don't think this new guy is as good as talked about, it's like an Andy Sneap sound only a bit off and more amateurish (though of course infinitely better than I could do, lol).

BTW, i love Opeth. All of their albums, even the ones I don't rank as highly, are still great. And I only discuss this stuff so thoroughly because I actually like it, not because I'm being negative. K?

 

[gabaghoul]

I think a lot of the flak it get is due to scenesterism, people pissed that this was the album that broke their beloved band to a wider audience.
which is ridiculous, of course.

it's probably my third fave Opeth disc, w/ BWP and Morningrise holding the top two spots.
Baying of the Hounds is one of my favorite Opeth songs, period.

w/ the addition of keyboards, I think GR shows Mikael fully able to fold as many quirky progressive touches into his music as never before - the creepy keyboard bits throughout Baying and the banging Hammond intro, the confidence to balance out so many mellow/acoustic/psych-folk numbers throughout the disc - if anything, I think maybe that disc is the watershed moment for this stage in their career (haven't heard the new one yet of course so can't comment on that).

also one of the best pieces of cover art in their entire oeuvre.

 

[Slynt]

Ghost Reveries...where to begin? There is so much to say about this particular album. I think that each Opeth record has its own uniqueness, none of them are really the same, and the same goes for this one - on Ghost Reveries, Mendez moved into new territory giving the drumming a new vibe that needed some time to sink in; Mikael's clean vocals improved again (but in my opinion he got too good and lost some of the rough charm of the clean vocals on previous records), and the album has my favorite production of any Opeth record.

"Ghost of Perdition" opens the album in a kickass "BOO! We're back" style, and I remember I fell in love with it at once, because for the first time since Still Life, Opeth put out a song that was varied the way they used to be, with many parts coming together into a whole; and the parts of this track are all excellent, so this has become one of my top five Opeth tracks.

"The Baying of the Hounds" is a groovy motherfucker with a very cool, growled verse that must be loved with a fierce, pounding, steaming hardon. The acoustic section in the middle of the song is dark and foresty, and that is just what I missed from Opeth at the time! So far into the album, I am extremely pleased.

"Beneath the Mire" starts with an unexpected drum intro, a bit atypical for Opeth but what the hell there's always something strange going on somewhere on a new Opeth record. It turns into an awesome song, with some excellent parts. Love this one too, but not as much the first two, dunno why really.

With "Atonement" comes a massive dissapointment, I know many people like this track, and that's fine, but in my ears this song is nothing but filler - I don't like the style, the melodies.. nothing really. Listing each Opeth track from best to worst, I'd put this one in the very last slot.

"Reverie/Harlequin Forest" took me a while to get into, it has an unusual (and fresh) composition, and at first it felt like "the clean vocals are in the wrong place" (and vice versa). Trust Opeth to make a song that needs some time before you realize it's fucking brilliant. Cause that's what this song is. Fucking brilliant! I love it.

"Hours of Wealth", and "Isolation Years" at the end of the disc, are both way too soft for me; they are not like Opeth's earlier ballads - these are more.. I don't know, they sound too romantic, and Mikael's crooning comes off as a bit "show-offy", and the melodies are too "nice" not to tire off quickly. Hard to explain but that's how I feel.

"The Grand Conjuration" has taken me a very long time to appreciate - just a few months ago that I finally fell in love with it, in the fevered awaiting of Watershed to be released. It has some truly massive parts in it, and the midsection begs you to headbang the fuck.

So.. in my opinion Ghost Reveries is a damn fine release, being the best album from the band since Still Life; but I still think the four first albums have a raw and energetic magic that Opeth has lacked since.

It has one of their best songs, some awesome songs, a great production, more interesting drumwork, but also three tracks I do not like [which is the only album by the band with songs I simply do not like].

Edit:
Wow I didn't even mention Per's influence on this record. Well what the hell. I think he fits the Reveries songs perfectly.

 

[Face Of Frater]

^ enough said!

 

[Vega Skater]

IMO Ghost of Perdition isn't overrated at all. I remember when i first heard it on the train thinking that if the whole album was just that song I'd still be praising it. Baying of the Hounds is also one of Opeth's best. Harlequin took me a while but hits me really hard these days. While I like the album I don't love it as much as others. The only albums I don't like as much are Deliverance and Damnation (which shouldn't really be compared anyway). For me because I dislike TGC, the album is missing that ultimate climax that White Cluster, Karma or Blackwater Park brings. Then again, nobody said that this album was supposed to climax in that way with Isolation Years being a very beautiful song. It's just a matter of taste. And I do agree with Acronomic. I got into Opeth after GR came out, so it isn't that I was expecting anything, but rather it hasn't been given necessary time to age into legendary status. I'm sure after listening to Watershed I'll look back at GR and think WoW.

 

[Fluxcored]

ROBL2500 Vaine

 

[DirTh]

Good album, but I change the track after the songs about half way, it's fairly boring tbh but the beginning of almost all of the songs are soo good, expecially Beneath the Mire, but as soon as the song slows down I get bored and change it.

 

[Kir-ir-Bannog]

LOPEZ = OLD NEWS

get with the fucking times.

AXE IS THE NEW BLACK

HTH

 

[Jesse-]

GR is a great metal album, no doubt. But its not a particularly strong Opeth album. By strong, I mean an album that doesn't start to wear out or get boring after you listen to it too much. I'll try to analyze each track with the feeling that you listen to GR from start to finish.

1. Ghost of Perdition is one of the best opening songs I've heard. It just kicks your ass so badly. I like to think GoP as TLA Part II. Its one of the most perfect metal songs. But still, it seems to wear out much quicker than TLA. (Which has not yet even happened in TLA.)

2. Baying of the Hounds immediately picks up where GoP left off, but its not anywhere near as good. I don't really have much to say about this track, and I think its because some of the stuff are just so forgettable. It starts strong, but after a while it just starts to fade to a background music. Lot of good moments, but not a really tight package.

3. Beneath the Mire. GoP and BtM are easily the best tracks in this album. Period. The feeling in this song is amazing.

4. Atonement. I agree that this sounds like no more than a filler track. I don't like 80% of this songs melodies. I think this song doesn't really fit into the album.

5. Reverie/Harlequin Forest. Exactly the first half of this song kicks your ass just like GoP and BtM. Then the second half gets really tiring and forgettable. It really starts to drag and makes me just want to skip the track.

6. Hours of Wealth. Amazing feeling. A bit odd song after all this, but it just has so great atmosphere and feeling that it forces itself to be a good song.

7. The Grand Conjuration. The "worst" song in this album. Its just so damn straightforward and repetitive. I think the main problem here is that just when you think the song is over, it starts from the beginning.

8. Isolation Years. At this point, I'm really starting to get tired of the softness. All this time I had been waiting for the album to explode again just like in GoP and BtM, but no.. I get a soft song instead. A very sleepy track. Its a very good song on its own, but not what I was hoping for as the last track.

And that's what I think after listening to the album a LOT. At first I thought that "wow, this is going to be their best album". But after listening to it more and more, it slowly started to lose its grip. Maybe the album opened up too quickly and then it got a bit boring and tiring? If all the songs were as perfect and cleverly crafted as GoP and BtM......

 

[Gëist]

4. Atonement. I agree that this sounds like no more than a filler track. I don't like 80% of this songs melodies. I think this song doesn't really fit into the album.

I wouldn't call it a filler. I think it brings a lot to the mood. It's exactly the kind of song I like to hear between two hard ones, that brings a lot of contrast. And as everyone knows, contrast makes extremes more intense!

 

[Jesse-]

^ Yeah of course, you are right. But if the song was just simply better, it wouldn't feel as a filler track in the album.

 

[JemGaarenstroom]

Ever since registering here and looking through various threads, I see constant bitching about Ghost Reveries from just about everybody. WTF?

Am I the only person here who thinks it's Opeth's best album so far? Opinions are opinions, but one thing is certain: GR is undeniably the best showcase for Martin Lopez's drumming. So, even if you don't like the album, you have to give it that much at least. I thought he was a great drummer before GR, but not 'legendary' great. On GR, he put out one of the best drumming performances EVER. This album launched him into legendary status, for me.

And all of the awesome songs... Hounds... Mire... Forest... Conjuration. That last one I feel gets way too much flak from people. It's an awesome song, 5:27-7:00 gives me chills every time at the sheer fucking brutality in Mike's vocals. The one song that EVERYBODY seems to love is, funnily enough, my least favorite song on the album: Ghost of Perdition. But even that kicks ass.

And the softer songs beat out any of the softer songs on Opeth's other metal albums, save for Melinda and Credence. Not counting Damnation for this, of course.

So, anybody agree with me?

haha i've been waiting for a thread like this for a long time. i've always though GR was underappreciated by the hardcore Opeth fans. I can see why due to their impressive back catalogue (still Life & Blackwater to name but a few) and each to their own. All their albums are different and different people are attracted to different elements of each album. Personally GR is possibly my fave with MAYH coming a close second, and I am yet to fully appreciate Orchid or Morningrise (STILL hardly listen to them) whereas i know a lot of fans who hardly listen to damnation or GR. Different people, different opinions is all it comes down to.

 

[Converted]

This sort of goes along with a couple of points that were already made in this thread, but I find I enjoy The Grand Conjuration MUCH more when I hear it in the context of the entire album than by itself. You go through Atonement, Harlequin Forest and Hours of Wealth, which are more or less nice songs, then TGC just slams you with its brutality. It's incessantly heavy. Then when you contrast that with Isolation Years, I think the impact of TGC is even stronger.

I certainly don't love the song, but when I'm just listening to the album, I NEVER skip it. It just feels like it belongs there.

 

[Jesse-]

In my case, GR was the first Opeth album I heard, but I found myself enjoying BWP and SL more.

 

[Violens]

It's the album I probably like the most, with Still Life..excluding Watershed of which I still haven't heard anything volountarily.

 

[beast from the east]

I still can't really get into BTM and TGC, but the rest of the album is pure Opeth gold. Harlequin Forest has become one of my favorite Opeth tracks, and I have to say that Hours of Wealth ranks right up there with the most beautiful songs Mike has written. The sad vocals and the solo after give me chills every time.

GR is not my favorite, but it's still absolutely amazing.

 

[Fragon]

Opeth has no "best album", opeth's all albums are unique and they rule!
But in case of GR, it has GoP, BotH, HF, BtM merged with soft "bridges" connecting these song by creating a masterwork.
The only thing which is annoying in this album is mentioned by Jesse ; some songs sometime get "really tiring and forgettable". But it's still a legend!

 

[Hedon-]

first 2 tracks on this album are among opeth's top, i doubt there's one in this forum who can disagree