GR- not as dark/sad as other Opeth albums?

in limbow

wobmil ni
Sep 9, 2005
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While GR is still not exactly "happy" or "lighthearted", it still doesn't strike me as a very dark/depressing album compared to their other ones. Anyone see what I mean? For example, Ghost of Perdition and especially the ending of it sounds kind of more triumphant than depressive. And The Baying of the Hounds doesn't really sound dark to me at all, maybe it's just me but the keyboard gives it a whole different dimension, and it really sounds upbeat in that part right near the end with Per playing something somewhat reminiscant of the guitar line at the ending of Pink Floyd's "Sheep". Then there's Atonement, which is for the most part, some kind of peaceful Zen journey, very soothing and not dark at all. And if you compare Isolation Years to their album closers in the past, it sounds a lot more hopeful- surely isn't nearly as tragic as White Cluster or melancholy and cold as To Bid You Farewell. Once again, I'm not saying it is a happy album, just one that doesn't wallow in sadness as much as their previous ones, one that doesn't seem weird to listen to on a sunny day. (Try doing that with Morningrise! it just doesn't seem right, to me anyway). So i'm just wondering if anyone else noticed this.
 
Yeah, This album wasn't dark as the others. Especially one of the Clean Vocal Lines on Ghost Of Peridition that reminded me of Tool for some reason. (Not that Tool Is Bad, But Opeth is not them.)

Alot of Awesome Bands released some albums of lower standards than thier older releases within the past 2 years.. Soilwork, In Flames , Arch Enemy.. I guess Opeth had to Join them.

Ghost Reverie's wasn't SO bad. But I still prefer their older releases...
 
xXBraveMurderDay said:
Yeah, This album wasn't dark as the others. Especially one of the Clean Vocal Lines on Ghost Of Peridition that reminded me of Tool for some reason. (Not that Tool Is Bad, But Opeth is not them.)

Alot of Awesome Bands released some albums of lower standards than thier older releases within the past 2 years.. Soilwork, In Flames , Arch Enemy.. I guess Opeth had to Join them.

Ghost Reverie's wasn't SO bad. But I still prefer their older releases...

Not Porcupine Tree :D But yeah, while GR isn't as dark, at least it's not a big downhill slide like In Flames.
 
I have only found one Opeth album to be dark and that album was Still Life. Orchid came close but I found that more to be bleak. GR has a couple of 'dark' sounding songs like TGC and Hours of Wealth, but nothing too major.

And geez, no way is GR as bad as what bands like In Flames, Soilwork and Arch Enemy have done in the last few years. Thats laughable!

Ikil
 
The thing I noticed is the solo work is very stripped down. Not that it sucks but seems like it's not as important anymore.

still think it is a great album.
 
I agree with the more triumphant sounds...most likely due to the open tuning.

it drew me back to Orchid in a big way. probably because of that reason. I love the outros on every song on orchid. because they are so resolving and confident sounding. Ghost REveries has that same quality in several moments.
 
The Greys said:
The thing I noticed is the solo work is very stripped down. Not that it sucks but seems like it's not as important anymore.

still think it is a great album.


I have the solos may seem that way to you because of the OPen tuning as well. Peter only plays one solo on teh entire album. And I think that's probably because he just wasnt' comfortable playing in Open D.

I like Peter's solos on all the previous works, so I kinda miss hearing his input on GR.
 
Ikil said:
I have only found one Opeth album to be dark and that album was Still Life. Orchid came close but I found that more to be bleak. GR has a couple of 'dark' sounding songs like TGC and Hours of Wealth, but nothing too major.

Yeah, I think Still Life is their overall darkest, just because the concept is so sad, and there isn't really an ounce of hope or anything at the end. Morningrise is sad too but not quite as much.
 
funny, i really don't consider Still Life dark. At least not musically, perhaps lyrically. Still Life was to me when they started having "fun" with the music and stopped with the dark atmosphere and gloom. Still life reminds me most of Ghost Reveries, in terms of darkness and mood.... which really i don't consider dark :)
 
in limbow said:
Yeah, I think Still Life is their overall darkest, just because the concept is so sad, and there isn't really an ounce of hope or anything at the end. Morningrise is sad too but not quite as much.
SL is not really that dark...the only really damn dark Opeth album is definitely MAYH!
 
I agree its doesnt have the same oververwhelming darkness feeling the others have. I even feel Damnation was darker than GR in tone and atmosphere, although I still love GR even if it is darkness-lite.
 
I agree with Moonlapse: "to say the darker an album, the better, is plain stupid".

I have actually never fallen for a whole Opeth album at my first listen. They have all sort of "grown". When I first listen to GR, I was kind of disappointed. I thought it was a little "flat" and not very interesting in any way. It didn't affect me in any way, but I have to be honest and say that I like it more and more. Some of the riffs sounds good as hell in my ears. I consider GR as a "growing masterpiece", and I think I will enjoy it as good as (or even better) than I considered Deliverance.
 
I can't get why people find Orchid dark? I mean, put on the album! Laalaalaalalalalala...etc! Happy as ever! And the IMSWS intro is not the only part with that kindo happy feel. Take the funky-bass-part in Twilight, the double-bass on top of acoustics and up-tempo solo in forest of october and so on! Awesome album, but dark? naaay..
 
Haha, precisely. Orchid has more of an uplifting/sentimental vibe about it. Whenever I hear the intro of 'In Mist...' I just wanna go on stage back to back with another guitarist and play those melody lines.