I like how it's the first song and it's as if they bust out of the gate immediately into a solid sound with riffs and changes. I think it's a great opening how it grabs your attention. Keeps my interests, like I'm waiting for that next thing to start. And it does! At 1:40. Faint vocals...whispers...OH BOY! Then the death vocals start and that riff behind it. I like the 2:40 riff a lot.
What a tale this song is. He's on horseback...in the woods, it's cold and dark and winds blowing! Fucking great Opeth setting. "Clouds gathered across the moon", man! Then a great soft passage at 3:30ish, but not for long! That rolling riff comes in.
On top of all this, then the story takes an even greater twist! There's a ghost...AND IT'S WAITING FOR HIM! <GOOSEBUMPS!> The quiet part that ends around 6:20 leaves so much to the imagination. Don't you think? But I absolutely LOVE the way the guitars come in at 7:01. Seems I'm always poised, waiting for it, when it finally does.
And the lyrics "darkness encloses" - he looses light - "the candle seems to expire". Uh, you gotta be kidden me. The element of fear is so apparent. This is the song -- the vocals that I'm ALWAYS getting caught mimicking. The growls from 8:08-8:34. Can you picture it?
OH OH! Wait...there's one more part. That riff that starts up after it. Now, excuse me if it's played earlier in the song, but I'm too busy loving other sounds. At 8:42 when that riff comes in...mmm. If I ever learned to play the guitar, that'd be why. So I could play that riff. I like how well you can hear it when it's alone at 9:09.
10:17 AHHH!!! "And she spoke, once and forever. I'm so cold.
In mist enrobed the twilight. She was standing." \m/
Damn, I feel like I just went on the Opeth coaster. It should be illegal to have a keyboard in front of you while you explain why you like a song AND have it played at the same time. Call it...overindulgencesharing or something.
The closing! You've got to love the closing. The double bass! Someone!