Let's get it straight: Ghost Reveries.

So?

  • Opeth's best album.

    Votes: 11 12.2%
  • Opeth's worst album.

    Votes: 8 8.9%
  • Within the bottom 4 Opeth albums.

    Votes: 20 22.2%
  • Within the top 4 Opeth albums.

    Votes: 46 51.1%
  • Just above Opeth standards.

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Just below Opeth standards.

    Votes: 4 4.4%

  • Total voters
    90
Tubbs Mcgee said:
Let fatty join this enticing conversation! Yes, I enjoy cookies and the occasionally animal sacrificing! Just remember, when it's morning rise, the orchid will be all trancy and crap, then we will go to blackwater park, and whomever dies during the walk will suffer damnation! Oh, and remember DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SING ANY GHOST REVERIES on the walk because you will be carried by either my arms, or your hearse. Since you don't have a hearse though, everyone will witness your deliverance and point and laugh at you! Crack, anyone? NO! That's only for people who own the Elvis double-Blu ray disc called "571LL L1F3"!!! LMAO JK LOL ROFLMMFAO BRB AFK LOL JK!!! 7H47 W45 R3411Y FUNNY (damn) N0W W45'N7 17? Harharhar. Okay, I'm done with the mindless babble for now.

EDIT: Whoop, 2 people beat me to teh time, I guess that makes me a N00b.

And after all that, you didn't even mention anything relevant to the topic. Unless the order in which you mentioned the albums is your order of preference...
 
-Vintersorg- said:
And after all that, you didn't even mention anything relevant to the topic. Unless the order in which you mentioned the albums is your order of preference...
Ugh... :erk: I suppose I was in a really weird mood last night... don't worry I usually won't post stupid (yet funny) crap like this. I always try to make my posts relevant but this one... oh well.
 
-Vintersorg- said:
Name them.

Very well, as you wish:

Blackwater Park comes in first for me for several reasons. Now one of these is of course that I hold a soft spot for it, as it was the first Opeth record with which I was acquainted. But, other than that, I think that the quality of the songs is probaby Opeth's strongest. I think it flows very well from beginning to end, and it has a very appealing, warn production courtesy of Steven Wilson. Bleak is my favourite Opeth song, and I think it's the first Opeth album where Mike's clean vocals really live up to their potential. the growls are deep and sonorous, the atmosphere haunting. It's just a classic, and everything about it makes it so. It's damn near faultless IMHO, and as such, I choose it as my favourite.

Now, Deliverance seems to get quite a bashing from a lot of people. However, I have always had hige admiration for that record, partly due to it's almost surgical precision. Everything about it is almost frighteningly tight. Of all the Opeth albums, I think it's perhaps the only one where ALL of the ideas on it work perfectly. The musicianship is outstanding, from all parties. It makes my jaw hit the floor, even now. However, at times it can prove slightly repetitive, and it doesn't have BWP's warmth, so it comes second.

MAYH used to be my favourite. Out of all of the albums, it was the one I loved most instantly. I thought it was a perfect record at first. But, over time, certain things holes have begun to appear. Obviously, the production isn't their best, but I can forgive this as I think it has a very appealing warmth. The growls are some of Mike's best, but the clean vox are not quite there yet, which is a shame considering the jaw-dropping quality of the melodies involved. The musicianship is excellent, and it all flows VERY nicely. But it's not faultless, and unlike BWP, it feels as though there are highlights, which is a negative in that ALL of BWP is on the same level of outstandingness. Marvellous record though.

Now, Orchid seems to be unpopular here. I can understand that. It was the first Swano produced record I bought by Opeth, and I HATED it when it arrived. Well, maybe not hated, but I was very disappointed. It felt so... disjointed. And the production is very lacklustre. Mikes clean vocals let it down also (the clean passage in 'The Twilight Is My Robe' could have been one of the most beautiful ever recorded... and it is, but not to the extent it could have been). However, it is absolutely brimming with fantastic ideas. Much more so than Morningrise. It is full of wonderful melodies and energy. And I like Johans bass work on it (although I prefer Mendez's more subtle approach). For a debut, it's damn near untouchable. It shows Mike up for what he is: A bloody genius.

Ghost Reveries is next. It doesn't flow quite right for me. For example, Atonement is... ponderous. It feels like it has no direction. And the first section of Beneath The Mire sounds too much like a polyphonic ringtone for my liking :erk: . However, the production is superb (Jens Borgen is really going places), and it has some excellent songs. Mikes clean singing continues to improve also. But the musicianship isn't quite up to par (for Opeth, it slays most other bands). I mean, The Grand Conjuration is superb rhythmically, and GOP and TBOTH have great, pacey bits. Isolation Years damn near breaks my heart, and Hours Of Wealth has some of Mikes best vox and guitar playing. But... it just doesn't sit quite right for me. There's not such a good flow. Oh, and I think Per is a very overrated keyboard player. Yes, it adds something, but there are much better keyboard players out there.

Damnation is kinda stuck lower down because, well... there isn't enough of it for it to be better than the other records. The quality of the songs is awesome, and Lopez blows my mind on this record, but there are less good tracks (DWAL, EC), and on such a brief album, 'less good' tracks can't really be afforded. Windowpane is marvellous however, Closure has become one of my live favourites, and Steven Wilson once again gives a nice, warm production job.

Still Life just doesn't do it for me like the others do. I keep telling myself to go and listen to it so I can appreciate it more, but... it bores me. 'Benighted' is one of the worst songs I ever heard, and I think that's one of my big problems. It just turns me off, I can't be doing with it. I mean... there are great songs on it, and classic moments (Godhead's Lament has one of my favourite Opeth solos in it, and a beautiful vocal melody). Serenity Painted Death gets all mosh-worth, which is cool. But there's something not quite right in the drumming, Mike's voice isn't ready to do what he asks of it, the production is kinda muddy and unappealing... and the 'chorus' melody (I know it isn't a chorus) of The Moor reminds me of an ABBA song, which is never good. It's fine, but I just don't see how such a clearly flawed record deserves such acclaim (in comparison with the others)

And Morningrise... well, it has all of the flaws of Orchid, but it doesn't have the attention grabbing features of that record for me. After 'Advent' (which is excellent), it all goes downhill... just not as good as their other records. No real focus, less acute musicianship, poor, cold production from Swano. It's just the lamest of the Opeth records, as far as I'm concerned.

Now, before I finish, I want to say that I LOVE all of these records. Even the ones right at the bottom. they are important to me. But you asked why that was my chosen order, so I told you. If these explanations aren't good enough, then sorry to disappoint you.

Opeth are the greatest band on the planet. All of their albums rule. But some are better than others, and that's why I think that way.

Peace :)
 
Liquid Diamonds said:
Really? I'm not getting at you at all here, but I'm curious to know why you like Morningrise the best? I just want a fresh perspective... maybe that would help me enjoy the album more. What about it is better than Orchid? To me, Orchid has the better ideas... am I just not seeing something?

I agree with what you said about many of the albums. Morningrise is the strongest for many reasons in my mind. It has a very nostalgic feel. It is considerably more coherent than Orchid. It's less experimental, which is not good in and of itself, but the experimental moments on Orchid came off as showy rather than as a contribution to the overall feel. Rather than forcing abrupt transitions, sometimes they allow a second or so for the song to reset (BRI). Orchid tends to really drag as well at times. Under the Weeping Moon and The Apostle in Triumph are among my least favorite Opeth tracks. The Twilight is My Robe and In Mist She Was Standing are better by far then most of that album. Forest of October didn't excite me as much as it did for others.

Morningrise is superior vocally and lyrically. It's much more emotional. The Night and the Silent Water is criminally underrated. It's really a beautiful track. We all hopefully realize the awesomeness of Advent, which is probably my favorite Opeth song. Nectar is a solid mood setting song. While not flashy, it gets the job done. BRI is good. I don't worship it a ton, but it works as a three part song really. A good emotional journey of a song. It effectively builds and climaxes and fades. Only In Mist really does that on Orchid. Overall, the songwriting and riff-writing are better on MR, and in general, the musicianship is a notch higher.
 
]It's less experimental, which is not good in and of itself, but the experimental moments on Orchid came off as showy rather than as a contribution to the overall feel. Rather than forcing abrupt transitions, sometimes they allow a second or so for the song to reset (BRI). Orchid tends to really drag as well at times.[/QUOTE]

Hmm, you have a point. I'll give you that the transitions on MR are smoother. I don't thinkOrchid drags though. It is constantly evolving, to myears at least.


MasterOLightning said:
Overall, the songwriting and riff-writing are better on MR, and in general, the musicianship is a notch higher.

The musicianship may be a little improved, but of course that must be expected, being that they were still young. However, as a personal view, the riffs and songs on Orchid make me feel more emotional. but that's what's great about music I guess. It's all subjective.

Thanks for responding genuinely, and not getting all offended like some seem keen to do all the time :)
 
MasterOLightning said:
I agree with what you said about many of the albums. Morningrise is the strongest for many reasons in my mind. It has a very nostalgic feel. It is considerably more coherent than Orchid. It's less experimental, which is not good in and of itself, but the experimental moments on Orchid came off as showy rather than as a contribution to the overall feel. Rather than forcing abrupt transitions, sometimes they allow a second or so for the song to reset (BRI). Orchid tends to really drag as well at times. Under the Weeping Moon and The Apostle in Triumph are among my least favorite Opeth tracks. The Twilight is My Robe and In Mist She Was Standing are better by far then most of that album. Forest of October didn't excite me as much as it did for others.

Morningrise is superior vocally and lyrically. It's much more emotional. The Night and the Silent Water is criminally underrated. It's really a beautiful track. We all hopefully realize the awesomeness of Advent, which is probably my favorite Opeth song. Nectar is a solid mood setting song. While not flashy, it gets the job done. BRI is good. I don't worship it a ton, but it works as a three part song really. A good emotional journey of a song. It effectively builds and climaxes and fades. Only In Mist really does that on Orchid. Overall, the songwriting and riff-writing are better on MR, and in general, the musicianship is a notch higher.

Well said, though I do still love Orchid.
 
MasterOLightning said:
Did you hear MR or Orchid first? I think this often affects preference. BWP and MR were my first two Opeth albums, and my two favorite.

Yes, I think you may have a point, because I did hear Orchid before Morningrise. And at first, I didn't like it. It took me a while to adjust to the 'old' Opeth sound (as in, the first two albums). And I think that. because I listened to it so much in order to get into that sound, of the two it was always going to be the one I grew closest to. Yeah, BWP was my first too. Still my favourite, has been ever since :grin:
 
GR is a total rush job. An absolute waste of time and one of the most watered down monotonous metal albums I have ever heard. It shows absolutely no talent of which the band is capable and also implies Mike could be running out of ideas. If its a swan song, its a bloody pitiful one.

A disgrace of a record. Yes, really.

On the other hand, Orchid, Morningrise, MAYH and Still Life are MASTERPIECES of work with mostly unparalleled songwriting. Total genius, totally original, powerful and groundbreaking.
 
The Hubster said:
GR is a total rush job. An absolute waste of time and one of the most watered down monotonous metal albums I have ever heard. It shows absolutely no talent of which the band is capable and also implies Mike could be running out of ideas. If its a swan song, its a bloody pitiful one.

A disgrace of a record. Yes, really.

On the other hand, Orchid, Morningrise, MAYH and Still Life are MASTERPIECES of work with mostly unparalleled songwriting. Total genius, totally original, powerful and groundbreaking.

I know everyone thinks GR is some kind of huge departure, but I honestly don't see how it sounds THAT different to MAYH and SL, to the point that you hate it so grievously. What are your thoughts on the albums after Still Life (Blackwater Park etc.)?