Meaning of Ghost Reveries

[tappistrt]

So Roadrunner has an interview on their site with Opeth about Ghost Reveries. According to Mikael, he says the album is about demonic possession. Did you guys interpret that when you first listened to it? A bit of an alarm when off when I first heard the lyrics of The Grand Conjuration.

It's unfortunate if it's true. I'm not much of a fan of demonic content. I love Opeth's musicianship and their dynamic sound ... but demonic possession ....


Don't get me wrong, I'm not a bandwagoner. I've been listening to Opeth for a couple years now. I own all their CD's from My Arms and Still Life up to the present. They're a spectacular band, but I just can't come to terms with the lyrical content of the new album, even though the music itself is phenominally good.

Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[saut]

Nope.

 

[vampyrouss]

The album title and song titles and lyrics didn't give it away? Only when Roadrunner say it does it twig... fair enough.

What about Blackwater Park (the album)? How about Demon Of The Fall? Come to think of it a lot of Opeth's material is bleak and often occult just like Ghost Reveries... also a lot of them have depressing themes just like Ghost Reveries...

I don't think anyone was shocked or surprized if they have heard any of Opeth's other stuff, plus on Lamentations they said they were going to do an occult album.

 

[Ermz]

Don't really care overly much about lyrical content anymore. Actually, I never really did. The music itself is good enough to hold the album up for me. I mainly focus on vocal melodies and how they're used, as opposed to what words he's saying.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Opeth has always dealt with the darker side of humanity and that's part of what makes them interesting, the topics they explore in unique ways.

 

[exposeenmity]

Nope, I happen to like the lyrical content. But I also like bands who's lyrical content I don't agree with, for example, Sentenced. They're a Christian band and I don't agree with that particular belief system, but that doesn't make me stop listening to their music or put me off from it.

 

[vampyrouss]

hahaha, here we go again...

 

[exposeenmity]

hahaha, here we go again...

Whaa?

 

[vampyrouss]

There was a whole topic on Christian Death Metal and it got very long and off topic. Not a bad discussion though, I can just see it starting up again here.

 

[tappistrt]

The album title and song titles and lyrics didn't give it away? Only when Roadrunner say it does it twig... fair enough.

What about Blackwater Park (the album)? How about Demon Of The Fall? Come to think of it a lot of Opeth's material is bleak and often occult just like Ghost Reveries... also a lot of them have depressing themes just like Ghost Reveries...

I don't think anyone was shocked or surprized if they have heard any of Opeth's other stuff, plus on Lamentations they said they were going to do an occult album.

I gathered Blackwater Park was about a town that came down with a case of Leprosy.

 

[vampyrouss]

The album Blackwater Park, not the song. Besides, the song itself isn't that chirpy.

 

[in limbow]

They're a Christian band

Uh... Have you listened to Amen Corner? all of Still Life?

 

[Valerie]

Uh... Have you listened to Amen Corner? all of Still Life?

He wasn't talking about Opeth...

 

[opethoid]

Opeth has always dealt with the darker side of humanity and that's part of what makes them interesting, the topics they explore in unique ways.

I'm all about the darkness and death

 

[Nuk3m]

Why is that type of lyrical content so bad? too cleche?

 

[Triste]

So Roadrunner has an interview on their site with Opeth about Ghost Reveries. According to Mikael, he says the album is about demonic possession. Did you guys interpret that when you first listened to it? A bit of an alarm when off when I first heard the lyrics of The Grand Conjuration.

It's unfortunate if it's true. I'm not much of a fan of demonic content. I love Opeth's musicianship and their dynamic sound ... but demonic possession ....


Don't get me wrong, I'm not a bandwagoner. I've been listening to Opeth for a couple years now. I own all their CD's from My Arms and Still Life up to the present. They're a spectacular band, but I just can't come to terms with the lyrical content of the new album, even though the music itself is phenominally good.

Anyone else in the same boat?

Oh no! not demonic possession!!!



Most metal bands deal with one aspect or another of the occult, satanism, dark forces, anger, misanthropy, etc. so how is it that you're all of a sudden surprised by this sort of lyrical content?
Is this the only metal band you listen to so you weren't aware of this aspect?
It seems from my experience when the general public hears growling vocals, they automatically think of the devil anyway...so what kept you from being clued in?
Anyway, for me, I don't really have a problem with lyrics. Generally as long as it's not blatantly racist or something...I'm fine with it...

 

[in limbow]

hey, try and read the fucking post next time

Whoops, my bad. Guess I look like an idiot now

 

[exposeenmity]

Whoops, my bad. Guess I look like an idiot now

No biggie, back to happy fluffy bunny lyrical content.

 

[N-MAYH]

hey... i must say the lyrics were a bit iffy (in my opinion) but last night (29th in mtl) mikael said that although they were death metal they were also becoming a "sing along" group lol. (that was for in my time of need[which im not all that big a fan of])

 

[Disgustipated]

Just 'cause he writes about it, tappistrt (by the way, were you trying to write tapestry?), doesn't mean he agrees with it/practises it. Mikael writes narrative lyrics, and although very emotional, not particularly personally inspired lyrics (could be, i suppose, in a very enigmatic kind of way). Anyway, my point is that he wrote about it because it's simply an interesting subject. This does not mean he's going to raid the occult section of Stockholm library and learn how to perform his own 'grand conjuration'. I wrote a concept about the journey into hell, inspired by Dante Alligheri's Infernus, and i suppose moreover by Iced Earth's Dante's Inferno [!], but this does not mean that I believe there is a Hell. I wrote a concept of a vision the moon saw while a dying man was comforted by the preminition of an angelic figure, but this does not mean i believe the face on the moon is real, or believe in the supernatural. What I guess i'm trying to say is, I don't know what I'm trying to say. Time to hang out the washing.