Several careful listens to Ghost Reveries should suffice to see Opeth's move to Roadrunner Records hasn't changed or affected their musical vision the least bit. I've played this disc seemingly hundreds of times and each spin cements my opinion that this is still a great Opeth album that gets better and better. So if you put off checking it out because of some people claiming they "sold out", I urge you to think again and buy this album and form your own opinion.
Ghost Reveries is one of the most varied albums in Opeth's catalog, displaying a rich compositional style blended with passionate songwriting and stylistic cohesion. I cannot stress the "passionate" part, as some of the songs are among the most haunting and emotive Mikael Akerfeldt has written. While the band had plenty of time to rehearse and perfect the material on Ghost Reveries, there were also songs that were recorded in one take or even put together in the studio. The compositions are very organic from start to finish, and the addition of keyboard player Per Wiberg only serves to add more dimension to their music as opposed to influence their direction in a negative way.
Speaking of Wiberg, some of the songs on the album are very much accommodating, as they allow Wiberg to pull out ever-colourful synth sounds, blazing organs, grand and electric piano, and the Mellotron. Though his presence isn't as prevalant on the heavier cuts such as "Ghost of Perdition" and "The Grand Conjuration", there is still a solid wall of synth sound built around the relentless riffing and demonic death metal growls. "Ghost of Perdition", a terrific choice to open the album, also sees Opeth taking on some distinct Tool influences, particularly in the syncopated rhythm guitars and eerie percussion work. The guitar tuning and some of the chord progression evoke Tool's "The Grudge", which is no big surprise considering Akerfeldt has always cited Tool among his favourite bands. The other heavy number "The Grand Conjuration", on the other hand, highlights the band's technical proficiency, with an epic arrangement and very fast yet well-written lead solo. Akerfeldt's vocals on this song are among his best in his career.
"Baying of the Hounds" is arguably the finest cut on the album, introducing 70's organ sounds contrasted by great transitions and awesome clean vocal harmonies. Lopez' drumming on this track is sublime while Wiberg's keyboard acrobatics culminate in a somewhat avant-garde instrumental break which is then followed by an interplay between blazing guitar solos and thundering rhythms. The piece features some of the best lyrics on this album and is impressively finalised with a climactic ending. Also, note that the title of this song was actually inspired by the lyrics of Comus' 1970 debut First Utterance, namely the opening song "Diana": "The dim light she comes peering through the forest pines / And she knows by the sound of the baying, by the baying of the hounds".
The heavy and softer parts contrasted on "Beneath the Mire", which is actually one of the hidden gems, show a unique development of ideas, implemented with maturity. Wiberg's Mellotron is central to this number, while Mendez' bass takes on a slightly funk vibe halfway through, rendering it his most powerful performance on the album. The guitar preceding the tranquil piano section is out of this world while Opeth's love for 70's prog is best exhibited during the last thirty seconds where odd sound effects are married with awesome drumming and clean harmonies, which, strangely enough, evoke Still Life to me. Another track that bears a Still Life resemblance, not musically but based on its progression, is the aforementioned "Baying of the Hounds" in the way that is has a similar recklessness to it.
While all eight songs on the album are amazing in their own way, "Reverie/Harlequin Forest" deserves a special mention. The longest song, it serves as an anchor to glue the first half of the album to the relatively moodier and somewhat more laidback second half (with the exception being the obvious "The Grand Conjuration"). This song has Akerfeldt's best vocal harmonies, starting with the "A trail of sickness leading to me" part at the beginning, where harrowing growls provide dynamics that make this piece so sinister, and ending with the slightly folky chorus that goes like, "It is all false pretension...", which, yet again, precedes a thunderingly brutal scream whilst numbing guitar drills and beautiful melodies surround everything.
The two mellow songs, criticised severely by some, "Hours of Wealth" and "Isolation Years", actually make an immense contribution to the varied nature of Ghost Reveries. Actually you may be as surprised as I was that "Hours of Wealth" is a song whose vocals Akerfeldt did in one take and felt the need to defend in several interviews and even his own official forum (something he very rarely does), while he admitted being literally in tears singing "Isolation Years". The former also features a devastasting blues solo and even some a capella vocals and ranks among Opeth's most diverse pieces; whilst "Isolation Years", despite seeming rather simplistic at face value, makes subtle switches between 5/8 and 6/8 beats.
Opeth has never disappointed me. Ghost Reveries is a very solid addition to their discography; it still retains every element that made Opeth so great in the past while also embracing a wider and more diverse expression of artistic integrity.
--
Any opinion is most welcome.
Cheers!
Ghost Reveries is one of the most varied albums in Opeth's catalog, displaying a rich compositional style blended with passionate songwriting and stylistic cohesion. I cannot stress the "passionate" part, as some of the songs are among the most haunting and emotive Mikael Akerfeldt has written. While the band had plenty of time to rehearse and perfect the material on Ghost Reveries, there were also songs that were recorded in one take or even put together in the studio. The compositions are very organic from start to finish, and the addition of keyboard player Per Wiberg only serves to add more dimension to their music as opposed to influence their direction in a negative way.
Speaking of Wiberg, some of the songs on the album are very much accommodating, as they allow Wiberg to pull out ever-colourful synth sounds, blazing organs, grand and electric piano, and the Mellotron. Though his presence isn't as prevalant on the heavier cuts such as "Ghost of Perdition" and "The Grand Conjuration", there is still a solid wall of synth sound built around the relentless riffing and demonic death metal growls. "Ghost of Perdition", a terrific choice to open the album, also sees Opeth taking on some distinct Tool influences, particularly in the syncopated rhythm guitars and eerie percussion work. The guitar tuning and some of the chord progression evoke Tool's "The Grudge", which is no big surprise considering Akerfeldt has always cited Tool among his favourite bands. The other heavy number "The Grand Conjuration", on the other hand, highlights the band's technical proficiency, with an epic arrangement and very fast yet well-written lead solo. Akerfeldt's vocals on this song are among his best in his career.
"Baying of the Hounds" is arguably the finest cut on the album, introducing 70's organ sounds contrasted by great transitions and awesome clean vocal harmonies. Lopez' drumming on this track is sublime while Wiberg's keyboard acrobatics culminate in a somewhat avant-garde instrumental break which is then followed by an interplay between blazing guitar solos and thundering rhythms. The piece features some of the best lyrics on this album and is impressively finalised with a climactic ending. Also, note that the title of this song was actually inspired by the lyrics of Comus' 1970 debut First Utterance, namely the opening song "Diana": "The dim light she comes peering through the forest pines / And she knows by the sound of the baying, by the baying of the hounds".
The heavy and softer parts contrasted on "Beneath the Mire", which is actually one of the hidden gems, show a unique development of ideas, implemented with maturity. Wiberg's Mellotron is central to this number, while Mendez' bass takes on a slightly funk vibe halfway through, rendering it his most powerful performance on the album. The guitar preceding the tranquil piano section is out of this world while Opeth's love for 70's prog is best exhibited during the last thirty seconds where odd sound effects are married with awesome drumming and clean harmonies, which, strangely enough, evoke Still Life to me. Another track that bears a Still Life resemblance, not musically but based on its progression, is the aforementioned "Baying of the Hounds" in the way that is has a similar recklessness to it.
While all eight songs on the album are amazing in their own way, "Reverie/Harlequin Forest" deserves a special mention. The longest song, it serves as an anchor to glue the first half of the album to the relatively moodier and somewhat more laidback second half (with the exception being the obvious "The Grand Conjuration"). This song has Akerfeldt's best vocal harmonies, starting with the "A trail of sickness leading to me" part at the beginning, where harrowing growls provide dynamics that make this piece so sinister, and ending with the slightly folky chorus that goes like, "It is all false pretension...", which, yet again, precedes a thunderingly brutal scream whilst numbing guitar drills and beautiful melodies surround everything.
The two mellow songs, criticised severely by some, "Hours of Wealth" and "Isolation Years", actually make an immense contribution to the varied nature of Ghost Reveries. Actually you may be as surprised as I was that "Hours of Wealth" is a song whose vocals Akerfeldt did in one take and felt the need to defend in several interviews and even his own official forum (something he very rarely does), while he admitted being literally in tears singing "Isolation Years". The former also features a devastasting blues solo and even some a capella vocals and ranks among Opeth's most diverse pieces; whilst "Isolation Years", despite seeming rather simplistic at face value, makes subtle switches between 5/8 and 6/8 beats.
Opeth has never disappointed me. Ghost Reveries is a very solid addition to their discography; it still retains every element that made Opeth so great in the past while also embracing a wider and more diverse expression of artistic integrity.
--
Any opinion is most welcome.
Cheers!
