Opeth.com Members' Opinions/Reviews of GR

[madu]

But for Metal I go to other bands now.

You just said Opeth isn't metal, and then that - listen to Opeth as a rock band now, then?

It tends to happen, many, many death/doom metal bands become rock. It happened to Amorphis, Katatonia, Herr Swanö, My Dying Bride, so it's just natural it's happening to Opeth as well.

At least I take it as a welcome change.

 

[Khayman666]

You just said Opeth isn't metal, and then that - listen to Opeth as a rock band now, then?

It tends to happen, many, many death/doom metal bands become rock. It happened to Amorphis, Katatonia, Herr Swanö, My Dying Bride, so it's just natural it's happening to Opeth as well.

At least I take it as a welcome change.

Don't forget Sentenced.

I haven't got GR yet Just a copy of "Selections From GR" I got by sending my address to Roadrunner.

 

[Ermz]

Well my somewhat thorough review of the album is in that other thread, so there's no point reciting it here.

But what I'm really puzzled about is... how is GR not metal? Have a been listening to a pop record in disguise all this time? Has Mike betrayed me? Is Frober back in the picture? Am I getting fired again?

 

[John Gargo]

You just said Opeth isn't metal, and then that - listen to Opeth as a rock band now, then?

It tends to happen, many, many death/doom metal bands become rock. It happened to Amorphis, Katatonia, Herr Swanö, My Dying Bride, so it's just natural it's happening to Opeth as well.

At least I take it as a welcome change.

That's actually a great point... it happened to Paradise Lost as well...

Personally, I don't think Opeth will move towards that direction in such an extreme way such as Amorphis or Paradise Lost, but good point.

 

[fps]

hard to know what to say.. keys are overused i think, growls are better but the aggression is gone, listening to deliverance at the mo, can't believe how much heavier it is. the atmosphere is different on GR, doesn't feel like the others where you can get scared/pumped/emotional. more of a rock alb. there is cool stuff, first 2 tracks are awesome, as are 5 6 and 7. so i guess it's good! nice to see them branching out.

maybe their influences are becoming a little too obvious? so much 70s in this album, keys at the beginning of beneath the mire are, well, *not my cup of tea*.

 

[ZeDzEdZeD]

That's actually a great point... it happened to Paradise Lost as well...

Personally, I don't think Opeth will move towards that direction in such an extreme way such as Amorphis or Paradise Lost, but good point.

and don't forget Anathema, they are great now

wtf is wrong being less metal or not metal at all? it is music that counts, 99.99% of metal sucks anyway

 

[Mayanus]

I think the new album is good. But that's about as far as I can go. The older Opeth albums just had that brilliant spark, but this new album is just 'good enough'.
I agree with many of the points posted here. The 'transition' to the clean part in GOP is terrible, its ironic that structurally, the songs sound rushed when actually they spent way more time on this record because they rehearsed.
And I don't know if anyone agrees with me but I think Reverie/Harlequin forest is pretty average until the end. It just seems predestrian.

My biggest gripe with Opeth now is similar to many of my favourite bands 'progressing'. There seems to be a bit too many prog influences creeping their way in. I mean the staccato technical riffing is all very nice, but its been done SO many times before! When bands 'progress', it usually means they abandon what made them unique in the first place and start to adopt other bands trademarks.

However, I am glad that Opeth aren't trying to make a 'Morningrise part 2' as that would backfire spectacularly. Although I disagree slightly with the new style, I think you can't go wrong with any Opeth record quality wise, and this new album is no exception.

 

[dorian gray]

@anus: good points. also, just for the record, mike said they would "never" go back to the orchid and morningrise sound.

 

[Yicjdic]

while theres nothing objective to any of this, ill put it this way: at the same time i bought GR, i picked up the new Nile album. now, i really really wanted to hear some metal. so, after listening to *both* albums once, which one did i play again? and again? nile. not opeth. havent listened to it since last tuesday. it's not metal.

I have yet to make a judgement on the new record one way or the other. But I can certainly say that Opeth has NEVER been my first choice if I just wanted to lhear some metal. Opeth has never been and never will be a band you want to listen to in that situation (Im statring that opinion objectively as possible of course). This album in particular would be less attractive if I were in need of pure metal than Deliverance or BWP but I think you're trying to take Opeth out of their proper element.

Anyways, cheers to the Opeth guys. Whether or not its metal or prog or pop or whatever the fuck anyone else wants to label it, it seems like a pretty kickass record after about 10 spins. Im ready fer the next one!

 

[naboo]

I love Ghost Reveries. It still has to grow on me though. The only tracks I'm REALLY into is Ghost of Perdition (growing to be one of my favorite Opeth songs) and The Baying of The Hounds.

 

[Korlich]

while theres nothing objective to any of this, ill put it this way: at the same time i bought GR, i picked up the new Nile album. now, i really really wanted to hear some metal. so, after listening to *both* albums once, which one did i play again? and again? nile. not opeth. havent listened to it since last tuesday. it's not metal.

Bwahahahaha you have listened to this album ONCE, no surprise you didn´t like it.

 

[buchkoba00]

Ghost Reveries is a good PROG album folks, the best the band have done. They've taken their skills to a new and higher level as far as the prog elements go.

This album, for newer fans and people who dont take music too seriously, is a great album. But for those who are nuts about music and have sampled a LOT of metal over many many years, I think they will be crushed. From the perspective, this is the clear downfall of a band who has led the way for a long time, taking their music into uncharted territories of metal.

My personal feeling is this:
Opeth is no longer a metal band people!

In summary:
- prog wise, excellent work, probably groundbreaking work
- metal wise, very weak and disappointing

I'm trying to figure this out. You say it is great prog, bad metal. People will like it who don't take music seriously will like it. Serious music fans will hate it.
Since when do serious music fans apply their own expectations to an album?
Since when to serious music fans listen to something and say "not enough ___"
Since when can't people who appreciate these "prog" elements be serious music fans?

Only a metal elitist snob could let his own expectations and desires get in the way of what an artist is trying to accomplish.

 

[kenichi]

A surprising album, but a great one. I generally like Opeth albums much more once I read the lyrics (SL for example). So far, no site has posted them though.

Many phrases seem entirely too technical, but the musicians out there should appreciate this. I think perhaps the technical aspects left less room for that Opeth feeling which characterizes BWP and SL but it can be seen in songs like Ghost of Perdition and RH Forest.

10/10

 

[amaranth]

Basically I enjoy the album, it has great moments that only opeth can produce.
It's not my favourite of theirs, but it's great to listen to.

Lyrically it's not as good as previous albums, but the music has moved in a new direction which is great at times, but as many people are getting defensive about on this forum..... I don't like it as much as their old stuff, but not in the way they have "sold-out"
Since that term has beeing thrown around quite easily...!

 

[Mistress Bleak]

I think it's an awesome album. "Ghost of Perdition" is an excelllent song with tons of great parts. "Baying of the Hounds" has become one of my favorite Opeth tracks. "Beneath the Mire" has some pretty kickass parts too. "Atonement" is by far my favorite song on the album. Excellent guitar work and the keys add greatly to it. "Reverie/Harlequin Forest," however, is a song I think is flawed. It's an awesome song; don't get me wrong. But there are definitely some parts in that song that sounded insanely familiar. The part at 3:30 is most definitely close to identical to a part in a past Opeth song. Please, someone, tell me if you see what I mean. I mean, I was definitely feeling some deja vu when that part came on. Also, it seems like Opeth attempted a "Deliverance" ending to that song, yet they failed, in my opinion. The rhythm they repeat at the end of the song isn't nearly as catchy as the one at the end of "Deliverance" and it gets annoying after the second or third repetition, in my opinion. Still, it's a great song with some truly kickass acoustic passages. "Hours of Wealth" is an exceptionally beautiful track, as is "Isolation Years." "The Grand Conjuration" has definitely grown on me since I heard the shitty radio version that leaked a good while ago. It has some really catchy parts, and Martin's drumming is complex and interesting. I'd give Ghost Reveries a good 9/10. Average for Opeth, but exceptional for music.

 

[Spawnof84]

One of my Favorite parts in GR is track#4 Atonement at 2:56 "Rising moon and my skin is peeling past undone. suddenly, i can't justify what i had become." everytime i hear it the hairs on my neck stand up it sounds so creepy.

 

[amaranth]

You've seen the light Gunhaver..........

 

[sweet majestic darkness]

So far, no site has posted them though.

uumm...if you look through the booklet that came with the actual cd, you might just come across a few lyrics. hint hint.

 

[kenichi]

Didn't buy it.

 

[baying_hounds]

Best Opeth album ever IMO.