Opeth - Ghost Reveries
- Thread starter SonOfNun
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proggy goodness
Scourge of Malice
Member
its growing on me a lot.... that middle section of Baying of the Hounds (5:24 i think) is pure metal beauty.. god damn
Geez, when I use to just lurk these forums and read what people had to say, I thought Hubster had some brilliant points about certain things, and he still does. But gees, some of these arguments on GR baffle me. What is wrong with clean production? I mean, I hate when a band has perfect production on a cd and then they can't back it up on stage. With Opeth however, they can back up their production on stage and sound excellent. For me, the last 4 Opeth albums are some of the best produced albums in metal. I got no problem with a clean sounding album if a band can back it up live, and Opeth can.
Secondly, no way is this album weak and simplistic. For me, this is their most complicated work since Still Life, not taking anything away from BWP and DD, but for me, GR, musically, is better.
Ok, I will admit, NO Opeth album has grabbed me straight away, I guess with some Opeth albums, first time I have listened to them, I haven't concentrated hard enough because in the back of my mind I know that something Opeth does isn't going to sound bad. But when I do sit back and concentrate on the music and listen hard enough, thats when I can say that this is indeed a very fine piece of work.
I gave GR my all on first listen because the whole thing with RR and the whole black metal affair Mikael talked about 2 years ago. On first listen, I was impressed , but I wasn't overly impressed. After a few more listens, I became overly impressed because it grew on me. I worked out the elements, new influences. Sure, a little disappointed that this had no Black metal influence. But who cares, this is still a masterpiece for me. If you think this sucks because it isn't black metal, then what are you doing here?
For me, this is most likely gonna be my album of the year.
And I keep hearing people carry on about the Tool influence on GOP. Its funny that no one has carried on about the Gordian Knot similarities on Beneath the Mire. Maybe GK is a mystery to a lot of people around here.
Ikil
Secondly, no way is this album weak and simplistic. For me, this is their most complicated work since Still Life, not taking anything away from BWP and DD, but for me, GR, musically, is better.
Ok, I will admit, NO Opeth album has grabbed me straight away, I guess with some Opeth albums, first time I have listened to them, I haven't concentrated hard enough because in the back of my mind I know that something Opeth does isn't going to sound bad. But when I do sit back and concentrate on the music and listen hard enough, thats when I can say that this is indeed a very fine piece of work.
I gave GR my all on first listen because the whole thing with RR and the whole black metal affair Mikael talked about 2 years ago. On first listen, I was impressed , but I wasn't overly impressed. After a few more listens, I became overly impressed because it grew on me. I worked out the elements, new influences. Sure, a little disappointed that this had no Black metal influence. But who cares, this is still a masterpiece for me. If you think this sucks because it isn't black metal, then what are you doing here?
For me, this is most likely gonna be my album of the year.
And I keep hearing people carry on about the Tool influence on GOP. Its funny that no one has carried on about the Gordian Knot similarities on Beneath the Mire. Maybe GK is a mystery to a lot of people around here.
Ikil
I think Ghost Reveries is a very good album (but not their best, just excellent in its own way) and I agree totally with Opeth17 regarding the abscence of that "cold" feeling... 
When I listened to it for the first time I thought that the album wasn't good at all. However, the thing that annoyed me the most in Ghost Reveries is that the patterns of song composition which were found by Opeth (for the first time and that 's why Opeth is a unique band) in their former releases are been repeated in this album as well more or less and in some some songs I said to myself "I have heard this before..."
When I listened to it for the first time I thought that the album wasn't good at all. However, the thing that annoyed me the most in Ghost Reveries is that the patterns of song composition which were found by Opeth (for the first time and that 's why Opeth is a unique band) in their former releases are been repeated in this album as well more or less and in some some songs I said to myself "I have heard this before..." First off. The best review of this album I have read. I just dig what they have done here. It just progresses with a subtle intensity. The bass playing can be heard and is fantanstic. The lead breaks have gone up a notch and the vocals continue to improve every release. Drumming is also superb.
The acoustic laden tracks sound like a layover from Damnation but hey that's fine. Its just a feeling of them being relly in control of their art that comes through. On Blackwater Park, I feel its somewaht overated but then again that riff to the title track is well just the best thing they have ever written.
The acoustic laden tracks sound like a layover from Damnation but hey that's fine. Its just a feeling of them being relly in control of their art that comes through. On Blackwater Park, I feel its somewaht overated but then again that riff to the title track is well just the best thing they have ever written.
Agreed on the bass lines. Great that they can be heard and they sound awesome. Produced beautifully!
Ikil
Ikil
CladInDarkness
Under A Blackened Sky
GR is better than Deliverance, and well that is about it. It's mediocre. It has a lot of great moments, and a lot of bland awful moments. I think some of the better material seems better, surrounded by the mediocre material. There's a lot of worse music to listen to, but there's surely a lot better music to listen to as well.
Opeth is stuck: on one hand their fans expect them to progress as they did up to every album through Damnation and Deliverance; on the other hand, they have almost totally explored every aspect of their sound--including the 70's inspired prog rock. I think they are allowed a few decent but not really innovative albums, before one should give up on them as totally stale like the most of the rest of metal ( besides the new wave of innovative doom and neurosis/isis ambient style bands). and also, they surely wanted to please their new major label with a record of quality that sounded like past Opeth. No record company wants something too off the wall for the first record.
Hevimees
Rock & roll police
speed said:
WTF are you talking about? If someone doesn't like the album, they can listen to something else and I have no problem with that. But comments like this are an insult to a band that's been doing their own thing for the past 20 years. It's people like you that really piss me off...
And yes, I do think GR is a great album. Their best? No. But some day it might be, you never know.
Actually, I thought Speed's comment was quite a good one. No need to jump on Speed like that. I do disagree that Opeth made this record to suit the label. I mean, Opeth will do whatever they want regardless of how the label feels. Mikael has even stated that numerous times now.
As for Opeth being stuck, I can agree to some of that. Many will ask "What is there left for Opeth to do?" And you know, what is there left for Opeth to do? They have done just about everything. Sure, maybe they could try something doom or post like Neurosis or Isis, or add some elements like that , who knows. Or maybe try some black metal elements, whatever. I think for Opeth, this sought of experimentation would work. But then, how would fans react to such a change.
At the end of the day, no matter what Opeth does, some people are gonna say "Why doesn't Opeth try something different!" while Others are gonna say "I love what they are doing now, don't risk changing cause what you do might suck".
So many bands have gone through this, now its Opeth's turn.
Ikil
As for Opeth being stuck, I can agree to some of that. Many will ask "What is there left for Opeth to do?" And you know, what is there left for Opeth to do? They have done just about everything. Sure, maybe they could try something doom or post like Neurosis or Isis, or add some elements like that , who knows. Or maybe try some black metal elements, whatever. I think for Opeth, this sought of experimentation would work. But then, how would fans react to such a change.
At the end of the day, no matter what Opeth does, some people are gonna say "Why doesn't Opeth try something different!" while Others are gonna say "I love what they are doing now, don't risk changing cause what you do might suck".
So many bands have gone through this, now its Opeth's turn.
Ikil
Well Hemivees it is only a hypothesis; it may not be true. However, I am just implying based on human nature in thinking that subconsciously their new deal with a major label prevented them for trying something radical, as they knew they wanted to build more of a fan base due to the extra exposure, and not try something totally avant garde. But who knows, I could be wrong. Only Opeth knows.
I think the album is well done from the one listen Ive given it, but I cant say I heard anything new. But I am not musicologist or composition professor, nor a diehard Opeth fan. Just a mildly interested music fan with a non-important opinion.
I think the album is well done from the one listen Ive given it, but I cant say I heard anything new. But I am not musicologist or composition professor, nor a diehard Opeth fan. Just a mildly interested music fan with a non-important opinion.
This is from Dante Fisher to all the nay sayers about the new Opeth Album. This album is the end of the rainbow chronologically, financially and musically for Opeth as they have infamously been signed to Roadrunner which some view as a negative thing. Sure they may make a little bit more money through polishing some of those rough edges but what the hell did you expect them to? sit around like some mechanical monkeys and churn out some more trite doom-esque metal that has the same pretentious "bad-production" just to fit in with convention? fuck convention! if you look at it from an outsider's point of view, alot of extreme music is quite amusing because it claims to be experimental and yet adheres to a set of "rules" just like pop. The point i'm trying to make is that the music of this band had progressed along its OWN CHRONOLOGY not everybody elses. Now let's take a step aside a minute. I probaby wouldnt be writing this if the album didn't ring true and sucked anal passage. But the work is outstanding even for Opeth. Sure, I agree that Grand Cunjuration sounds a little "occult" and therefore incongruous to the overall soud of the album but by-and-large it is a layered, brooding, sometimes tender but always true record. The album (apart from Grand C.) has a unity that is needed in times like these. I think the band have sensed a cultural trend that, now society has been ripped apart by fucks from all over the world, now is the time to sew it back together.
Divatkreació
Nebulous termini
I consider The Grand conjuration to be the best song on the album... If Opeth would do a stupid thing and make a collection, they'd definitely have to have this on it
All else failed
Lost are days of Spring.
- Oct 5, 2005
- 16
- 0
- 1
I have very mixed emotions of this album....
First off, it IS a good album. Although I do not favor many of the songs...I do like most of the album.
The beef I have with it is that it doesn't seem all that exciting or unique like the other Opeth albums. GR is definetly their weakest album. There is hardly any build up, not a lot of good acoustic parts (which Opeth is famous for), the songs seemed rushed and it seems overproduced.
They need Steven Wilson back.
First off, it IS a good album. Although I do not favor many of the songs...I do like most of the album.
The beef I have with it is that it doesn't seem all that exciting or unique like the other Opeth albums. GR is definetly their weakest album. There is hardly any build up, not a lot of good acoustic parts (which Opeth is famous for), the songs seemed rushed and it seems overproduced.
They need Steven Wilson back.
All else failed
Lost are days of Spring.
- Oct 5, 2005
- 16
- 0
- 1
How will it magically become their best album? Are all their other albums just going to disappear?Hevimees said:
If this album becomes their best in the future, then isn't that just showing that its being overhyped and overrated? I like to judge albums in the present thank you very much.
ænimated said:How will it magically become their best album? Are all their other albums just going to disappear?
If this album becomes their best in the future, then isn't that just showing that its being overhyped and overrated? I like to judge albums in the present thank you very much.
I took it that the listener would like it more and more as time goes on through more listens. This has happened for me on almost every disc that I now claim to be great. The opposite also happens that I was really floored after the first few listens only to feel that it's an average disc over time.
It's also comical to read people making claims that discs are "overhyped or overrated"... It's all just opinions nothing to get all bent out of shape about...
Tomd
New Metal Member
Ok so GR may or may not be their best work. But like all Opeth's albums, it sucks you in and for 60 minutes or so completely overwhelms your senses. This is the kind of power that I have not experienced when listening to any other band. Everyone has their particular fave, but rather than arguing over which album is best, let's just give Akerfeldt and Co. credit where credit's due. These guys have been making inspiring, innovative music for 15 years and in my opinion have never failed to deliver.
