Roadrunner Records - 2005
9.5/10
I've long been rather intimidated by the idea of reviewing Opeth albums, considering the number of close-together spins I like to give something before hurling up my thoughts. But, I guess I got over it; after all, why not? The Swedish prog-metal group have a pretty impressive discography, with enough distinction to break into eras. A region we'll find Ghost Reveries within happens to be my golden age for Opeth, where the death metal hasn't fled but takes maybe one-third of the forefront, leaving all sorts of room for beautiful, clean passages or intricate heavier noodling not uncommon with Death's later output.
And like all Opeth discs, Ghost Reveries is best received in its entirety with little distraction. Few bands have pulled this off in a way that I actually find appealing. Even Dream Theater venturing into death metal territory likely wouldn't sit well with me, but I'll be damned if Mikael Akerfeldt and co. didn't nail exactly that. Here the quintet utilizes acoustic guitars with a haunting mellotron and organs to paint the bleak setting one may imagine, often times allowing the heavier moments to sink into that mold. Even at the record's heaviest, grueling distortions hardly play any roll, in exchange for cleaner but menacing weight that the rhythms manage to kick forward.
The most obvious example is the album's ten minute opener "Ghost Of Perdition," however that's hardly anything daunting by this point in the band's career (or even on the entire record). Mikael's vocals swim fluently into the faster digs with higher tempos that aren't afraid to lay clean harmonies atop a crushing metal core. Whether it's the soft hum or the guttural growls, it always fits. However, the greatest melodies take charge when the entire playing field settles, much like the simmering coolness felt in "Hours Of Wealth," an acoustic ditty carrying a feeling of butterflies in the darkness. "Atonement" captures this same feeling but with warmer colors, as its leading licks backed by a bongo and deep repetition shine a little brighter, contrasting its droning buzz. And anything with a grand piano lead is gonna hold at least some value.
Fear not though, because some of the best moments also lie in the songs that let no feet off the gas pedal. "The Grand Conjuration" will forever remain a favorite of mine, kicking in the start/stop chugs right away and melting those jarring shifts into a puddle of somehow still catchy passages. (Fun fact: if you watch Nathan For You, Bill, from the final episode "Finding Frances" is in this song's music video). For the most part though, Ghost Reveries works with strength in starting and finishing hard while filling in the center with sugary flavors. The aforementioned "Ghost Of Perdition" tying advanced rhythmic poetry following a crushing, unrelenting first strike of explosive riffs and punishing vocals is once again the easiest example. I may even argue that "The Baying Of The Hounds" pulls this off even better, with its conglomerate start that's less abrupt yet somehow feels easier to digest thanks to the layers of organ easing us in (ha). Maybe I'm just biased.
All in all though, Opeth truly hit their peak in this era, and this is likely my second favorite record behind only Watershed, before the band would lose almost all of their death metal ties. As overwhelming as it may sound, I often find this to be a good starter record for new fans of the Swedes, since it perfectly encapsulates the largest spread of their career in one spot. Would it be safe to say just a few songs meander a little longer than they needed to? Probably, but the way it's broken up allows this to be easily overlooked.
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