Opeth: Ghost Reveries

After a brief, calm and serene opening segment, "Ghost of Perdition" blasts forward with furious guitar passages and Mikael Akerfeldt's rampaging death metal vocals. So begins the Roadrunner Records debut from Opeth Ghost Reveries, one of the most anticipated progressive metal albums of the year, and also sure to be one of the most talked about and argued over release from the Opeth catalog. Why you ask? Well, for one now that Opeth is signed to a larger label, many will question and accuse of "sellout", and others will bicker about the addition of keyboards and use of more clean vocals. In reality, this is a maturing Opeth, a band that is coming to grips with the second stage of their career. Damnation and Deliverance were the brother and sister combo CD's that were released a few years back, and these albums were a signal of the direction that Opeth were going to be taking in years to come. While Deliverance was perhaps the heaviest and most straightforward record the band had done, Damnation succumbed to their progressive rock affinities, and featured lush Mellotron, acoustic guitars, clean & melodic vocals, and somber musical landscapes. Now a few years later, Ghost Reveries combines the best of both of those worlds, and while perhaps not the instant classic that Blackwater Park, Morningrise, or Still Life were, it is easily one of the best albums to come out this year and another gem for Opeth that only gets better with each listen.

Back to "Ghost of Perdition", a fantastic opening cut, the band utilizes all of their strengths, including complex guitar riffery, death and clean vocals, and moments of beautiful acoustic guitar work. Now, with the addition of keyboard player Per Wiberg, the band adds in some Hammond, Mellotron, electric and acoustic piano, and synths into the mix. Never though do they overload the music with keys, but just enough to add a new dimension to their sound. "Ghost of Perdition" sees Wiberg painting with a splash of Mellotron here and there, but this song is all about metal fury caught in an ebb and flow with the more tranquil acoustic moments, a classic Opeth characteristic. On "The Baying of the Hounds", Wiberg's Hammond organ is more out front, combining with Akerfeldt's and Peter Lindgren's heavy guitar chords for an almost Deep Purple-like sound, and Mikael switches back and forth between brutal growls and melodic clean sections many times. His guitar solo on this one just screams, and it's important to note that the overall lead work on this album is much more technical and fluid than in the past. The closing sequence on "Hounds" is lovely, with lulling acoustic guitars, Mellotron, piano, and Martin Lopez's gentle percussion, and just when you think the song is going to out on that calming note, the band lurches back into the mix for a extreme death metal workout on the song's final moment.

"Beneath the Mire" is a Mellotron lovers dream, with Wiberg pulling some ominous sounds out at the intro accompanied by the clean electric guitar riffs from Akerfeldt and Lindgren. Before long the song becomes a plodding death metal number, but then changes back to a serene and atmospheric progressive rock piece, complete with Akerfeldt's haunting clean vocals, liquid guitar solo, and layers of piano and acoustic guitar. This back and forth war goes on for the entire song, and both elements combines at the outro of the song which turns it into a symphonic and proggy death metal treat. The band throws in some Middle Eastern percussion and guitar tones on "Atonement", a song that has plenty in common with Porcupine Tree or Pink Floyd thanks to Wiberg's chilling keyboard work and Akerfeldt's effects laden vocals. "Reverie/Harlequin Forest" returns the band to metal land, but this time Akerfeldt uses mainly clean vocals. While the longest piece on the album, there are not as many intricate riffs and passages on this one as you would expect. Lyrically, by this track you begin to notice similar themes in each song, which leads me to believe that Ghost Reveries was intended or written as a concept piece. It's as if the character in each tune is making some long journey, and in this song he references hearing the hounds baying behind him from the last song, as other references of the mire, ghosts, his fever, and eternal darkness are in just about every track. As with every Opeth album, the lyrics are pretty dense and bleak, and here is no different. On "Hours of Wealth", the character finds a way to rid himself of the fever that's been hindering him from the outset, but he realizes that the fever is gone because he is no longer, and now he must spend his days in darkness looking at the world from far away. It's a pretty depressing but emotional piece, littered with piano, Mellotron, clean guitars, and Akerfeldt's passionate vocals. It's the calm before the storm...

"The Grand Conjuration" is the albums centerpiece, the song that really sees the new Opeth hit their stride. Opening with complex guitar riffs and keyboard textures, the band then blasts back and forth between a haunting and evil dark tone to a raging death metal statement, and it really works here. Akerfeldt's death vocals are venemous on this piece, and the rhythm team of Lopez and bassist Martin Mendez work overtime to create layers of intricate grooves. I'm sure that over time this song will rank up there with other Opeth classics and become a fan favorite. The last tune is the lush and breathtaking "Isolation Years", complete with acoustic guitars, keyboards, and soaring vocals. It seems to close the story somewhat, with the lover of the main character realizing that he is gone and lamenting the years that she will now live alone in isolation.

Ghost Reveries contains a lot to take in, and it's not one of those albums that you get into right away and discover all its nuances. This is an album, like a fine wine, that matures and ages over time as you begin to discover all the hidden flavors and characteristics that it has. It's certainly Opeth's most ambitious project to date, and contains a few songs that should rank in the future as Opeth favorites, like "Ghost of Perdition", "The Baying of the Hounds", and "The Grand Conjuration". The production of the album is stellar, and with artwork and design courtesy of Travis Smith, you can expect a professional and gothic looking layout. Opeth have now arrived in the mainstream.

Track Listing
1) Ghost of Perdition (10:29)
2) The Baying of the Hounds (10:41)
3) Beneath the Mire (7:57)
4) Atonement (6:28)
5) Reverie/Harlequin Forest (11:39)
6) Hours of Wealth (5:20)
7) The Grand Conjuration (10:21)
8) Isolation Years (3:51)

Added: July 8th 2006
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Opeth Website
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Language: english

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