Thats all I can say after I gave a listen to this tonight. I went to my room, closed the door, turned the lights off, and listened to the new Opeth CD as the day slowly turned to night, probably the most fitting of all places, considering the title and concept. Here's a quick track by track review of the album: Ghost of Perdition (10:29) - A heavy opener that gives a good first impression with the listener. Right off the top, heavy/gloomy riffs and Mikael Akerfeldt's deep death metal growl pierce through the fierce percussive attack of Martin Lopez and Martin Mendez's bass. Note: both Martins put on their best performances on this album, just electrifying. A couple of minutes in you can hear some noticeable differences in Opeth's sound, too. The keyboards (strings/mellotron in most sections of this song) add to the ambience and atmosphere. Another big difference is a noticealbe Tool influence in the first track (some polyrhythms a la The Grudge) and much more clean singing during the heavy parts (although theres still lots of growling). The acoustic breakdown in this song is quite amazing and serves as a theme throughout the song. Another highlight is the soloing on this track, Mikael's guitar tone is more emotive and biting (the best word to describe it) than on previous albums. (9.5/10) The Baying of the Hounds (10:49) - One of the best songs of the album, which is an accomplishment. The first 4 minutes or so are introducing riff after riff much like in the earlier Opeth fashion, but mixing up with clean vocals. There is also some killer B3 Hammond reinforcing the riffs, the addition of Per Wiberg on keys is probably one of their best decisions they've made. There is a mellow breakdown around the 4:00 mark which hints at more Tool influences with the use of atmosphere and guitars. Following this are some really technical riffs and a great solo duel by Mikael and Peter Lindgren. The acoustic section near the end of the song brings back memories of the glory days of Opeth with albums like "Still Life" and "My Arms Your Hearse" and "Morningrise". A very chaotic ending to this one, brutal like off "My Arms Your Hearse". (10/10) Beneath the Mire (7:57) - A very new song for Opeth, introducing a guitar riff with a keyboard melody overtop, switching between another melodic guitar riff. Next there is a totally evil riff, one of my favourites, with some sick growling and drumming, some of Opeth's most hardcore moments. Again, a great solo...which fades into one of the most beautiful mellow parts on the CD. These parts are the real gems, where they can go to brutal riffs to absolute beauty. Again, they remind me of Tool and even Dredg with the jazz-influenced mellowness. There is a really cool prog guitar/keyboard duel with it too. Anyways, this song is fucking awesome. (10/10) Atonement (6:28) - What the hell? Is this Opeth? The opening riff is a jazz-Arabic sounding guitar/keyboard (w/sitarish sound) melody that may have its roots to the final experimental track on Deliverence "By the Pain I See In Others". Its all clean vocals, and they have slight effects on them sometimes. Just plain and simple, its a trance-inducing beauty I've never heard from Opeth until this album....just amazing. The song ends with the same riff as the start and some ambient piano lines....wow. (10/10) Reveries/Harlequin Forest (11:39) - The Reveries part is the last minute or so of Atonement, which then launches into this monster track. Again highlighting Akerfeldt's clean singing as well as some fucking killer riffs and soloing (a lot of both on Ghost Reveries). My favourite riff on the album is at 3:00 of this song....just so hardcore. This part ironically leads to the first acoustic breakdown of the song. Some acoustic riffs, a harmonics riff, and some great acoustic stuff much like the stuff on Blackwater Park and Still Life, including one that reminded me of "April Ethereal" on My Arms Your Hearse. Again, the keyboards are very restrained but ingenius and they fit so well with the whole atmosphere. This mellow section lasts for around 4 minutes, around 7:15, the heavy riffs return, including some really killers around 8:45. A trance-like riff that has some weird time signatures and syncopation. Ended it very much like Deliverence. (10/10) Hours of Wealth (5:20) - A very jazzy mellow piece. Some outstanding. guitar work to open the song. A very sparse song with only a bit of drums and bass. Some great keyboard strings/piano that add some ambience to the acoustic guitar work. Again, some trance-like beauty that is similar but better than the Damnation album. The vocals do come in for a brief moment halfway through, and Mikael puts on one of his best performances here. The song ends with a great jazzy solo, much like the one Akerfeldt did on the Porcupine Tree album. Brilliance. (10/10) The Grand Conjuration (10:21) - When I first heard the song I found it a trifle repetitive but listening to it in better quality you can pick out the small nuances in each part. It is actually a great song, if not the best one. The main riff is really cool, bolstered by Martin Lopez's great drumming, props to the guy, he put on a show here. One of the heaviest and darkest tracks on the albums, most of it is very heavy with some of Mikael's most intense Death metal growls yet. An awesome climax to the CD. (9.5/10) Isolation Years (3:51) - I scoffed at the length of this song at first . But after listening to it, I'm seriously wanting Opeth to release this as a single. It is probably their most beautiful song ever, up there with "To Bid You Farewell". Mikael's clean singing and harmonies are amazing, the keyboards fill in the song, the chord progression is absolutely heartbreaking, and guitar harmonies are really really special. I think they could make a great video out of it. Set in the forest or something, with a bit of a storyline. That would be cool. (10/10) The Verdict: One of their best efforts yet, maybe their best, I cannot really say as of yet. All I can say is that "Ghost Reveries" has confirmed to me that Opeth is the best rock/metal band on the planet right now, they can simply do no wrong with every release, so kudos to them.
I just downloaded it. I'll give my full thoughts on it tomorrow or this weekend sometime. I've come to appreciate the growling vocals of Opeth over the more melodic stuff, so...
Sounds kick ass, I already own Blackwater park and I think that's great, so I'm gonna have to go and pick this up sometime.