GHOST REVERIES

Opeth are one of the greatest metal bands ever. They are brutally heavy, but still have elements of jazz, classical and even folk in their sound. This album should be more highly rated than Still Life, but I suppose with great albums come a great amount of haters. Ghost of Perdition and The Grand Conjuration are definitive slices of this album and contain many memorable parts. The distinctive thing about Opeth is that they stress melodies over riffs. The music is intensely heavy, but flowingly melodic at the same time. There are riffage parts, but after them it always goes back into some intensely intricate melody. There are solos as well, but not a great deal. Atonement is another highlight, and in my opinion their best slower track yet. Again, the melodies are so clear and flowing. The lyrics also (moon is high, and my skin is peeling) are very well done. All in all, one of the best releases of 2005 and one of the top metal albums of the decade. Probably Opeth's best album to date.