GHOST REVERIES

Dancing fitfully under the ethereal stars, this album is a more balanced affair than their previous efforts. Calling out like progressive mesh of Deliverance and Damnation, this is one of Opeth's most whole works.

The songs have more focus on the "softer" moments, than before, but the death metal seems to be made more progressive and skillfully written, where I found them to be somewhat lacking in the past. Mikael pulls no punches in his magnificent vocal delivery, and each song has several highly worthwhile musical ideas that are explored thoroughly. Most of the songs follow a mammoth and unpredictable way of mixing hard edged death metal, with powerful death roars, and a more psychedelic/electrocustic rock with softer and more warm singing.

The album begins with an unassuming minor key piano line, before it erupts into a brutal swaying track. Ghost Of Perdition, in the 10 minutes, offers so many amazing sounds, that it stays highly evocative the entire trip through. The Baying Of The Hounds follows suit, but in a more symphonic manner. this features a good deal of keyboard work interspersed alongside the thick guitars and guttural roars.

Truly, Opeth keep amazing, as they don't ever seem to stagnate, but continue to release high quality material that feels as if it could only be Opeth. Beneath The Mire has perhaps the most overtly ghoulish atmosphere. The opening melody is trance inducing in its Gothic splendor. Through this disc, I found that as they put more emphasis on softer arrangements than before, that more compositional care was taken with the death metal sections, which I feel adds needed balance between the two opposing, but highly complimentary styles.

Atonement is simply stunning. This is the most psychedelic track these talented individuals have performed, and it screams summer of (evil) love. Opeth always wore their influences rather honorably, as they never delve into stiff repetition of past greatness, and are still able to admirably release high wuality and original material of their own creation. Indeed, there is a staggering amount of honestly worthwhile diversity, within, and this serves extremely well to make for a hybrid and intriguing atmosphere.

Harlequin follows suit of the mammoth mini epics, only with much more focus on the lighter side. It is followed by Hours Of Wealth, which is beautiful. Passionate restraint is captured elegantly, to provide the listener with the prettiest on record moment. The Grand Conjuration returns to knotty structures in towering defiance. Isolation Years closes with a melancholic tear.

The beauty and rage Opeth are able to masterfully cull is astounding, and this keeps them as forerunners of experimental and adventurous progressive music, with a high factor for emotional attachment and build up, Opeth have shown me why I love music so much, once again.

Best Moment - Most all of it, but Atonement is unexpected brilliance

Worst Moment - The silence after it is all over

***** Reverent stars

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