GHOST REVERIES

This is the perfect marriage of prog and metal. I have been a huge Opeth fan for some time now and this album truly blows my mind. It is a real "grower" in that it has the instant appeal but after repeated listens you begin to discover all of the bits and pieces that are woven into the tapestry of sounds. As with all classic albums this album has a wonderful flow to it. The sequencing of the songs is flawless and it has that certain "x" ingredient that keeps you coming back for more. Another thing with this album are the wonderful arrangements. As is the case with many long songs, I am often left scratching my head asking "Did that really need to be 12 minutes long?". This is not the case here as each long song is well thought out and perfectly produced. The addition of keyboardist Per Wiberg was a masterstroke. He is able to create certain moods and tones that fit perfectly with the subject matter of the album. In addition to the keyboards, another big change on this album is Mr. Akerfeldt's vocal improvement. He has always been the best growler in the business but his "clean" vocals are used to much greater effect here than ever before. I really could go on and on but the bottom line is that fans of progressive music must check out this album and give it several "open minded" listenings. It is not too often that albums like this come around, so enjoy!