GHOST REVERIES

Opeth - Ghost Reveries (100/100) This album is perfect. Every part feels thought out and nothing is wasted. It's dark, heavy and emotional, but also calm and beautiful. This album feels spiritual to me, like it's about someone going through guilt and inner decay, whilst also searching for understanding. It's not just about death or loss. It's more about what happens when you're forced to reflect at yourself and everything you've done.

What I love is how natural the album feels and flows. The transitions between heavy and soft aren't jarring. They make sense. The riffs hit hard and crushes you, but the clean segments are just as powerful in their own way. The acoustic guitars, the quiet moments, the clean singing, they aren't breaks. They feel like the heart of the album. It's not about showing off. It's about building an atmosphere and staying inside it which Opeth has done perfectly.

The production is spot on. You can hear all the layers clearly but it still feels raw and alive as a death metal album should. The guitars have this thick and organic tone that fits the mood. The keyboards and Mellotron add something eerie and distant, but they never take over. It all sounds balanced.

Mikael's vocals are a huge part of why this album works so well. His gutterals are strong and deep, but they carry a lot of emotion, not just anger. The clean vocals are even more important here. They sound almost too good but still stay in that range where they're just beautiful. Whilst he is trying to sound pretty. He's also trying to express something at the same time. That honesty makes the whole album better all around.

Martin Lopez's drumming on this album are some of the most underrated drums you'll ever hear. In fact everybody from Martin Mendez to Per Wiberg brings something essential to the album which nobody else can replicate. Mendez's bass feels alive in the mix, subtle but rich and it holds the low end together without ever needing to stand out. Wiberg's keys and textures add depth and atmosphere without ever overshadowing anything. They sit just beneath the surface and complete the mood without needing attention. It's the kind of playing that gives the album its emotional weight without saying a word but you'll certainly miss it when it's gone.

Reverie/Harlequin Forest is my favorite song on the album. It's perfect from start to finish. The first half draws you in gently with soft but sharp melodies and clean vocals that feel distant yet intimate. Then the song shifts, growing darker and heavier without losing that sense of beauty. The riff that drives the second half is hypnotic and endless, pulling you deeper into a place that feels both beautiful and unsettling. It doesn't have any catchy hooks or flashy moments. It instead continues to be a balanced song. The way the song moves between light and dark, soft and heavy. Just feels flawless. It captures everything Ghost Reveries is about in one track.

As much as I love that song, I always listen to the album from start to finish. It doesn't make sense to listen to it in pieces. Every track leads into the next. The album feels like one long journey, and breaking it apart would ruin that feeling.

Ghost Reveries isn't just Opeth's best album. It's one of the most complete albums I've ever heard. Every song, every line, every riff, every fill feels like it belongs. It's an album that sticks in your rotation forever.

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