GHOST REVERIES

Ghost Reveries was another important milestone for Opeth that showed that the band could write and record great music even without the help of masterminds like Steve Wilson. This is unfortunately the only strong point that I can think of about the album since I've never really been a big fan of its sound.

I had huge expectations on this album due to the massive success it became here in Sweden by reaching the top ten position on the album charts. This had probably more to do with the marketing that was done by Roadrunner Records than any particular doing on band's part. Still it was great to finally see Opeth get the royal treatment they deserved making them the second biggest Swedish metal band after In Flames. My first reaction upon hearing the actual album wasn't as pleasant as I have expected it to be, still I continued listening to it for a few more weeks after which I came to the conclusion that something just wasn't right here.

The album begins with the excellent Ghost Of Perdition which puts the album in the right gear for the rest of the journey but that's where it all comes to a halt. The next section of the album is just nothing more than just an average effort from the band that might have been saved by better production but the dull Roadrunner Records sound mixing just slaughters it for me. It's only when the material finally begins to shine with the introduction of Reverie/Harlequin Forest that I can see beyond those flaws and actually enjoy what I'm hearing. The remaining 20 minutes of Ghost Reveries are very atmospheric and end the record on a high note but doesn't really make up for the dull production. It's like, if I wanted to listen to Dream Theater or Slipknot then I'd listen to those artists so why does Roadrunner Records have to make everything sound so generic and compressed?

If you're not as sensitive to the production of this recording then I'm sure that you'll enjoy it a great deal more since the music featured here is definitely among the best that Mikael Åkerfeldt and the band have ever conceived. Still I have to follow my gut feeling and award Ghost Reveries no more than the good, but non-essential rating.

***** star songs: Reverie/Harlequin Forest (11:39)

**** star songs: Ghost of Perdition (10:29) Hours Of Wealth (5:20) The Grand Conjuration (10:21) Isolation Years (3:51)

*** star songs: The Baying Of The Hounds (10:41) Beneath The Mire (7:57) Atonement (6:28)