Ghost Reveries
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| Ghost Reveries | ||
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| Studio album by Opeth | ||
| Released |  29 August, 2005 30 August, 2005 |
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| Recorded | March 15 - June 1, 2005 | |
| Genre | Melodic death metal Progressive metal |
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| Length | 66:24 | |
| Label | Roadrunner | |
| Producer(s) | Jens Borgen | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Opeth chronology | ||
| Damnation (2003) |
Ghost Reveries (2005) |
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Ghost Reveries is the eighth studio album release from the progressive death metal band Opeth. It is their first album with their new record label, Roadrunner Records. It is also the first album by Opeth to include Per Wiberg as a "permanent" member, although Wiberg contributed keyboard work to Opeth's live performances starting around the time of Deliverance. Frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt has declared the album's general mood is inspired by occult themes. This is the first time in 15 years that Mikael Åkerfeldt has written occult-inspired songs.
The album was recorded at Fascination Street Studios, which are located in Örebro, Sweden. Album art is by Travis Smith, who also contributed artwork to Opeth's previous releases. The album was released in Europe on August 29, 2005, and in North America on August 30, 2005. Ghost Reveries peaked on the Billboard 200 at #64.
The album's single is "The Grand Conjuration". A music video of the song has been released, though about half the song was edited from the video.
A special edition of the album was released by Roadrunner Records on October 31, 2006. Next to the already existing songs it contains a cover of the Deep Purple Song "Soldier of Fortune", 5:1 Surround Mix, 40 minute documentary and the video clip for 'The Grand Conjuration'.
Contents |
[edit] Concept
Ghost Reveries was initially intended to be a concept album, with numerous tracks linking together a story of a man's turmoil after killing his own mother. However, Mikael Åkerfeldt claims he wanted the track "Isolation Years" on the album despite its irrelevance to the plot. Thus, the album only partly portrays a concept, not fully arranged in the poetic manner as previous opuses such as Still Life. However, there is a recurring concept of characters falling into and out of the Devil's temptations, and the first five songs of the album appears to have a coherent storyline, describing a man being outcast from his home because of his occult interests. He eventually decides to quit occultism (Atonement), which prompts Satan to wreak revenge on him and burn down the forest in which he has sought refuge. In The Grand Conjuration the main character has returned to the Devil's servitude.
[edit] Track listing
- "Ghost of Perdition" – 10:29
- "The Baying of the Hounds" – 10:41
- "Beneath the Mire" – 7:57
- "Atonement" – 6:28
- "Reverie/Harlequin Forest" – 11:39
- "Hours of Wealth" – 5:20
- "The Grand Conjuration" – 10:21
- "Isolation Years" – 3:51
- "Soldier of Fortune" (Deep Purple cover; special edition only) – 3:15
[edit] Notes
- In the track "Reverie/Harlequin Forest", "Reverie" is a pregap to track five "Harlequin Forest" - hence the name "Reverie/Harlequin Forest". In all modern CD players, the pregap to any track (besides the first track) will be played following the end of the previous track (in this case, track four), which has led some people to believe that "Reverie" was actually a "hidden track" of sorts to track four, "Atonement". If you "rewind" from the beginning of track five on a modern CD player, you should see a negative time display, which is the "Reverie" pregap.
[edit] Credits
- Mikael Åkerfeldt – Vocals, Guitar, Additional Mellotron
- Peter Lindgren – Guitar
- Martin Mendez – Bass
- Martin Lopez – Drums, Percussion
- Per Wiberg – Mellotrons, Organ, Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Backing vocals
| Opeth |
| Mikael Åkerfeldt | Peter Lindgren | Martin Mendez | Martin Axenrot | Per Wiberg |
| David Isberg | Andreas Dimeo | Kim Pettersson | Johan DeFarfalla | Stefan Guteklint | Mattias Ander | Nick Döring | Anders Nordin | Martin Lopez |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio Albums: Orchid | Morningrise | My Arms, Your Hearse | Still Life | Blackwater Park | Deliverance | Damnation | Ghost Reveries |
| Singles: The Drapery Falls | Still Day Beneath the Sun | The Grand Conjuration |
| Live Albums: Lamentations |
