What to make of Opeth's lyrics

atlantis19 · July 23rd, 2008, 11:41 PM

I am kind of torn between my head and my heart...between loving Opeth's sound and imagery and being unsure/uncomfortable with their lyrics. Particularly on albums like Ghost Reveries, does anyone know what Mikael's intention is with the sometimes satanic or violent lyrics? Is there supposed to be something deeper or more artistic to it than simply writing about uncontrollable demon possessions and such? (I would hope so, based on the maturity of the music itself) For example, songs like The Grand Conjuration and Ghost of Perdition really make me question what I am listening to(especially if not part of a concept), as I wouldnt exactly want to support beautiful music about satan and evil taking over the world. I suppose it does not make the evil sound so pleasant, but still I dont know what to make of it anyway.

Can anyone help to justify their lyrics to me in a way that will hopefully ease my (somewhat obsessive) worries? Has he ever stated what his intentions are in his lyrics?

Illidan · July 23rd, 2008, 11:52 PM

Ghost Reveries was Mikael's first occult-themed album in years. He's an atheist and doesn't believe in Satan, but invoked the imagery to strengthen the concept of possession.

Taran · July 24th, 2008, 06:57 AM

Read the lyrics from Blackwater Park, Still Life, Deliverance and MAYH and you will see: They are the superlative of GENIUS

wokketywok · July 24th, 2008, 08:12 AM

Actually, Ghost Reveries is a concept. Well, most of it. It was INTENDED to be a concept, but Mikael ditched the idea because he thought the lyrics to Isolation Years were too good to throw away.

Nailed Reaper · July 24th, 2008, 08:19 AM

Just listen to Mike himself. Wait a couple of minutes talking about "Deliverance" & "Damnation", and then listen about "Ghost Reveries" concept.

http://faceculture.ad2stream.com/ind...i_key=11736914
http://faceculture.ad2stream.com/ind...i_key=11736915

Αmorphous · July 24th, 2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illidan

invoked the imagery to strengthen the concept of possession.

Bingo.

There's no satanic worship in the lyrics. They're meant to be evocative of the protagonist's anguish and despair.

The Antihero · July 24th, 2008, 06:19 PM

I find nothing remotely evil or Satanic in Opeth lyrics (or most other death metal for that matter). It's just the delivery that makes them seem that way. For whatever reason we are conditioned to perceive the scream/growl vocal style as being 'evil'. IMO this is why a lot of people dislike death metal bands.....not because of the lyrics or music, but because the vocal style is unsettling or disturbing to them.

atlantis19 · July 24th, 2008, 09:29 PM

I guess its just that I am having trouble seeing the maturity in song after song of someone being uncontrollably possessed and tormented by the devil. I know that dark can be very beautiful, but I think the disturbing element and my inability to see the art/purpose of the lyrics/themes significantly takes away from it for me. Thanks for those interview videos because they were some help, but hopefully the lyrics are not really as bad as I still might be seeing them.

I appreciate your help

ReverieUnfold · July 25th, 2008, 10:15 AM

Well, it's one thing to be subjectively taken aback by the theme, tone, etc. of Ghost Reveries' lyrics, but to describe them as -bad- for those reasons...

I'd say these are all examples of good Opeth lyrics on GR, at least in relativity to the album's concept:

"Ghost of Perdition"

"If one cut the source of the flow
And everything would change
Would conviction fall
In the shadow of the righteous
The phantasm of your mind
Might be calling you to go
Defying the forgotten morals
Where the victim is the prey"

"The Baying of the Hounds"

"His mouth is a vortex
Sucking you into it's pandemonium
Fools you with a helping hand of ashes
Reached out in false dismay
His body is a country
The cities lay dead and beyond despair
Friends turned enemies unable to come clean
In a rising fog of reeking death

Everything you believed is a lie
Everyone you loved is a death burden
So you take comfort in him
And you are receptive to stark wishes
No longer struggling to declare your stand
You would inflict no harm to others
They are unaware of you
And in a loop of futile events
You are everything, they are nothing"

"I am too weak to resist
Tension vibrating with horror
Finding the outcast in my eyes
Pushing nerves on a puppet
Endless poison in my veins
Clean intent now tainted with death

And so, cold touch now inhumane
Every waking hour
Awaiting a reverie to unfold
And now they are calling me
Louder by the minute
The baying of the hounds
Calling me back to my home"

"Beneath the Mire"

"Haunted nights for halcyon days
Can't sleep to the scraping of his voice
Nature's way struck grief in me
And I became a ghost in sickness
Willingly guided into heresy
Beneath the surface stark emptiness
And you'd pity my conviction
Whereas I thought of myself as a leader"

I think with the exception of "Atonement" (whose lyrics I believe can be read into much more deeply than first seems reasonable) and "Isolation Years (whose words are of consistent acclaim), the rest of GR's lyrics are somewhat sparse and just stand out less. I don't even find tracks other than 1-3 and 7 to be overtly 'demonic' in analogy-- maybe only when considered in the others' context.

The Antihero · July 25th, 2008, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atlantis19

I guess its just that I am having trouble seeing the maturity in song after song of someone being uncontrollably possessed and tormented by the devil. I know that dark can be very beautiful, but I think the disturbing element and my inability to see the art/purpose of the lyrics/themes significantly takes away from it for me. Thanks for those interview videos because they were some help, but hopefully the lyrics are not really as bad as I still might be seeing them.

I appreciate your help

Well, if you can't get past it I would suggest that this music is not for you.

And there's no shame in that.

Check out Porcupine Tree if you haven't already, the later stuff is somewhat similar without so much dark imagery. (it's dark, but more in a social conscience kind of way).

Lightbulb Sun · July 25th, 2008, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Antihero

Check out Porcupine Tree if you haven't already, the later stuff is somewhat similar without so much dark imagery. (it's dark, but more in a social conscience kind of way).

Porcupine Tree's later stuff actually takes influence from Opeth.....

July 23rd, 2008, 11:41 PM	#1 (permalink)
atlantis19 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 21	What to make of Opeth's lyrics I am kind of torn between my head and my heart...between loving Opeth's sound and imagery and being unsure/uncomfortable with their lyrics. Particularly on albums like Ghost Reveries, does anyone know what Mikael's intention is with the sometimes satanic or violent lyrics? Is there supposed to be something deeper or more artistic to it than simply writing about uncontrollable demon possessions and such? (I would hope so, based on the maturity of the music itself) For example, songs like The Grand Conjuration and Ghost of Perdition really make me question what I am listening to(especially if not part of a concept), as I wouldnt exactly want to support beautiful music about satan and evil taking over the world. I suppose it does not make the evil sound so pleasant, but still I dont know what to make of it anyway. Can anyone help to justify their lyrics to me in a way that will hopefully ease my (somewhat obsessive) worries? Has he ever stated what his intentions are in his lyrics?

July 23rd, 2008, 11:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
Illidan 21st Century Schizoid Man Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 1,180	Ghost Reveries was Mikael's first occult-themed album in years. He's an atheist and doesn't believe in Satan, but invoked the imagery to strengthen the concept of possession. __________________ Carta's: I'll watch the acrobats. That's it, of course, the feminine acrobats. RoadKing: Which feminine acrobats, the men or the women? I do not play WoW and never have.

July 24th, 2008, 06:57 AM	#3 (permalink)
Taran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 58	Read the lyrics from Blackwater Park, Still Life, Deliverance and MAYH and you will see: They are the superlative of GENIUS

July 24th, 2008, 08:12 AM	#4 (permalink)
wokketywok Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 13	Actually, Ghost Reveries is a concept. Well, most of it. It was INTENDED to be a concept, but Mikael ditched the idea because he thought the lyrics to Isolation Years were too good to throw away.

July 24th, 2008, 08:19 AM	#5 (permalink)
Nailed Reaper Rushan Moothaphookah Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 370	Just listen to Mike himself. Wait a couple of minutes talking about "Deliverance" & "Damnation", and then listen about "Ghost Reveries" concept. http://faceculture.ad2stream.com/ind...i_key=11736914 http://faceculture.ad2stream.com/ind...i_key=11736915

July 24th, 2008, 06:19 PM	#7 (permalink)
The Antihero Ninja Evasion Specialist Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 147	I find nothing remotely evil or Satanic in Opeth lyrics (or most other death metal for that matter). It's just the delivery that makes them seem that way. For whatever reason we are conditioned to perceive the scream/growl vocal style as being 'evil'. IMO this is why a lot of people dislike death metal bands.....not because of the lyrics or music, but because the vocal style is unsettling or disturbing to them.

July 24th, 2008, 09:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
atlantis19 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 21	I guess its just that I am having trouble seeing the maturity in song after song of someone being uncontrollably possessed and tormented by the devil. I know that dark can be very beautiful, but I think the disturbing element and my inability to see the art/purpose of the lyrics/themes significantly takes away from it for me. Thanks for those interview videos because they were some help, but hopefully the lyrics are not really as bad as I still might be seeing them. I appreciate your help

July 25th, 2008, 10:15 AM	#9 (permalink)
ReverieUnfold Psychotropeth Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 40	Well, it's one thing to be subjectively taken aback by the theme, tone, etc. of Ghost Reveries' lyrics, but to describe them as -bad- for those reasons... I'd say these are all examples of good Opeth lyrics on GR, at least in relativity to the album's concept: "Ghost of Perdition" "If one cut the source of the flow And everything would change Would conviction fall In the shadow of the righteous The phantasm of your mind Might be calling you to go Defying the forgotten morals Where the victim is the prey" "The Baying of the Hounds" "His mouth is a vortex Sucking you into it's pandemonium Fools you with a helping hand of ashes Reached out in false dismay His body is a country The cities lay dead and beyond despair Friends turned enemies unable to come clean In a rising fog of reeking death Everything you believed is a lie Everyone you loved is a death burden So you take comfort in him And you are receptive to stark wishes No longer struggling to declare your stand You would inflict no harm to others They are unaware of you And in a loop of futile events You are everything, they are nothing" "I am too weak to resist Tension vibrating with horror Finding the outcast in my eyes Pushing nerves on a puppet Endless poison in my veins Clean intent now tainted with death And so, cold touch now inhumane Every waking hour Awaiting a reverie to unfold And now they are calling me Louder by the minute The baying of the hounds Calling me back to my home" "Beneath the Mire" "Haunted nights for halcyon days Can't sleep to the scraping of his voice Nature's way struck grief in me And I became a ghost in sickness Willingly guided into heresy Beneath the surface stark emptiness And you'd pity my conviction Whereas I thought of myself as a leader" I think with the exception of "Atonement" (whose lyrics I believe can be read into much more deeply than first seems reasonable) and "Isolation Years (whose words are of consistent acclaim), the rest of GR's lyrics are somewhat sparse and just stand out less. I don't even find tracks other than 1-3 and 7 to be overtly 'demonic' in analogy-- maybe only when considered in the others' context.