NORMAL GUY REACTS: Opeth - Reverie / Harlequin Forest (Studio)

[@jirikrajnak9047]

One of the very few really innovative metal bands, IMO.

[@blanccarlos4479]

Oh no no no Melodic metal: Orphaned Land - Mabool (Prog metal with a strong middle eastern sound) Myrath - Tales of the Sands (Riffy power metal with a strong middle eastern sound) Whispered - Metsutan: Songs of the Void (Melodeath/symphonic metal with East Asian folk elements) Primordial - The Coffin Ships (Desolate folk metal) Rhythmically focused metal: Bloodywood - Gaddaar (Groove metal with Indian folk elements) Primus: Frizzle Fry (Funk metal) Death metal: Atheist - Unquestionable Presence Cynic - Focus (The two original jazz-metal fusion albums) Immolation - Close to a World Below (the track) Dissonant and fractured guitarwork. Ulcerate - Drown Within Gorguts - Obscura (Dissonant, high-octave guitarwork that deviates from any resemblance of "normal" metal guitarwork at times. A lot of rhythmic fuckery too.) DiSEMBOWELMENT's Transcendence in the Peripheral (Very minimalistic and atmospheric sound. Overlaps with doom metal) Septicflesh - Lovecraft's Death (Symphonic death metal with a real orchestra) Imperial Triumphant (Mixes jazz and Ulcerate/Gorguts' style of death metal) Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris (Brutal/technical death metal with an optimistic, major key sound) Black Metal Burzum - Filosofem (Ambient music in a black metal context) Deathspell Omega - Fas, ite, maledictum in ignem aeternum (Chaotic, dense, dark music achieved through creative means) Deathspell Omega - Paracletus (Black metal with very unique, subtly meaningful melodies) Deafheaven - Sunbather Black metal and shoegaze fusion (or blackgaze) Liturgy - 93696 Just listen to it. Ved Buens Ende: Written in Waters Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi (Avant-garde with atmospheric and psychedelic elements.) White Ward - Love Exchange Death (Blackgaze with depressive black metal influences) Doom Metal: Esoteric - Circle (Psychedelic doom metal. For a more obvious example of the genre fusion, try Esoteric's The Pernicious Enigma.) Also the prev. mentioned Transcendence into the Peripheral by DiSEMBOWELMENT Industrial metal: Godflesh - Christbait Rising (Dark sludge/industrial metal fusion)

[@DosCaracteres]

​@@blanccarlos4479 that is still few in comparison to the vast amount of metal bands that we have today. I think the majority of the most successful metal bands play styles that are much more easily labeled as one specific genre and I think that's what the guy was referring to.

[@blanccarlos4479]

@@DosCaracteres I agree, just wanted a reason to share some great bands

[@lucasmiguel4734]

I think there are A LOT of bands in metal that are really innovative, but they don't get the attention they deserve

[@The13thblade]

Opeth. Is so fun. So everything.

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Amen.

[@ivananderson9922]

Dude, these guys have produced so much outstanding music, you've only just scratched the surface! Pale Communion is the album I play the most, I love to drum along to it. Thank you!

[@NormalGuyReacts]

I'm quickly finding out just how expansive the catalog is.

[@markblaauw4961]

It's been a while since I heard this one. Goosebumps all over the place. Again. That's the magic of Opeth.

[@NormalGuyReacts]

I feel it. I get it.

[@floridabelle]

Loved this! Thank you for more 🔥🔥❤Opeth❤🔥🔥 I'm really excited for you to experience more of their superb music!

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Thanks for your continued support!

[@floridabelle]

@@NormalGuyReacts 🤘🙂🤘

[@darkphoenix2]

That sense of storytelling is why I love prog stuff, and Opeth does it better than almost any band I've heard

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Definitely, and it comes through loud and clear in their music.

[@Zitronenparty]

It's always a pleasure to see someone else experience them for the first time :) I would love to see you react to "Coil/Heir Apparent", "Bleak", "Burden", "Faith in Others" and pretty much any other Opeth Song :D

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Hey thanks! I have reacted to a few other Opeth tracks but none of the ones you’ve listed. I’m hoping to keep going with Opeth so stay tuned!

[@Zitronenparty]

@@NormalGuyReacts Yeah I know I've watched all your other reactions already and can't wait for the next videos on your Opeth journey :) Only thing I'd like to mention, and please don't get this the wrong way, it may be just my language barrier that I can't put it into nicer words: Please try to pause a bit less when listening to them the first time :) I know it's tempting and that you from time to time also have to because of copyright stuff, but especially Opeth songs have a lot of mood changes and transitions that easily get lost when stopping to often or it destroys the overall feel very quickly. But that may be just my humble opinion :) Anyway I'm totally looking forward to more from you and Opeth!

[@NormalGuyReacts]

I get that. It’s tough not to pause and talk about what I’m thinking about but also I notified I have missed a few cool things on first listen. I appreciate the feedback for sure!

[@ivandraginov134]

Awesome! This is my favorite song by them, glad you reacted to it.

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Glad I did too! Already gave it the car listen too!

[@NaanProphet]

Just an FYI, your reaction was just to Harlequin Forest and not to Reverie. Reverie is a short prelude that occupied a gap track on the CD but when ripped to digital format, gets tacked on the end of the previous track. So if you listen to the last minute of track 4, Atonement, that’s Reverie. It’s weird that they did it that way but just figured I’d put it out there.

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Oh interesting. Good to know.

[@Arrow2theACL]

Listens to the outro riff: Pause. "Jesus" Play. Couldn't have said it better myself. I have not read it in the comments, but that outro is actually in 4/4 but with a syncopated rhythm.

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Haha! Well that’s even wilder than I thought it was going to be. That’s sick.

[@bryanmack5410]

Solid reaction and explanation of what you were thinking (as this is a thinking-person's band). It's all the little details, together, that do it for me - especially the small ideas in production. Oh, and the kick-ass metal of it all.

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Thanks so much. Thinking about musical choices and motivations is one of my favorite aspects of engaging with music.

[@bryanmack5410]

@@NormalGuyReacts yep. For me, metal offers a HUGE catalog of exactly that. While some, like Opeth, are easier to digest than others, even Cannibal Corpse has a lot of thought in both arrangement and execution/production :) With that said, don't react to Cannibal Corpse.

[@kaplamis]

Fun fact: outro is actually written in 4/4, it's all matter of accents and syncopation

[@Xumbos]

This guy gets it, great reaction and high quality video! Love the comments and how well spoken you are about the subject, keep it up! Opeth is my fav band btw

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Thanks for the kind comment! The best part of don’t these react videos is to keep the conversation going afterward. I’ve learned so much from the great comments, suggestions and feedback. Thanks for watching. And, Opeth as a favorite band makes a whole hell of a lot of sense.

[@jocelynbunn]

I always get a No Quarter feel with the keyboards!

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Yuuuuuup!

[@snordal]

Great reaction again! Looking forward to more Opeth. The keys tune in this track always reminds me of No Quarter by Led Zeppelin. Live version of this track at Royal albert hall is quite good.

[@NormalGuyReacts]

That’s it! The keys from No Quarter! Exactly what I couldn’t place! Thanks!

[@davidarnold6727]

@@NormalGuyReacts No Quarter is pretty far up there with my favorite Led Zeppelin songs. I think an interesting future request you may enjoy is Tool's cover of it. I have to give credit to Zeppelin for writing such a masterpiece so I can't say that Tool's is better, but they do a wonderful job taking it in their own direction, while still keeping the overall feel of the song.

[@karimyacob1043]

actually i'm not used to finish watching a reaction vid but i finished watching this one keep up man u'r vids are really intersting ❤

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Thanks so much. I just moved and my office isn’t built back up yet but as soon as it is… the reactions will start again. Thanks for the feedback!

[@joshstribling7013]

Love that stankface at the end of the song

[@benjaminaube7947]

This guy. This guy GETS it. Cheers, man! It's the story it tells, and how it allows the fully engaged listener to feel what its characters are feeling. That's what this song (and most of Opeth's work, which is a very high art form, in my opinion - more than just music) is all about. I want to write this out in full one day, but very basically, this is how I see/hear/feel the journey that this song takes you on (and, like a good movie, it's not always a comfortable one - but it's totally worth it when you come out of it at the end). THE NON-CONCEPT CONCEPT* First off, from what we know, Ghost Reveries is an incomplete "concept" album, but the concept was largely abandoned - although most of the parts do seem to be there (the album, according to the band, who can be very cheeky and often have to be taken with a grain of salt - they are Swedish, after all ;) - is not necessarily in any storytelling order, and even has at least one song completely unrelated to any loose concept). I believe the story is loosely about a person who, under the influence of possession and daemonic voices (and perhaps what many might assume is mental illness), has murdered his mother. "Ghost of Perdition," "Beneath the Mire" and "The Baying of the Hounds" are other names of tunes on the album, and it's not difficult to hear certain linkages and themes between them and "Reverie/Harlequin Forest". THE CHASE And "Reverie/Harlequin Forest" leaps into action immediately (ironically, with the lyrics about hearing "the baying of the hounds, in the distance"), with the feel of someone running, being chased into a forest at night (chased by the authorities or townspeople? By demons? By all of the above?). I imagine this person is someone who has momentarily snapped out of whatever rage/possession caused him to murder his mother, and has come to the realization of what exactly he's done. Not only that, his crime has become known by others too, and the alarm has been sounded. He's on the run. But we very quickly get the feeling that this isn't a normal forest. And this man is not well. He's exhausted, cold, terrified, panicking. He can literally hear the dogs barking in the distance, in his mind, tracking him down through his reeking guilt ("a trail of sickness leading to me"). And the voices in his head are starting to creep back in too. It has started to rain ("vapour hands"? and also, the whole general vibe). Our guy is running on adrenaline, and he's fighting just to maintain any last semblance of sanity he has. Taking his own life is something he's considering. But as his mind wanders and he's losing it, reality begins to blur - both literally and figuratively. He's stumbling around. The forest is spinning, shifting between slow motion and hyper-speed, as flashes of visions of daemons and murder and trees with faces (insert your own horrifying imagery here!) mingle together. He's entered a trance-like state as the adrenaline floods his brain (along with other hormones that make you feel things? I'm not a biochemist, lay off me man). And finally, he collapses. REVERIE We've entered the "Reverie" part of the song (aka. the acoustic section..."They are the trees", and the guitar harmony part - truly one of the most beautiful, haunting, perfect pieces of music I have ever heard). Though his life is still in danger, it's a brief reprieve for our troubled fellow, as he's entered a dream state. Suddenly, he can feel the forest's soul, and how the trees are quite literally alive - in a very conscious way. It suddenly all makes sense. They are revealing themselves. But, as we now know, this is not a normal forest (again, this is not a "normal" man at this point - so take everything he says/feels with a grain of salt, if realism is your thing). The longer he stays in this forest, the more the "rotten" trees will suck his soul ("thieving from my source"). Their subsistence is our man's sanity. As he wakes up and snaps out of his dream, he knows he's still in big trouble. From the hounds/villagers behind him, but now, also the daemons in his head. His thoughts of suicide are put on hold, and survival instincts kick back in. He has to get out of this forest. This Harlequin Forest ("Harlequin," of course, is a word derived from the traditional Italian commedia dell'arte character of the same name, known for playing tricks and pranks - but instead of innocent fun, this trickster forest's "harlequin" nature is unmistakably dark and sinister). We're not sure if the hounds are still chasing and baying, at this point. It sounds like he may have eluded them momentarily. Either way, his main enemy isn't them anymore. It's Him vs. The Forest, now. HARLEQUIN FOREST The last few lyrics of the song show that with every passing moment, our antihero is losing the battle in his head. It's really no contest. He never stood a chance. "Stark determination\Poisoning the soul\Unfettered beast inside\Chiming sovereign control". The daemons have taken over again. And now they're pissed off, too. Whether or not he really burns the forest down, I'm not sure (see the lyrics - another literal interpretation could that he returns to burn the village he escaped down). Either way, he has no use for the forest anymore. And it has no use for him. And then we get to the last riff. What. The. Hell. Incoherent. Uncomfortable. Marching forward, but never getting anywhere, going in circles, seeing the same trees and clearings over and over again. Our guy's mind is now completely gone as he's going through the motions (I imagine with a maniacal grin on his face). As a listener\fan, as much as I love the riff and the style with the absolutely insane fidgety syncopation (see the epic ending to the song "Deliverance" from the album with the same title), it's an objectively uncomfortable listen. It goes on and on and on - for an almost awkward amount of time. As listeners (especially on first or second listen), our brains are completely confused. We've just gone through this incredible, emotional journey, and now, we're lost. We have no idea what's going on or when it's going to end. When we think it's going to end, it doesn't. It just keeps going. In every single new reaction video I see to this song, the listeners almost ALWAYS have the same reaction: They recognize the filthiness of the riff 1-2 seconds in, and love it, but by the time it comes around the 3rd time, they're just kind of staring off-screen with a half-smile, half-frown. By the end of it, the smile is gone (unless they're still laughing at the ridiculousness/cheekiness of the riff itself). And when it finally ends, that riff has exhausted our listening powers. We're ready for another Reverie - I know I am! (Quick side note nobody asked for: Unfortunately, in this day an age of 7-second attention spans, narcissism, and erosion of critical thinking and creativity, folks today seem to have a very hard time taking the time to differentiate popular/mass produced music and true art. This is clearly in the latter category. Meaningful things, and definitely meaningful art, takes time. It's usually an investment, but the result is ALWAYS worth it. I hope humanity will come back to appreciating and taking the time to absorb real art one day. Or at least be able to recognize the difference.) I just realized I started this by saying I wanted to write this out in full one day - but I guess that day was today. Thanks for the inspiration! Keep it up, brother, great reaction! *Disclaimer: Any "facts" stated above come from memory and interpretation, and are therefore subject to being wrong or off-base. Sorry in advance to any fellow diehards I've offended.

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Well this is one epic bit of feedback and analysis. I really do appreciate you writing this out and it’s a other layer of the song/albums that I need to delve into. I couldn’t agree more with your sentiment about the importance of taking the time to really “hear” music and to be challenged by the creativity of it. There is something inherently self centered about a react video, but then again they offer up, in the digital age, one of my favorite aspects music… the shared experience and subjective interpretation. I spend a lot of time truly enjoying watch other people listen and experience music that I love and it brings me a good bit of joy. Cheers and thanks for writing this out. I get experience this album now through a new lens and that’s damn cool.

[@benjaminaube7947]

@@NormalGuyReacts Oh any "mini-rant" in there was certainly not directed your way (or anyone in particular). More of a "kids these days", "old man yelling at cloud" kind of thing (I'm in my mid-30s, but still, disillusionnement knows no age!). If more people had your perspective on this kind of stuff, I believe the world would be a better place. My apologies if any of it came across as an attack or criticism in any way - not at all the intention! Thanks again for sharing your reactions - I think these videos are great because it allows someone like me to re-live vicariously the joy of hearing for the first time this song which I've listened to hundreds of times. So keep it up! One of the best reaction channels I've seen (cant wait to discover some new music down the line too!)

[@benjaminaube7947]

And btw, that confused look I described on the faces of reactors digesting that final riff is still the face I make to this day during that part haha. I think it's inevitable, it's totally meant to mess with our brains and our senses lol, and it's a genius move by a genius band.

[@mute7116]

My favorite song of theirs. Been fun to watch opeth reacts....but gee whiz, where to go from here?!

[@thefluxcapacitor1]

They do a great cover of Would?.

[@soakedbearrd]

That sonar sound is a mellotron. Also spot on with AIC, they have a cover of their song Would?.

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Ah yes, the mellotron. So cool.

[@TerceiroLugar]

Trust me, this band is something else. You should try Windowpane. It's different from any song you reacted from them.

[@lawrencefine5020]

I know people hate to hear this but the Red Rocks performance isn't prime Opeth live. Mikael has all but lost his growl by Red Rocks and have pretty much become Jethro Tull and Camel. Yes, I don't like their last 4 releases. Prime Opeth is between 99- 08. Still Life, Blackwater Park, Deliverance, Damnation, Ghost Reveries, and Watershed. Saying all that, Opeth is still my all time favorite Metal Band.

[@jeremysieving7434]

The live version of this song from The Royal Albert Hall, imo is better than the studio version.

[@NormalGuyReacts]

Right on.

[@constantino7917]

nah

[@inihawfestival7677]

Lol these People recommending live versions to new listeners. If you want someone to get hooked, studio version is the way.