Subtlety isn't always something that's associated with death metal, but it's always been something that Sweden's Opeth have specialised in. While other, lesser metal bands tend to view bludgeoning riffs and bloodcurdling screams as the means to heavy metal glory, Opeth have concentrated on building epic, intricate music that builds upon a death metal foundation, but which also incorporates the best of other genres.

"Ghost Reveries", the band's new album, is a stunning display in the effective use of subtlety to create great music. Upon first listen, you'll get knocked over by the intense riffs, as any good metal album should do, but on subsequent listens, you begin to discover little hidden nuances to the music, things that aren't immediately apparent at first glance. All of the good Opeth albums have had this characteristic, and thankfully, the departure of Steve Wilson from the production desk hasn't altered that fact one iota.

Ghost of Perdition, the first track on the album kicks off with a trademark burst of screaming and howling from Mikael Åkerfeldt, before it settles into an uneasy, brooding section full of palm-muted guitars and clear vocals. It's faintly reminiscent of Tool, at least until the lightning-quick guitar comes in. Peter Lindgren might not get a lot of cred as an amazing guitarist, but in the first three minutes of this album, he proves his credentials as a musician who can really add a lot of flavour and punch to an album.

Track two, The Baying of the Hounds is another interesting piece, if only because at about the two minute mark, over a bubbling, brooding guitar part, Åkerfeldt opens up with a vocal sequence which is so catchy and appealing, that you just want to sing along. This sort of thing is a real rarity for this sort of music, and if it weren't for the fact that the song is over ten minutes long, and that the last five minutes feature some of the most brutal music on the CD, I can easily see this being placed on mainstream rock radio. It takes a special sort of band to come up with something so accessible, yet also so complex and intelligent, and Opeth nail it on this track.

Amongst the rest of the album, there are some other interesting pieces, like Atonement, the track that everybody is seemingly talking about. The only real holdover from their mostly mellow "Damnation" album, it also clocks in at a relatively short (for this band) six minutes. Featuring mellow lyrics, synthesised string sections, and flourishes of piano near the end, it's a beautiful respite from the violence and carnage of the rest of the album, allowing the listener to gather their thoughts and recover before the onslaught of the second half of the album. It's no mere interlude though, and it's impressive that the band's talents aren't limited to writing brutal prog/death metal songs, but they can write gentler pieces too.

Speaking of the second half, purists will enjoy Reverie/Harlequin Forest, a thumper of a track that recalls the Opeth of the "Morningrise" era. Hours of Wealth is an interesting interlude track that isn't quite as good as Atonement, but its sparseness allows for a bone-jarring transition into The Grand Conjuration. Inspiring stuff.

Perhaps the best thing about this album is the way that it all fits together. I'm not sure whether it's a concept album exactly, since there seems to be no coherent narrative or storyline to the whole affair, but there certainly are repeated themes of supernatural events and occult happenings throughout the entire album. The album is also dark, but dark in a sophisticated, mature way that doesn't rely on cheap imagery or stupid gimmicks to get there. "Ghost Reveries" isn't just a great metal album, it's a great album full stop, and between the brutal tracks and the mellow ones, there's something on here for everybody to love.