Top 10 Best Opeth Songs

The Top Ten
1 Ghost of Perdition

Now I'm listening to this song. The growls are just too perfect and demonic. It feels like you are deep down in hell, and Satan himself growls from Mikael's mouth. And that epic guitar riff at 8:20 makes me close my eyes and imagine that I am immortal or something like that.

I don't believe Satan and hell, etc., exist. I just wanted to demonstrate how I feel listening to this masterpiece.

So many legendary songs, man! But this one is a little more effective than others, I think. If I were to make a list of my favorites, it would be like this:

1. Ghost of Perdition
2. Blackwater Park
3. Black Rose Immortal
4. Harvest
5. The Moor
6. Sorceress
7. Reverie/Harlequin Forest
8. The Drapery Falls
9. Burden
10. Eternal Rains Will Come

God, I ran out of space...

2 Blackwater Park

Each of the dozen or more riffs in Blackwater Park could stand by itself as a 5-star track. This is surely the most monumental piece of metal ever played.

The way this song is constructed from start to finish is just awesome! I feel like Ghost of Perdition might have been Opeth's biggest musical success as a death metal band, but then comes Blackwater Park, a song with an incredibly dark yet engaging atmosphere and intentionally louder but also more playful elements. With the mix between death and black metal, what more can you ask for from Opeth if you already have something really valuable coming from them? Because, as I said, this is the best jewel of the band and one of the greatest heavy metal songs.

3 Burden

This song is untouchable. When I first heard it, I almost cried. It's beautiful - the piano solo, great. The guitar solos, pretty godlike. And of course, Mikael Åkerfeldt is just simply made by the heavens.

An absolute masterpiece of progressive metal. The union of songwriting and music composition is beyond the reach of any others now. Well done, Opeth. This will be one of the most legendary tunes of all time.

... And the gold medal for best solo goes to... Burden from Opeth!
The silver medal for best solo goes to... Comfortably Numb from Pink Floyd!
And the bronze medal for best solo goes to... Drive Home from Steven Wilson!

4 Black Rose Immortal

I love this song so much! Twenty minutes of pure beauty. This is one of their early songs, so the vocals do have a sound somewhat akin to black metal. But the instrumentals on this are genius. So many riffs packed into this song, both acoustic and electric. The whole song has a kind of evil medieval sound to it, which really works well. It's a great song and really underrated compared to Blackwater Park, Ghost of Perdition, and Burden - though those are great, in my opinion.

This song really defines Opeth. They are a brilliant band. That goes without saying. The basslines, the riffs, Mikael's voice, the way it has been put together, and the transitions! It's just way up there with one of the best progressive death metal songs ever written.

5 The Moor

I remember this was the very first song that got me intensely engrossed in Opeth songs. Even before making a decision to listen to this song, the cover art of the song's album really impressed me as I had never seen such a beautiful and intriguing cover in my whole life. There is so much and something really deep and meaningful that the art depicts. It becomes very difficult to interpret it exactly as the band intended it. All in all, a terrific song from an even more terrific album...

Don't get me wrong, Ghost of Perdition is definitely one of Opeth's better songs and surely fits within the all-time top ten list, but to put it at the top of the list does a bit of injustice to the other greater songs. In my opinion, it's not even the best song on Ghost Reveries, and Harlequin Forest definitely knocks it down like a bulldozer. Songs like The Moor, The Drapery Falls, Demons of the Fall are more deserving of the top spot, especially The Moor.

6 The Drapery Falls

As Opeth gradually transitioned from death metal to prog rock, the two genres converged into one of the greatest masterpieces ever - the Blackwater Park album. If I had to pick one quintessential Opeth song, it would either be this or Blackwater Park. They're both perfectly representative of Opeth's proficiency at any musical task they put their minds to. This somber, haunting masterpiece of a song is just a perfect blend of clean vocals and acoustic guitar with heavier and more powerful metal that somehow retains the mournful, brooding quality of the softer sections.

7 Bleak

Man, "Ghost of Perdition" isn't even the best song on the album (that's a toss-up between "Reverie/Harlequin Forest" and "The Grand Conjuration" in my opinion), let alone the discography. Rock Band kids, what can you do?

This song has it all. From sweet but haunted to cripplingly cold and brutal, Opeth delivers big time with "Bleak." Steven Wilson's vocals in the chorus are a huge plus. That man is a prog god. The song is a great showcase of everything Opeth does right: strong, full growls. Melodic instrumental jams. Lyrics that lure you in and then betray your trust. Åkerfeldt says it best himself: "I am the Eros Ramazzotti of Sweden, and also a genius when it comes to music..."

8 Deliverance

Opeth songs just feel like an adventure. The transitions, the changes in emotion just make them seem like an epic journey. Every song Michael has written is like that. Nothing but pure brilliance, genius, and talent is needed to be able to pour that much feeling, emotion, and storytelling into every song he writes. For me (at least at the moment), this song showcases all this the best. Listen to the whole thing, and by the end, you will not feel the same as you did before you started listening. The solos are excellent, and the riff in the middle where Michael sings cleanly is just heavenly.

9 Harlequin Forest

This song is really something else. It may just be Opeth's most well-rounded song. It is like being transported to a dream - one that is hauntingly beautiful and mesmerizing, yet also dark, terrifying, and overburdened with immeasurable sorrow. It's like riding through the dark woods and hills of medieval Europe on horseback. The guitar melodies are so rich and atmospheric, accompanied by beautiful and brutal vocals that give the song a regretful and macabre feel.

Incredible instrumentation from the entire band. These guys can do so much more than just play - they can compose and tell a story. It's up there with Ghost of Perdition as one of the most dream-like and epic songs that I've ever heard, while also being a brutal death metal jam.

10 To Bid You Farewell

I have been listening to this song (among other Opeth songs in my playlist) every single day for the past I don't know how many years. Easily the best song Opeth made. This should be #1 for sure.

Simply beautiful, and the Gilmour-esque solo is one of my favorites of all time. This song really blends genres better than any other. Just sit back and let yourself get lost in the emotion this song evokes.

Easily in my top three. Surprised it's not higher on this list considering Burden and In My Time of Need are so high.

The Contenders
11 In My Time of Need

Amazing song. It starts off very slow and smooth, and it's very enjoyable. It's very melodic, similar to the King Crimson song "In the Wake of Poseidon," with that feel to it, especially with the piano.

I love this song. It's different and original. Really touching, and I love his voice. It's so unique and unlike anything I've ever heard.

Just the fact that a death metal band can make a strong and amazing clean acoustic song is mind-blowing to me. Definitely, my favorite song on Damnation.

12 Face of Melinda

The melody is just brilliant! The lyrics are very seductive but somewhat sad too, and the truth is that there are very few Opeth songs that know how to handle it as well as this one. It's difficult to find great masterpieces like Face of Melinda. Its acoustic guitar is incomparable!

I can't believe this one is down here. Definitely one of my favorite songs of all time! It has great deep lyrics, a great intro... It's just so perfect!

A total masterpiece. My second favorite song after Black Rose Immortal. Opeth has so many perfect riffs. Lots of them are in this song.

13 Godhead's Lament

This has it all at Opeth's best - complex and inventive drumming, layers of shifting melody, guitars swinging from brutal riffs to delicate finger picking, Åkerfeldt's trademark clean/growling vocals, and a haunting storyline which ties the whole thing together with the rest of Still Life. Mesmerizing.

This is the song that got me hooked on Opeth - at the 3-minute mark when everything changes and becomes more dynamic. It was at that moment that I realized Opeth was more than just any death metal band. They're far more dynamic.

14 The Baying of the Hounds

EVERY WAKING HOUR.

I love the groovy bass lines on this album, especially in this song. The great balance of vocal styles and the epic journey that this song takes you on from beginning to end make this song my favorite of all time.

The Baying of the Hounds is a song that I particularly like very much for its versatility, melody, and rhythm. Everything is perfect. I don't know if it's the best song of the band, but I find it very difficult to choose one.

This song has some of the greatest riffs ever made. The combination of death growls and clean vocals is what makes you love Opeth. It's a great song by a great band. Love them m/

15 Hessian Peel

I don't begrudge Opeth for changing their direction. Don't get me wrong, I liked Heritage and loved Pale Communion, but after the disaster of Sorceress, I went back and revisited 'old' Opeth, and one of my least favorite albums at the time - Watershed. Wow, how I was wrong, particularly about this song, which is rapidly becoming my favorite. It really is what Opeth should be about - growls and clean vocals, brutal riffs and soft interludes, changes in timing and pace, as well as mesmerizingly dark vocals. The backwards lyrics in this song are genius.

16 Demons of the Fall

This song is just amazing. I think it has some of the best heavy and soft moments of all Opeth songs. Also, BWP (album) is overrated (I like it a lot, but still...). "Burden" is great, but it doesn't hold a special place for me when there are songs like "Credence," "To Bid You Farewell," "In My Time of Need," and "Isolation Years" to compete with it (other "clean" vocal songs).

This is the definitive Opeth song from their death metal phase. Absolutely terrifying performance.

This is one of the best progressive death metal songs out there. Surprised it isn't in the top ten.

17 Harvest

What?! This song should be in the top ten. It has a relaxing effect. And it's like a melody for death. I'm not even talking about the vocals and guitar... Harvest gives me feels.

The verse/chorus style is distinctly un-Opeth, yet in a vast selection of great songs, Harvest is my top pick, closely followed by Bleak, Deliverance, The Baying of the Hounds, Windowpane, Isolation Years... Damn! Too many to choose from!

This song is just pure amazing. The clean vocals are soft and brilliant! This song should be part of the top ten.

18 The Leper Affinity

This song is so underrated! I love the dark riffing, but with the quirky prog rock nature. It was the first Opeth song I had ever heard, and it's still one of their absolute best!

This is the song you show people to get them into Opeth. Great jazzy riffing and progressive elements blended with death metal.

Maybe it should be in the 4th place. All the songs of Blackwater Park were madness... The best progressive metal of all time!

19 The Lotus Eater

The best thing I like about this song is the lyrics. They have such a sense of mystery to them. The Lotus Eater - I know that's something about Greek mythology or something, where on a Greek island, the inhabitants ate lotus flowers and flutes to forget about their troubles and worries and sleep... It's an awesome song as well. It particularly grew on me after seeing it live.

By far the most Opeth song! No contest! The vocals are superb - Åkerfeldt pulls off the death growls and clean singing flawlessly. It's memorable because even the heavy parts are catchy. And there's a proggy instrumental section that sounds like Super Mario Bros! Truly an awesome song. If you're trying to decide which Opeth song to try, pick this one.

20 Porcelain Heart

Why is this not on the list? Come on, guys, you can't be serious!

In my opinion, this is not the best... But it still rips my heart out.

Man, this is the best Opeth song!

21 Windowpane

Windowpane is the best soft/clean vocal Opeth song. Burden is so overrated. Blackwater Park is my favorite, but Windowpane should definitely be higher!

Can't you hear the combination between the drums, the guitars, and of course, Mikael's heavenly voice? This easily belongs in the top ten.

So low!

This is the most calm song by Opeth that gives me instant chills. So underrated - you've got to listen to this.

Pure awesomeness!

22 April Ethereal

I'm shocked I had to add this. Without a doubt, this is the most powerful piece of music in the entire realm of music. The way the lyrics and music flow together like a story, the way the atmosphere takes you to a different world, and the way each riff continues to get better until the god-like outro, which is the pinnacle of music altogether... This is not only the greatest Opeth song but also the greatest song ever created.

It is simultaneously the most beautiful and angry song I've ever heard. An absolute masterpiece, its being this low on the list is just wrong in so many ways.

23 Dirge for November

One of Opeth's simpler songs, I still get emotional every time I hear it. The chord progression starting at 1:44 is, in my opinion, their absolute best.

This is just one of those songs by Opeth that seem to be really underrated. Everything in this song is on point. One of their best.

This should definitely be in the top ten. An often overlooked track that might just be one of Opeth's most brilliant pieces.

24 A Fair Judgement

There are many Opeth songs that grip me by the heart, but this one... It just leaves me speechless and brings tears of pure and flawless musical experience. The guitar solo gives me goosebumps again and again, even though I have heard it a million times. It belongs to my top five songs of all time. Thank you, Mr. Akerfeldt & Co.

Their absolute best. Not as heavy as the rest of the album, but the song dominates, especially in the moments of quiet progression, as well as through the first-class musical performances of the band members.

25 Serenity Painted Death

I think the reason that all the Still Life songs are rated too low is that the entire album is so good that the fans have many favorites to choose from. It is my favorite Opeth album. This song is the one on the album I look forward to the most, as it follows Face of Melinda so perfectly.

How is this so far down? Not only is Serenity Painted Death the best song on the album, but it's also one of their best songs, period. It has some of the most brutal and beautiful moments in their whole discography. Why are all the Still Life tracks so underrated around here?

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