@The Flash, waiting for your votes 
OPETH SURVIVOR 2016: Results -> The sun sets forever over Blackwater Park!
- Thread starter Night Prowler
- Start date
The Flash
Dennis Wilcock did 9/11
Long overdue due to illness and finals, but better late than never, I guess.
I love Heritage. Now I'm not going to rank Heritage over any of the records from the glorious six album streak between 1999 and 2008, but it's not because this album isn't great. It's definitely the strongest one out of the three "Newpeth" albums for me. I see a lot of comments arguing how Pale Communion was how Heritage was "supposed to be like", but I disagree. This argument lies on Heritage being a record with a lot of breathing room and spread out ideas, but I think that was by design and not by a shortcoming in regards to songwriting. It's not that Mikael couldn't write coherent prog rock songs, it's that he chose to write a calm, spread out, breathy record. And I personally love it.
The thing that I love the most about this album is how much jazz fusion and folk influence comes into play here. There's a lot of 70s prog revivalism going on here, no doubt, but the amount of jazz fusion and folk influence on this record was nowhere to be found on the other two Newpeth records, they featured some, but it was nowhere near to this extent. The album even opens with an obvious homage to jazz pianist Jan Johansson and closes with a folk instrumental. The subtlety that goes into these songs and all the "empty" moments are also strengths and not weaknesses for me. I'm talking about those super calm, almost "silent" stuff. It's soft, sweet and flows very nicely together. This is actually one of my favorite Opeth albums to listen to from start to finish.
1. Heritage: This tribute tune made me discover Jan Johansson, who was a brilliant jazz pianist. Highly recommend his album Jazz pä svenska. This is really a tribute tune through and through, exact same style. It's beautiful, but no more than an intro obviously.
2. The Devil's Orchard: Best song on the album, there seems to be a consensus on that. Heavier than almost anything on the album and not a jazz or folk song, just straight up prog. But the songwriting is impeccable. Riffs are tasty. The "God is dead" part is catchy as hell -Was really fun screaming that out loud along with hundreds of people when I saw them live- Though it's really the transitions that carry this tune. The heavy mid-section that merges with the "In the corner of my eye" part, the F# major arpeggio -I call that the Alex Lifeson chord- and the best part of the song: "Stigmas revealing our vices". Killer solo to end it all. Great song.
3. I Feel the Dark: This is one song that I can see the disjointedness argument. Love the simple intro, the heavy part isn't great but not too bad. Though that riff at 4:17 just comes so out of the blue that it's ridiculous. The acoustic rendering of the same riff is cool, and I love the next riff. "And you're going out to war" part is also nice. Lots of cool ideas on this one, could've been executed better. Probably should've just gone to that acoustic rendering straight away instead of the heavy parts, and then brought in the "the next riff" that I mentioned.
4. Slither: This one gets unwarranted hate. It's such an energetic, melodic track. Love the melody behind the verses. Rainbow tribute, but so what? It's a very good one at that. Mikael's raspier take at vocals is a bit hit and miss on this album but he nails it on this one. Do people have an issue with the song effectively going into the outro at 2:50 and lasting 4:03? Outro is one of those great folksy moments I mentioned earlier.
5. Nepenthe: Intro sounds like someone trying to figure out how to play a song? I think it's sets up a nice eerie vibe. The clean riff that enters after the intro is gorgeous. Now I do think the song drags a bit until that frenetic riff enters, probably could've been shorter. The solos are the weak points of this track, just forgettable. The rhythmic pattern afterwards, which ends the song, is awesome though. Still one of the weaker tracks.
6. Häxprocess: This is full on jazz, as described by Mikael himself. The acoustic pattern with the stoppages after the first verse is haunting. Reminds me of video game soundtrack music. Transition to the next part isn't perfect, but the melody on the second verse is gorgeous. How the fuck does this dude come up with these stuff? Song should've ended around 4:20 though, the rest is forgettable and drag the song down.
7. Famine: Now this one of the songs that I'll defend to my last breath. The intro with the percussion by the great Alex Acuña is great. I actually love how the song breaks into piano ballad mode after the intro. Don't mind the proggy riff coming out nowhere either, unlike the one on I Feel the Dark. The vocals on top of it are awkward though and are my only complaint in regards to this track. The part with the percussion coming back is great and then what an awesome transition. The riff is heavy as fuck. I read some posts bashing the flutes? Are you serious? They add a layer of eerieness to the riff that's fucking great. Love the "Whyyyyy" cries by Mikael on the repeat. Taking a page out of Comus' playbook (a.k.a. Insanity) on there. And oh that piano outro. Holy moly that's straight out of a horror movie.
8. Lines in My Hand: I grew to like this song later on, considered it the weakest tune here for a long time. Martín Mendez is going to town on this one. The third minute is heavy as hell for a prog tune, feels like a continuation of Devil's Orchard in its feel.
9. Folklore: This one believe it or not is the 1b to The Devil's Orchard 1a on this album for me. Orchard doesn't have a clear gap or something. The intro is one of my favorite things to play. Simple folksy scale pattern but cool. Love the transition from that. Verses are good and all, but this song truly get into another dimension at 4:20. Haunting acoustic passage. Then a haunting keyboard lead with bass/drums laying out the rhythm pattern that'll drive the song later on. Great bass solo thingy from Mendez, though annoyingly difficult to hear unless you're in a really silent location-. And then we truly "lose control" and start to fly. Beautiful solo, especially love the notes that end it to get us to the vocals. And then we sustain into a gorgeous outro melody. Fadeout is the best choice here, no other way to end such a dreamy moment. This is rare, but I think it could use a couple more repeats. Check out the live version of this song for sure, they do repeat the ending melody couple more times and Fredrik lays out a great solo on top of it.
10. Marrow of the Earth: Full on folk. Soft and gentle. I wish Opeth would do an album with stuff like this entirely -not necessarily instrumental-. Not a lot you can comment on this one, but I love the way drums enter the track later on with that "smokey" feel.
The amount of "great" songs on this record is smaller than most albums on Opeth's discography, -not Newpeth era though- but there are zero weak songs here. Everything has something going on for them, everything is at least decent. And as I said, I just love the overall feel and flow of this album aside from the quality of individual tracks.
I love Heritage. Now I'm not going to rank Heritage over any of the records from the glorious six album streak between 1999 and 2008, but it's not because this album isn't great. It's definitely the strongest one out of the three "Newpeth" albums for me. I see a lot of comments arguing how Pale Communion was how Heritage was "supposed to be like", but I disagree. This argument lies on Heritage being a record with a lot of breathing room and spread out ideas, but I think that was by design and not by a shortcoming in regards to songwriting. It's not that Mikael couldn't write coherent prog rock songs, it's that he chose to write a calm, spread out, breathy record. And I personally love it.
The thing that I love the most about this album is how much jazz fusion and folk influence comes into play here. There's a lot of 70s prog revivalism going on here, no doubt, but the amount of jazz fusion and folk influence on this record was nowhere to be found on the other two Newpeth records, they featured some, but it was nowhere near to this extent. The album even opens with an obvious homage to jazz pianist Jan Johansson and closes with a folk instrumental. The subtlety that goes into these songs and all the "empty" moments are also strengths and not weaknesses for me. I'm talking about those super calm, almost "silent" stuff. It's soft, sweet and flows very nicely together. This is actually one of my favorite Opeth albums to listen to from start to finish.
1. Heritage: This tribute tune made me discover Jan Johansson, who was a brilliant jazz pianist. Highly recommend his album Jazz pä svenska. This is really a tribute tune through and through, exact same style. It's beautiful, but no more than an intro obviously.
2. The Devil's Orchard: Best song on the album, there seems to be a consensus on that. Heavier than almost anything on the album and not a jazz or folk song, just straight up prog. But the songwriting is impeccable. Riffs are tasty. The "God is dead" part is catchy as hell -Was really fun screaming that out loud along with hundreds of people when I saw them live
- Though it's really the transitions that carry this tune. The heavy mid-section that merges with the "In the corner of my eye" part, the F# major arpeggio -I call that the Alex Lifeson chord- and the best part of the song: "Stigmas revealing our vices". Killer solo to end it all. Great song.3. I Feel the Dark: This is one song that I can see the disjointedness argument. Love the simple intro, the heavy part isn't great but not too bad. Though that riff at 4:17 just comes so out of the blue that it's ridiculous. The acoustic rendering of the same riff is cool, and I love the next riff. "And you're going out to war" part is also nice. Lots of cool ideas on this one, could've been executed better. Probably should've just gone to that acoustic rendering straight away instead of the heavy parts, and then brought in the "the next riff" that I mentioned.
4. Slither: This one gets unwarranted hate. It's such an energetic, melodic track. Love the melody behind the verses. Rainbow tribute, but so what? It's a very good one at that. Mikael's raspier take at vocals is a bit hit and miss on this album but he nails it on this one. Do people have an issue with the song effectively going into the outro at 2:50 and lasting 4:03? Outro is one of those great folksy moments I mentioned earlier.
5. Nepenthe: Intro sounds like someone trying to figure out how to play a song? I think it's sets up a nice eerie vibe. The clean riff that enters after the intro is gorgeous. Now I do think the song drags a bit until that frenetic riff enters, probably could've been shorter. The solos are the weak points of this track, just forgettable. The rhythmic pattern afterwards, which ends the song, is awesome though. Still one of the weaker tracks.
6. Häxprocess: This is full on jazz, as described by Mikael himself. The acoustic pattern with the stoppages after the first verse is haunting. Reminds me of video game soundtrack music. Transition to the next part isn't perfect, but the melody on the second verse is gorgeous. How the fuck does this dude come up with these stuff? Song should've ended around 4:20 though, the rest is forgettable and drag the song down.
7. Famine: Now this one of the songs that I'll defend to my last breath. The intro with the percussion by the great Alex Acuña is great. I actually love how the song breaks into piano ballad mode after the intro. Don't mind the proggy riff coming out nowhere either, unlike the one on I Feel the Dark. The vocals on top of it are awkward though and are my only complaint in regards to this track. The part with the percussion coming back is great and then what an awesome transition. The riff is heavy as fuck. I read some posts bashing the flutes? Are you serious? They add a layer of eerieness to the riff that's fucking great. Love the "Whyyyyy" cries by Mikael on the repeat. Taking a page out of Comus' playbook (a.k.a. Insanity) on there. And oh that piano outro. Holy moly that's straight out of a horror movie.
8. Lines in My Hand: I grew to like this song later on, considered it the weakest tune here for a long time. Martín Mendez is going to town on this one. The third minute is heavy as hell for a prog tune, feels like a continuation of Devil's Orchard in its feel.
9. Folklore: This one believe it or not is the 1b to The Devil's Orchard 1a on this album for me. Orchard doesn't have a clear gap or something. The intro is one of my favorite things to play. Simple folksy scale pattern but cool. Love the transition from that. Verses are good and all, but this song truly get into another dimension at 4:20. Haunting acoustic passage. Then a haunting keyboard lead with bass/drums laying out the rhythm pattern that'll drive the song later on. Great bass solo thingy from Mendez, though annoyingly difficult to hear unless you're in a really silent location-. And then we truly "lose control" and start to fly. Beautiful solo, especially love the notes that end it to get us to the vocals. And then we sustain into a gorgeous outro melody. Fadeout is the best choice here, no other way to end such a dreamy moment. This is rare, but I think it could use a couple more repeats. Check out the live version of this song for sure, they do repeat the ending melody couple more times and Fredrik lays out a great solo on top of it.
10. Marrow of the Earth: Full on folk. Soft and gentle. I wish Opeth would do an album with stuff like this entirely -not necessarily instrumental-. Not a lot you can comment on this one, but I love the way drums enter the track later on with that "smokey" feel.
The amount of "great" songs on this record is smaller than most albums on Opeth's discography, -not Newpeth era though- but there are zero weak songs here. Everything has something going on for them, everything is at least decent. And as I said, I just love the overall feel and flow of this album aside from the quality of individual tracks.
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MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
That breathing room is what I hate about Heritage. Well, that and terrible transitions. But at least we agree about Slither!
Also:
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
I think Heritage was a natural (growl-free) progression from Watershed, with the disjointed songs and breathing room and all. The transitions are not the strongest if you want to hear songs, but as I said in another post, I think this album is more like the soundtrack to a story. When I listen to Heritage in that regard, as a full album and when I'm in a calm mood, I love it. The problem is that I'm rarely in that mood.
Pale Communion is everything Heritage isn't - it is a songwriter's album. It still has some breathing room and odd transitions, although those moments are few and far between. There is not a weak song on this album, which is why (in addition to having more focused songwriting) it gets more praise than its predecessor. It takes risks and gets very experimental (funky/jazzy instrumental, string sections, and even coming close to country), but it does it all very well. Unlike Heritage, every song has its own distinct identity and flavor, making it feel like a far more complete album. It also has Moon Above, Sun Below, a track which has a similar "random" writing style to their first two albums but manages to sound fresh and interesting at every turn, unlike much of Heritage.
Finally, with Sorceress, we have a blend of the two styles - the sound of Heritage mixed with the more focused songwriting of Pale Communion. To me, the weakest points of this album are those that are not songwriting-focused (with the random and psychotic Strange Brew being the worst offender). The actual songs with structure - the title track, Will o the Wisp, Era - are among the best new Opeth has to offer. Even the more experimental and often Heritage-esque Wilde Flowers (which just has to be a tribute to Olivia Wilde) is full of catchy moments that Heritage proper had fewer of. I also enjoy the experimental efforts of Sorceress II and Seventh Sojourn.
I still maintain that Ghost Reveries was the last great record that Opeth wrote. Call me ignorant or whatever but this band just isn't the same without the growlies. It worked for Damnation (which is probably my favorite overall Opeth album) because it was a surprisingly focused departure with the intent to return. But with Mikael now trying to "replace" growling with more aggressive clean vocals (see Chrysalis), the magic and the power is gone. It's not that it doesn't work - it just doesn't work nearly as well.
If I had to pick their most consistent album post-Ghost Reveries, it is probably Pale Communion. I'm tempted to say Watershed because of the growlies, but Burden is mostly filler, Porcelain Heart drags on for too long, and Hex Omega should have had growlies.
The growls are a big piece of their sound. Heritage and Damnation sounded natural without growls but it seems forced on the latest two albums.
I'm convinced that Mikael is just messing with the naysayers at this point. He seems like the type who doesn't want to give in to the will of others. Maybe if Heritage wasn't so divisive he'd be more casual about writing death metal. We already know that River had a growl section for awhile during writing, some songs on Sorceress also sound like they could use growls. So it's not like he isn't capable of writing that way anymore. I can respect where he's coming from but I think the last album sounded really forced.
I'm convinced that Mikael is just messing with the naysayers at this point. He seems like the type who doesn't want to give in to the will of others. Maybe if Heritage wasn't so divisive he'd be more casual about writing death metal. We already know that River had a growl section for awhile during writing, some songs on Sorceress also sound like they could use growls. So it's not like he isn't capable of writing that way anymore. I can respect where he's coming from but I think the last album sounded really forced.
The Flash
Dennis Wilcock did 9/11
I want Mikael to go all out acoustic folk-pop on the next record. I've been wanting that ever since Heritage. He once mentioned writing a singer-songwriter type album, still waiting for it. Three revivalist prog records is more than enough.
I have no doubt he'd pull it off very well, the dude has a knack for that type of stuff.
I have no doubt he'd pull it off very well, the dude has a knack for that type of stuff.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Totally agree. An album full of Will O' The Wisps and (first half) of Rivers? Sign me up.
Eliminated after Round 13:
Slither - 5 votes
Nepenthe - 5 votes
Häxprocess - 5 votes
Famine - 5 votes
The Lines In My Hand - 5 votes
Pyre - 5 votes
Promoted after Round 13:
The Devil's Orchard
Folklore
Face In The Snow
All eliminated songs lost the tiebreaker against Face In The Snow, based on the average number of votes.
Pale Communion joins the game!
The Flash
Dennis Wilcock did 9/11
Eliminated after Round 13:
Famine - 5 votes
Promoted after Round 13:
Face In The Snow
He has hinted toward that as a solo album. I don't see that being an Opeth album.
I'm gonna listen to Pale Communion for a few more days but it's way more enjoyable album than Heritage. By far the best Newpeth album (although I only heard the new one twice or so).
The Flash
Dennis Wilcock did 9/11
He did, but when reminded of it years later he said "I thought of that as a solo album but at this point I think I can put anything into Opeth".
It probably depends on where he goes with it. If it is a minimal acoustic guitar + vocals with instrumental embellishments he might not release that as an Opeth album. Also depends on if Steven Wilson gets involved. Could also be the next Storm Corrosion album.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
My TL;DR praise for Pale Communion:
Eternal Rains Will Come – The album opens with absolute insanity as the band flies through a dizzying array of jazzy rock riffs laden with keyboards, big chords, and bizarre shifts in rhythm. The most noticeable thing right off the bat is just how alive this sounds. Every player sounds like they are really fired up and playing their asses off – it’s everything that was missing from Heritage. We know it’s Opeth when that mournful, beautiful guitar lead happens at 2:00. The swirling main riff accentuated by acoustics that comes in after it is just awesome. Mikael’s vocals kick in and they are stronger, more confident, and fuller than ever before. The multi-tracking really works on this song. Somehow the music still sounds heavy despite being mostly led by an acoustic guitar. The solo at 4:18 is so flowing and free, I love it. After the second “There’s nothing we can do” part we hit that heavy riff and massive vocal section as the flood arrives and it’s absolutely incredible. The madness of circus jazz returns for a brief section before the fake out ending and a huge harmony to cap things off. I adore this song. It sounds nothing like Opeth yet still sounds like Opeth. The band is just vibrant as hell here, with every instrument working at 100%. Easily a 10/10.
Cusp of Eternity – Creepy guitar strokes fade us into a killer, simple chug riff. It’s heavier than the opening track and more immediate. Vocals kick in quickly and the melody is serpentine, punctuated each time with a big “ahh, ahh” section that works to break up the chugging. These are some of Mikael’s best vocals ever. His intonation on “screaming for help” in the second verse is extraordinary. The jammy bit at 2:35 is awesome, as is Fredrik’s ghoul solo that follows. The proper solos starting at 3:35 are even better, adding even more fuel to the fire. We get a very metal section as double bass kicks in and the ending full of big chord hits ties in nicely with the riffs of Eternal Rains. The guitar and keyboard layers in this song are outstanding and very reminiscent of classic Opeth. Like The Devil’s Orchard, this is another new song that really translates well to a live setting. 10/10
Moon Above, Sun Below – A sick bass groove and creepy keyboard riff provide the backing for more immediate vocals that build gradually until the verse breaks into those amazing turnaround riffs. Mikael’s voice is pushing so hard here, especially in the second verse, and it sounds incredible. He nearly tears his throat out while singing “a lifelong throne of sub-religion” and that “eat from your hand” line doesn’t even sound like him! The title section with shifting musical moments underneath is undoubtedly the best moment on the album and possibly my favorite moment since Ghost Reveries. It’s catchy as hell. We break into an acoustic bit very reminiscent of early Opeth with a beautiful bluesy guitar solo. Again, the vocals are amazing here, especially the harmonies. This entire section of music is gorgeous. A madcap heavier part kicks in and Mikael’s vocals over the top of it are once again top notch. I don’t know how he makes it work, but he does. Fredrik’s solo at 4:20 is incredible, as always. Literally the only part of the song I don’t like is the Queen section. It’s just weird and the transition is bizarre (but at least it’s brief). Luckily, the acoustic section that follows is transcendent as it switches from minor to major. Another bizarre transition with backmasked whispers paves the way for another bass and drum groove, with vocals and keyboard that recall Heritage, but thankfully this is far better. Mendez and Axe continue to slay everything in their wake as they let Mikael get all of his bluesy wailing out – and it’s fantastic. I love the “There is no help” section. The outro is chilling and catchy as Mikael continues to change his delivery of “Circles on the water” while the music shifts underneath the melody. We close with piano and a major chord, which is very odd. I feel like the structure of this song is directly recalling Orchid, both in the stylistic jumps and the transitions. It’s the most old-school Opeth track here while still sounding very new. Not perfect, but almost. 9/10
Elysian Woes – The album’s only ballad and the biggest grower. It took me a very long time to get into this song and I still don’t love it. The acoustics are beautiful and I like the lyrics (which seem to be very definitely Mikael reflecting on his interaction with fans and their expectations of his music), but the melodies really do very little for me. The first three verses simply sound half-baked and the words feel crammed into the lines. Once the electric guitar leads come in, though, this song is purely magic. The melodies are still the worst part of the song and it’s so readily apparent with lines like, “For a second of belonging somewhere.” It’s just cramped and rushed. The low point of the album, for sure. 5/10
Goblin – This creepy, jammy soundtrack tune fades in similar to Cusp with some plinky guitar riffs accentuated by keyboard. The build-up with the bass and drums is subtle, but really picks up once Axe drops the beat. The guitar and bass jam at 2:15 is so damn fun and catchy. Overall, this just sounds like the band having a great time. It also bridges the middle of the album very nicely. Fredrik and Mikael trade off with cool riffs and leads as Mendez, Axe, and Svalberg hold it down. The ending is perfectly timed and the song does not overstay its welcome. 8/10
River – I fully expect this song to be voted out immediately, and that makes me sad. This song is fucking astounding. Mikael Akerfeldt takes a big risk here by opening an Opeth song in a major key with very pretty vocal harmonies. I’m sure most Opeth fans hate it because they hate change and they want artists to be confined by their ideas of what they should sound like but I’m a rare person that enjoys hearing my favorite artists experiment, especially if they do it this well. In my opinion, River is an incredibly successful experiment. The intro is beautiful. It’s melodic folk music almost in the vein of Simon & Garfunkel. The full band accents would not be out of place on an Allman Brothers album. That second repeat of the refrain with the additional vocals is a spiritual experience and the guitar solo that follows is hauntingly gorgeous. I love the sound of the acoustics, the bluesy Southern rock shredding, and Mendez slaying those bass fills. The dark change at 3:00 is so stark because it’s the moment you remember that you’re listening to Opeth. A minute later, after more beautiful Beatles-esque harmonies, we get an insanely tight bass and drum groove with some spooky, slicing keyboard and another outstanding guitar solo duel. The Super Mario Bros. riff 5:12 is so random and perfect, as are the heavier riffs that follow at 5:25. It’s hilarious that this song contains the heaviest riffing on the album, despite the round tones and muted production. The “can’t see, can’t feel” bit is the darkest vocal section on Pale Communion. The last 45 seconds are my favorite bit of music here – Mikael’s vocals on “in the embers of summer” are so emotional. River is a goddamned masterpiece. This song is a journey. It has the most dynamic, melodic, and emotional range on the entire album. It goes from light to dark and back again many times while the lyrics tell of the inevitability of aging and death, each time building tension that explodes in the last minute. Far and away my favorite song from the “non-growl” era of Opeth. 10/10
Voice of Treason – We now come to the song that was written simply to show the power of Opeth’s rhythm section (combined with keyboards). The string section punctuating the main riff is so catchy that it doesn’t even matter that it’s repeated ad nauseum throughout the track. This is probably Opeth’s catchiest drum and bass groove ever, and the keyboard really adds a lot to it. Mikael’s vocals are once again great, especially on the chorus. The guitars are actually the least important, most subdued instrument here, but their layering is genius. Slightly rough arpeggios, expert acoustic leads, heavy chords when needed…they all fill in the soundscape so well. I love the little Latin and Eastern runs that the acoustics play throughout to fill the space. The last two minutes are exceptional. Axe really kills it on this song, once again playing double bass over acoustics, yet somehow working perfectly. Mikael’s bluesy wails on the “have you ever” section are some of my favorite vocals on the album. The ending is pure creepiness and recalls bits of Watershed. Mikael’s final delivery is haunting as hell. 10/10
Faith in Others – An absolutely perfect transition from VoT, this song slowly builds with dramatic string sections and keyboard parts. It’s melancholy, it’s cinematic, it’s the perfect closer of the album. The first verse has some crammed lyrics, but the piano break at 2:10 makes up for everything. It’s so simple, but so stunning. Mikael’s falsetto vocals have come so far and he once again sounds awesome here. The lead guitar that kicks off the second half of the song (3:31) is beautiful and only gets better when the full band kicks in and the melody is taken over by the vocals. The lyrics may be some of Mikael’s most depressing ever, which is a true feat. “Grasping melting ice” kicks off some of the best, most grand transition work Opeth have ever done: from the soulful and brief key change to the string-laden volume swell to Axe’s masterful cymbal play guiding us into the acoustic section. It’s absolutely next level stuff. A classic Opethian acoustic jig takes us out of the album, with lead guitar, strings and keyboard swells, and ghostly vocalizations. 10/10
Pale Communion is Opeth’s most immediate and most melodic album. It contains Mikael Akerfeldt’s single best collection of vocal performances, with every song having at least one catchy hook and multiple harmonies. It also contains Mikael’s most concentrated, almost mainstream songwriting structures. Pale Communion has the best sequencing and flow of any Opeth album (including the concept albums). Each song fits perfectly in its place, either flowing into the next or creating contrast to heighten or lessen the energy. There is no song that doesn’t work within the context of track order (even though I don’t like Elysian Woes, it still fulfills a perfect placement) and this cannot be said about any other Opeth album. I love Pale Communion.
Album rating – 9.0/10
Voting for Hounds, Lotus Eater, Elysian Woes, and Goblin.
Eternal Rains Will Come – The album opens with absolute insanity as the band flies through a dizzying array of jazzy rock riffs laden with keyboards, big chords, and bizarre shifts in rhythm. The most noticeable thing right off the bat is just how alive this sounds. Every player sounds like they are really fired up and playing their asses off – it’s everything that was missing from Heritage. We know it’s Opeth when that mournful, beautiful guitar lead happens at 2:00. The swirling main riff accentuated by acoustics that comes in after it is just awesome. Mikael’s vocals kick in and they are stronger, more confident, and fuller than ever before. The multi-tracking really works on this song. Somehow the music still sounds heavy despite being mostly led by an acoustic guitar. The solo at 4:18 is so flowing and free, I love it. After the second “There’s nothing we can do” part we hit that heavy riff and massive vocal section as the flood arrives and it’s absolutely incredible. The madness of circus jazz returns for a brief section before the fake out ending and a huge harmony to cap things off. I adore this song. It sounds nothing like Opeth yet still sounds like Opeth. The band is just vibrant as hell here, with every instrument working at 100%. Easily a 10/10.
Cusp of Eternity – Creepy guitar strokes fade us into a killer, simple chug riff. It’s heavier than the opening track and more immediate. Vocals kick in quickly and the melody is serpentine, punctuated each time with a big “ahh, ahh” section that works to break up the chugging. These are some of Mikael’s best vocals ever. His intonation on “screaming for help” in the second verse is extraordinary. The jammy bit at 2:35 is awesome, as is Fredrik’s ghoul solo that follows. The proper solos starting at 3:35 are even better, adding even more fuel to the fire. We get a very metal section as double bass kicks in and the ending full of big chord hits ties in nicely with the riffs of Eternal Rains. The guitar and keyboard layers in this song are outstanding and very reminiscent of classic Opeth. Like The Devil’s Orchard, this is another new song that really translates well to a live setting. 10/10
Moon Above, Sun Below – A sick bass groove and creepy keyboard riff provide the backing for more immediate vocals that build gradually until the verse breaks into those amazing turnaround riffs. Mikael’s voice is pushing so hard here, especially in the second verse, and it sounds incredible. He nearly tears his throat out while singing “a lifelong throne of sub-religion” and that “eat from your hand” line doesn’t even sound like him! The title section with shifting musical moments underneath is undoubtedly the best moment on the album and possibly my favorite moment since Ghost Reveries. It’s catchy as hell. We break into an acoustic bit very reminiscent of early Opeth with a beautiful bluesy guitar solo. Again, the vocals are amazing here, especially the harmonies. This entire section of music is gorgeous. A madcap heavier part kicks in and Mikael’s vocals over the top of it are once again top notch. I don’t know how he makes it work, but he does. Fredrik’s solo at 4:20 is incredible, as always. Literally the only part of the song I don’t like is the Queen section. It’s just weird and the transition is bizarre (but at least it’s brief). Luckily, the acoustic section that follows is transcendent as it switches from minor to major. Another bizarre transition with backmasked whispers paves the way for another bass and drum groove, with vocals and keyboard that recall Heritage, but thankfully this is far better. Mendez and Axe continue to slay everything in their wake as they let Mikael get all of his bluesy wailing out – and it’s fantastic. I love the “There is no help” section. The outro is chilling and catchy as Mikael continues to change his delivery of “Circles on the water” while the music shifts underneath the melody. We close with piano and a major chord, which is very odd. I feel like the structure of this song is directly recalling Orchid, both in the stylistic jumps and the transitions. It’s the most old-school Opeth track here while still sounding very new. Not perfect, but almost. 9/10
Elysian Woes – The album’s only ballad and the biggest grower. It took me a very long time to get into this song and I still don’t love it. The acoustics are beautiful and I like the lyrics (which seem to be very definitely Mikael reflecting on his interaction with fans and their expectations of his music), but the melodies really do very little for me. The first three verses simply sound half-baked and the words feel crammed into the lines. Once the electric guitar leads come in, though, this song is purely magic. The melodies are still the worst part of the song and it’s so readily apparent with lines like, “For a second of belonging somewhere.” It’s just cramped and rushed. The low point of the album, for sure. 5/10
Goblin – This creepy, jammy soundtrack tune fades in similar to Cusp with some plinky guitar riffs accentuated by keyboard. The build-up with the bass and drums is subtle, but really picks up once Axe drops the beat. The guitar and bass jam at 2:15 is so damn fun and catchy. Overall, this just sounds like the band having a great time. It also bridges the middle of the album very nicely. Fredrik and Mikael trade off with cool riffs and leads as Mendez, Axe, and Svalberg hold it down. The ending is perfectly timed and the song does not overstay its welcome. 8/10
River – I fully expect this song to be voted out immediately, and that makes me sad. This song is fucking astounding. Mikael Akerfeldt takes a big risk here by opening an Opeth song in a major key with very pretty vocal harmonies. I’m sure most Opeth fans hate it because they hate change and they want artists to be confined by their ideas of what they should sound like but I’m a rare person that enjoys hearing my favorite artists experiment, especially if they do it this well. In my opinion, River is an incredibly successful experiment. The intro is beautiful. It’s melodic folk music almost in the vein of Simon & Garfunkel. The full band accents would not be out of place on an Allman Brothers album. That second repeat of the refrain with the additional vocals is a spiritual experience and the guitar solo that follows is hauntingly gorgeous. I love the sound of the acoustics, the bluesy Southern rock shredding, and Mendez slaying those bass fills. The dark change at 3:00 is so stark because it’s the moment you remember that you’re listening to Opeth. A minute later, after more beautiful Beatles-esque harmonies, we get an insanely tight bass and drum groove with some spooky, slicing keyboard and another outstanding guitar solo duel. The Super Mario Bros. riff 5:12 is so random and perfect, as are the heavier riffs that follow at 5:25. It’s hilarious that this song contains the heaviest riffing on the album, despite the round tones and muted production. The “can’t see, can’t feel” bit is the darkest vocal section on Pale Communion. The last 45 seconds are my favorite bit of music here – Mikael’s vocals on “in the embers of summer” are so emotional. River is a goddamned masterpiece. This song is a journey. It has the most dynamic, melodic, and emotional range on the entire album. It goes from light to dark and back again many times while the lyrics tell of the inevitability of aging and death, each time building tension that explodes in the last minute. Far and away my favorite song from the “non-growl” era of Opeth. 10/10
Voice of Treason – We now come to the song that was written simply to show the power of Opeth’s rhythm section (combined with keyboards). The string section punctuating the main riff is so catchy that it doesn’t even matter that it’s repeated ad nauseum throughout the track. This is probably Opeth’s catchiest drum and bass groove ever, and the keyboard really adds a lot to it. Mikael’s vocals are once again great, especially on the chorus. The guitars are actually the least important, most subdued instrument here, but their layering is genius. Slightly rough arpeggios, expert acoustic leads, heavy chords when needed…they all fill in the soundscape so well. I love the little Latin and Eastern runs that the acoustics play throughout to fill the space. The last two minutes are exceptional. Axe really kills it on this song, once again playing double bass over acoustics, yet somehow working perfectly. Mikael’s bluesy wails on the “have you ever” section are some of my favorite vocals on the album. The ending is pure creepiness and recalls bits of Watershed. Mikael’s final delivery is haunting as hell. 10/10
Faith in Others – An absolutely perfect transition from VoT, this song slowly builds with dramatic string sections and keyboard parts. It’s melancholy, it’s cinematic, it’s the perfect closer of the album. The first verse has some crammed lyrics, but the piano break at 2:10 makes up for everything. It’s so simple, but so stunning. Mikael’s falsetto vocals have come so far and he once again sounds awesome here. The lead guitar that kicks off the second half of the song (3:31) is beautiful and only gets better when the full band kicks in and the melody is taken over by the vocals. The lyrics may be some of Mikael’s most depressing ever, which is a true feat. “Grasping melting ice” kicks off some of the best, most grand transition work Opeth have ever done: from the soulful and brief key change to the string-laden volume swell to Axe’s masterful cymbal play guiding us into the acoustic section. It’s absolutely next level stuff. A classic Opethian acoustic jig takes us out of the album, with lead guitar, strings and keyboard swells, and ghostly vocalizations. 10/10
Pale Communion is Opeth’s most immediate and most melodic album. It contains Mikael Akerfeldt’s single best collection of vocal performances, with every song having at least one catchy hook and multiple harmonies. It also contains Mikael’s most concentrated, almost mainstream songwriting structures. Pale Communion has the best sequencing and flow of any Opeth album (including the concept albums). Each song fits perfectly in its place, either flowing into the next or creating contrast to heighten or lessen the energy. There is no song that doesn’t work within the context of track order (even though I don’t like Elysian Woes, it still fulfills a perfect placement) and this cannot be said about any other Opeth album. I love Pale Communion.
Album rating – 9.0/10
Voting for Hounds, Lotus Eater, Elysian Woes, and Goblin.
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
While I like all of Pale Communion, I had no choice but to vote against five tracks to hope the three I want to win actually will (and I think two will...)
Melinda
Hounds
Burden
Cusp
Elysian
Goblin
River
Treason
Melinda
Hounds
Burden
Cusp
Elysian
Goblin
River
Treason
Eternal Rains Will Come - Excellent start to the album. Jazzy but also heavy. Production is already far better. Much more space and the weird 70s but not really 70s sound is gone. The instrumental intro is epic. Very dynamic with many unexpected twists. Very bold to have it be so keyboard driven. This is probably the first time a full Opeth song (not counting instrumentals like Heritage) is entirely keyboard driven. The guitar rarely takes the forefront on this song, but it's awesome when it does.
The vocal harmonies for the first verse are very unorthodox for Opeth.
Mikael likes to say modern Opeth is still heavy and this song is a pretty good example of that. It's heavy but at no point becomes a Metal song. I still remember hearing this song for the first time and immediately having full faith in Opeth's ability to keep this sound going.
Cusp of Eternity - The guitars make a comeback here with some pretty heavy riffing. This is a pretty cool straightforward Rock tune. More energy in this song than the entire Heritage album. The heavy buildup during the guitar solo is awesome and has a great payoff.
Moon Above, Sun Below - This is one of the oddest songs they've ever done. The many twists and turns bring back memories of the first two albums. There are some really heavy riffs but then some really proggy sections. Despite the length, it never meanders the way Heritage does. Each part is engaging and it actually doesn't feel nearly as disjointed as you might expect it to.
The a capella section is insane. Totally unlike anything Opeth has ever done. In general, Mikael seems more confident in his vocal abilities on this album. He does a lot of different things with harmonies and there are more moments that are centered around his vocals. The folky acoustic section that follows is also great. Nice creepy ambient section before the slithering organ riff. This riff reminds me of one of the riffs toward the end of Harlequin Forest. Very similar buildup too. Fantastic ending.
Great song overall. Wish they did more epics like this. Shows that they are still capable of writing dynamic epics with lots of unexpected changes. It's odd to think the 10 minute track is now an oddity when these track lengths were the norm just a few albums ago. Either way, one of Opeth's more experimental moments.
Elysian Woes - After the intensity of the previous tune, this one feels more like a mellow cool down. I always felt that this song would fit nicely on Watershed. Cool tune, although I think it takes too long to get going.
Goblin - This song is awesome. I remember Mikael hyping this song a lot before they even started recording the album. Totally lived up to the hype. Nice jazzy jam. Anybody who likes this song needs to check out the band Goblin, which this song is an homage to. I recommend the album Suspira. Great band with awesome instrumental work.
River - Yet another weird song. The saccharine harmonies and major chords really took me by surprise the first time I heard it, but I liked it as I got used to it. I like that this song gets progressively more heavy and dark as it goes on. The heavy
Voice Of Treason - This one has a cool psychedelic groove. Maybe the most Heritage-like track on the album. I love the "have you ever had a feeling" section. Very explosive and emotional. Also one of Mikael's best vocal performances. Another great example of Opeth's skill when it comes to dynamics. Seamless transitions between explosive and extremely quiet.
Faith In Others - I think this one would fit nicely in the Deliverance/Damnation era. Very dark and melancholic.
The piano led section is pretty reminsicent of Dogs by Pink Floyd, but they take it in such a different direction that I didn't even really notice it until people started commenting on it on the internet.
There are some really pretty melodies on this and it has a nice vibe, although I find it somewhat overrated. Good song, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it's nearly the best song on the album. It does call back to some earlier Opeth songs where the atmosphere and mood were more important than anything else.
Awesome album, among their best. This feels more like the true followup to Watershed than Heritage did. There are clear progressions from Watershed where Heritage felt like a complete 180. What I like best about Pale Communion is that it sounds more like an Opeth album than the other two Newpeth albums do. You might notice that I compared several songs to earlier Opeth songs/albums, but a lot of this does remind me of a modernized version of the 90s/00's Opeth. I consider this a good thing. They took the Heritage aesthetic and Opethafied it. They took the best things about Heritage and combined it with some of the traits of Opeth that were missing from the previous album. The result is a fantastic album that proves that they are back to the level of quality established in the early 00s. The only thing missing is the growls, but I don't miss them on this album. It might've been fun to hear them on River, but I can see why they took those out.
Like I said, this feels like a followup to Watershed, but that brings me to the only flaw of the album. Like Watershed, this album feels too short. Like it's missing something. The flow is also a bit chaotic, like on Watershed. The first four songs flow together great, but then it just feels like a random slab of unrelated material. The positive is that there's a lot of variety on this album, the negative is that it doesn't really feel unified the way Heritage and Ghost Reveries do. That's a small complaint, however. What matters at the end of the day is the songs and this album delivers with flying colors. Not a single song that I'd give anything less than a 7/10.
Eternal Rains Will Come
Goblin
Moon Above, Sun Below
River
Voice of Treason
Faith In Others
Cusp of Eternity
Elysian Woes
The vocal harmonies for the first verse are very unorthodox for Opeth.
Mikael likes to say modern Opeth is still heavy and this song is a pretty good example of that. It's heavy but at no point becomes a Metal song. I still remember hearing this song for the first time and immediately having full faith in Opeth's ability to keep this sound going.
Cusp of Eternity - The guitars make a comeback here with some pretty heavy riffing. This is a pretty cool straightforward Rock tune. More energy in this song than the entire Heritage album. The heavy buildup during the guitar solo is awesome and has a great payoff.
Moon Above, Sun Below - This is one of the oddest songs they've ever done. The many twists and turns bring back memories of the first two albums. There are some really heavy riffs but then some really proggy sections. Despite the length, it never meanders the way Heritage does. Each part is engaging and it actually doesn't feel nearly as disjointed as you might expect it to.
The a capella section is insane. Totally unlike anything Opeth has ever done. In general, Mikael seems more confident in his vocal abilities on this album. He does a lot of different things with harmonies and there are more moments that are centered around his vocals. The folky acoustic section that follows is also great. Nice creepy ambient section before the slithering organ riff. This riff reminds me of one of the riffs toward the end of Harlequin Forest. Very similar buildup too. Fantastic ending.
Great song overall. Wish they did more epics like this. Shows that they are still capable of writing dynamic epics with lots of unexpected changes. It's odd to think the 10 minute track is now an oddity when these track lengths were the norm just a few albums ago. Either way, one of Opeth's more experimental moments.
Elysian Woes - After the intensity of the previous tune, this one feels more like a mellow cool down. I always felt that this song would fit nicely on Watershed. Cool tune, although I think it takes too long to get going.
Goblin - This song is awesome. I remember Mikael hyping this song a lot before they even started recording the album. Totally lived up to the hype. Nice jazzy jam. Anybody who likes this song needs to check out the band Goblin, which this song is an homage to. I recommend the album Suspira. Great band with awesome instrumental work.
River - Yet another weird song. The saccharine harmonies and major chords really took me by surprise the first time I heard it, but I liked it as I got used to it. I like that this song gets progressively more heavy and dark as it goes on. The heavy
Voice Of Treason - This one has a cool psychedelic groove. Maybe the most Heritage-like track on the album. I love the "have you ever had a feeling" section. Very explosive and emotional. Also one of Mikael's best vocal performances. Another great example of Opeth's skill when it comes to dynamics. Seamless transitions between explosive and extremely quiet.
Faith In Others - I think this one would fit nicely in the Deliverance/Damnation era. Very dark and melancholic.
The piano led section is pretty reminsicent of Dogs by Pink Floyd, but they take it in such a different direction that I didn't even really notice it until people started commenting on it on the internet.
There are some really pretty melodies on this and it has a nice vibe, although I find it somewhat overrated. Good song, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it's nearly the best song on the album. It does call back to some earlier Opeth songs where the atmosphere and mood were more important than anything else.
Awesome album, among their best. This feels more like the true followup to Watershed than Heritage did. There are clear progressions from Watershed where Heritage felt like a complete 180. What I like best about Pale Communion is that it sounds more like an Opeth album than the other two Newpeth albums do. You might notice that I compared several songs to earlier Opeth songs/albums, but a lot of this does remind me of a modernized version of the 90s/00's Opeth. I consider this a good thing. They took the Heritage aesthetic and Opethafied it. They took the best things about Heritage and combined it with some of the traits of Opeth that were missing from the previous album. The result is a fantastic album that proves that they are back to the level of quality established in the early 00s. The only thing missing is the growls, but I don't miss them on this album. It might've been fun to hear them on River, but I can see why they took those out.
Like I said, this feels like a followup to Watershed, but that brings me to the only flaw of the album. Like Watershed, this album feels too short. Like it's missing something. The flow is also a bit chaotic, like on Watershed. The first four songs flow together great, but then it just feels like a random slab of unrelated material. The positive is that there's a lot of variety on this album, the negative is that it doesn't really feel unified the way Heritage and Ghost Reveries do. That's a small complaint, however. What matters at the end of the day is the songs and this album delivers with flying colors. Not a single song that I'd give anything less than a 7/10.
Eternal Rains Will Come
Goblin
Moon Above, Sun Below
River
Voice of Treason
Faith In Others
Cusp of Eternity
Elysian Woes
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Glad you like the album, too! But man, this is the exact opposite opinion I have regarding tracklist.
Well one major difference between PC and Watershed is that Faith of Treason ends the album perfectly. Watershed does not have a satisfying end track.
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
He's pretty good on Sorceress, too, but the more centered songwriting approach on Pale Communion makes me appreciate the vocals more.