OPETH SURVIVOR 2016: Results -> The sun sets forever over Blackwater Park!

Pale Communion was definitely a big jump for him. First time he comes off as a competent lead singer, not just a death metal growler who sings on the side. He always had a good voice but was just missing the confidence.
 
Call me weird but I preferred the tone on Mikael's voice when he was "just a death metal growler who sings on the side".

Think he forces his highs too much nowadays, he has a smooth baritone voice but sings like a tenor. I'd appreciate it if he went for his lower register more.
 
The only thing I don't love about his singing nowadays is when he goes entire songs only singing in falsetto. His baritone is great, his low tenor/shouting is great, his falsetto is great when used as a sparing effect - not for an entire, multi-tracked song.
 
So against all odds I really love this album. I heard it the first time during Montenegro© and didn't particularly like it. I decided that it was way better than Heritage a bit later, and that all songs were solid. After I heard 1/2 the album live and unrestrained, it could've only gone higher in my ratings. Even just this week, I probably would've voted for Faith In Others, but yesterday I played it non-stop and I love it now. I am 100% sure that I like this one better than the first 3 albums, Watershed, Heritage and Sorceress, and it's competing for Ghost Reveries for the 5th spot. I'll decide about that when the albums game comes:

Eternal Rains Will Come
Just the opening of this song has more energy than all of Heritage. Still think the production should be heavier, but it's still way better than Heritage's. It has a relatively light atmosphere which I usually don't like in Opeth but it somehow works here.
Notable moments: the whole intro and the solo that starts at 4:13.

Cusp Of Eternity
Didn't like this one either at first due to the low guitar mix but it grew on me after hearing it live. Mostly because the guitar is more noticeable and that it had a full choir on the chorus instead of just the band. It's a very simple song by Opeth standards and keeps a similar rhythm throughout most of it but again, it somehow works :p Axe was even allowed to play some double bass during the solo, Mikael is really letting himself go :p
Notable moments: the solo and the übercatchy chorus.

Moon Above, Sun Below
This song is what was mostly missing from Heritage; a cohesive lengthy dark epic that doesn't have multiple parts where you have to turn the volume up (it has just one :p). Beginning of the song was probably the first music on this album that I really liked. Super creepy for sure bass riff sets the stage for some unusually rough clean vocals by Mikael. Then we get into a calmer section that reminds me of the older stuff, a crazy guitar/drum solo and the Queen section which I only really noticed after reading y'all's reviews :p Riff that starts at 6:30 is just as good as the opening riff and everything that comes afterwards is in incredible. Confession: I was convinced the ending line was "holy sins of the father" until I read the lyrics just know o_O
Btw. this song could totally pass for an Oldpeth song with a metal production. Even without the growls. Pretty much what I want from Newpeth nowadays.

Elysian Woes
Nice ballad but easily the weakest song on the album. It only really gets interesting at 3:18 and while everything after that is pretty great, it's not enough. Baffling that they played this one live but not Moon Above or Faith In Others.

Goblin
This is one of the least Opeth-ish songs I can think of but it's kind of cool. Sounds like a theme to an old movie or a TV show with that weird keyboard sound and relatively simple guitars and drums.

River
This is a weird song. Starts of a bit too happy for my taste, although quite catchy. Then it gets progressively darker and weirder as it goes. Dueling solos are fucking awesome. Then the last 2 minutes might be the heaviest they've gone in the Newpeth era.

Voice Of Treason
This is my favorite performance by Axe in Opeth. Super catchy for sure drum beat reminiscent of Lopez's from Harlequin Forest. Guitars take the backseat on this song to make way for strings and the result is epic as fuck.
Notable moments: opening drum beat, the chorus and one of their best riffs ever at 4:34, "have you ever" section... so basically the whole song :D

Faith In Others
This song is pure fucking epicness. One of their MOST epic and dramatic songs ever. Perfect closer for this album. Mikael's vocals are perfect throughout the entire song. One of his best performances ever actually.
Notable moments: Epicness at 4:33, epicness at 5:37, epicness at 5:45 (!!!!!)

Voting for the songs in bold and Godhead's Lament, Ghost Of Perdition, The Baying Of The Hounds and The Lotus Eater.
 
Night Prowler said:
Baffling that they played this one live but not Moon Above or Faith In Others.
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The PC song choices were awful for that tour. I don't think Faith In Others would work quite as well live, but every other song on the album would be great. It should've been 4 songs instead of 3 and not Elysian Woes. Looking at their european tour setlist, I'd replace Elysian Woes with Goblin and Grand Conjuration with Moon Above Sun Below. At least they played Voice of Treason eventually.
Night Prowler said:
Btw. this song could totally pass for an Oldpeth song with a metal production. Even without the growls. Pretty much what I want from Newpeth nowadays.
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This album in general proves that it's possible for Newpeth to please prog fans and death metal purists alike. It's the same band (kinda) and they still write great riffs.
 
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Eliminated after Round 14:
Elysian Woes - 6 votes
Goblin - 5 votes
River - 5 votes
The Baying Of The Hounds - 4 votes

Promoted after Round 14:
Ghost Of Perdition
Harlequin Forest
The Grand Conjuration
 
Godhead's Lament, The Lotus Eater, Burden, Eternal Rains Will Come, Cusp Of Eternity. Last 2 are worse than Moon Above and Voice, y'all are cray.

Update full of culling incoming!
 
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Eliminated after Round 15:
Voice Of Treason - 5 votes
Burden - 4 votes
Moon Above, Sun Below - 4 votes
Godhead's Lament - 3 votes

Promoted after Round 15:
The Moor
Face Of Melinda
Serenity Painted Death
Coil
Heir Apparent
The Lotus Eater
Eternal Rains Will Come
Cusp Of Eternity
Faith In Others

Sorceress joins the game.
The Ward and Spring MCMLXXIV are bonuses.
Since everything else got promoted, we're gonna reduce this album down to 3 songs too :)
 
NOOOOOOOOO! You held on for so long, Still Life. Good show!

I've been listening to Sorceress a lot recently but I still have yet to do a full write-up. For now, I'll go for the easy votes:

Persephone
Sorceress 2
Persephone (Slight Return)
Ward
Spring
 
I'm not liking Sorceress much. Lost all the stuff that made Pale Communion awesome. There's nothing even close to the epicness of the 2nd half of Faith In Others.
 
Have to agree with that. Feels like a step back. Some good tunes on there though. It's still growing on me.
 
Sorceress is my least favorite Newpeth record, probably tied with Morningrise for my least favorite Opeth record in general. Still good though.
 
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