MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
My thoughts on Sorceress:
Persephone – A beautiful, haunting piece of acoustic playing with that added touch of Opeth weirdness via the spoken word at the end. I think it sets up the album rather nicely. It doesn’t do much, but it’s a nice intro. 7/10
Sorceress – The mixing on this song is horrendous, but that doesn’t stop it from being a very cool tune. An absolutely maniacal circus riff kicks off a little jam that, although I don’t think it fits very well with the main chugging riff, is interesting. Turn down the fucking bass, though! The main riff, I must say, is amazing. It’s so damn simple, but so heavy and tight and swinging, I love it. The first refrain introduces us to Mikael’s higher range with some shouting and it sounds great. In fact, I love his vocals in this entire song and especially how they punctuate the staccato riffing. The turnaround with just some very quick noise chords going into the second verse is my favorite subtle arrangement. I really like the dynamic section beginning at 2:50, I just wish the quiet guitar wasn’t so damn quiet and that the hi-hat were mixed out. “Watch your eager tongue” part and the transition (similar to the beginning of the second verse) going into the solo are so damn powerful. There’s a simple power to this song that is not usually present in Opeth, it’s more of a Metallica thing, but I truly enjoy it. The ending riff is cool, but reeks of Heritage in the lack of good transition. With a more biting guitar tone, better mixing, and some transition work this song would be perfect. As is, it’s a 9/10.
The Wilde Flowers – Continuing with the same power as the previous track, Wilde Flowers kicks ass from start to finish. The riffs are awesome and chaotic, the vocals are catchy, and the immediacy is striking. I love the riff in-between the first two sets of verses and the swirling bee keyboard behind verse 4. The transition at 2:15 is so bizarre, but really beautiful and masterfully done. The little bluesy noodling before madness begins is great, and then: holy shitballs that fucking solo is amazing. This is the best thing Fredrik has done yet with the band. It was even cooler live. The chorus gets a bit repetitive, but it still works because of the dynamic change. The quiet vocal section is very reminiscent of the creepiness on classic Opeth albums. I don’t love the transition into the outro, but it’s not super jarring because it’s prefaced earlier in the song. I like the Egyptian blues feel it has. This is a beautiful moment of music, especially the Symphony X-ish piano scales. Once the band picks up behind Mikael it’s all justified because the emotional release is astounding. Acoustics leading into pure all out frenzy is just fantastic. This song is a journey. 10/10
Will O The Wisp – I love that the ending lyrics of Wilde Flowers and first verse of this song mirror each other; it really ties the album together. This is a simple, beautiful acoustic song with an amazing guitar outro. One of Opeth’s best ballads. Mikael’s vocals are rather nasally here, but they still sound great. I often find myself randomly singing the chorus to this song. When it plays, it’s so catchy that I cannot help but sing along (not something that can be said of many Opeth songs). The harmonies are gorgeous and the arrangement is perfect. I love the minstrel keyboard flourishes. Fredrik’s solo flows in so well with the vocal melody, and Mikael’s ending leads are just absolutely stellar. 10/10
Chrysalis – Classic Opeth! I don’t understand how people don’t love this song. The riffs, the solos, even the way the vocals are arranged sounds so much like classic Opeth. Sure, the vocal performance is different, but this song could easily have been on Still Life or Ghost Reveries. Sure, the mixing and guitar tone are still lame, but the song itself is so badass. The solos (there’s a keyboard/guitar duel!) are awesome, the riffs are awesome, vocals are awesome…I really hope they start playing this song live. It transitions wonderfully into the quieter part with a killer bluesy solo. Mikael’s layered vocals at the end are catchy as hell and his repeat of “Leave it all behind you” is haunting. A perfect modern Opeth track that lifts heavily from a bygone era. 10/10
Sorceress 2 – It’s very pretty, it’s very spooky, but honestly this song does nothing for me. I’ve said before how my least favorite aspect of Mikael’s voice is his soft falsetto and that’s all we get here. It leans too hard into beauty to come off as truly creepy and ultimately goes nowhere. Probably my least favorite Opeth song since Weakness. 3/10
The Seventh Sojourn – I really do like this (mostly) instrumental, but it’s placement on the album really kills the pace setup by the first 5 tracks. Sorceress 2 kills all momentum and essentially restarts the album. In that regard, it’s either genius or idiotic tracklisting. This album feels like 2 separate EPs: one that ends with Sorceress 2, and one that starts with this track. As the beginning of a new collection of songs, this works rather well. The rhythm section is positively alive here and I love it, and the guitars, bass, and keyboards fill out the space with perfection. The acoustic guitar and bass unison at 2:20 is wonderful. The only real problem, other than another meh transition into the vocal part, is that it’s simply too long. I do adore the way it ends, though. 8/10
Strange Brew – Oh hi, Heritage. So glad you could make it to the party…/s. I’ll review this in parts, since the transitions are all bad, just like Heritage. The first part is the third immediate vocal section we have on this album and the worst. The guitar-driven bit at 1:40 is infinitely better and should have started the song (to make it shorter). Of course, the heavy section dominated by the keyboard afterward makes zero sense. It’s cool and absolutely insane, but the (lack of) transition is awful. The big math rock riff with piano under it that starts at 2:40 is great, especially once the vocals come in. I love the panned vocals and the utterly harsh dynamics between each line, but best of all is the blues jam that breaks out over the final line. This is probably the best moment on the whole album: unfortunately it exists within this mess of a song. The bluesy verse that follows (“wickedness in me”) is very cool. All of this momentum is ruined by returning to the first section with another lack of transition. The outro is very cool and reminiscent of Watershed, but it just keeps going…to nowhere. Strange Brew is overstuffed and ill-conceived. 6/10
A Fleeting Glance – Ah, the minstrels have returned. The vibe of this song is immense. Although there’s lots of falsetto here, I really love the vocal arrangement. Those runs he does at the end of each line are incredible. Once the bass and drums kick in the song gets even better, especially when they start with the cool blues riffing. Jumping back and forth between acoustics and electric in a classic Opethian way makes this song all the more special. Each time that post-verse riff comes in it sounds better and better. The final minute-and-a-half are not my favorite, but the tonal shift is rather striking. That second bluesy solo is just ripping! Another almost classic. 9/10
Era/Persephone (Slight Return) – Why is the intro so damn quiet? And why is it so long? It’s unnecessary, especially considering the final track is just an extension of this intro. The transition into the heavy riff, again, is not good. Era is really a killer track, but the mixing really hurts it. The verses are great, the riffs are great, and the chorus is absolutely the most traditionally catchy thing Mikael has ever written. The guitar solo, as always on this album, is phenomenal. But, there’s also a lot to dislike (mostly in the transitions). That lame quiet piano interlude between the first and second verse kills the intensity of the song. Overall, the strengths of this song make up for the weaknesses, but it could’ve been better if it was even more straightforward. 9/10
Sorceress takes many lessons from Pale Communion in regards to catchy vocals and intricate, beautiful guitar leads, but unfortunately retreads Heritage territory when it comes to musical arrangement, instrument tone, and muddy mixing. Some of these tracks would be classics with better production, but the poor transitions that Mikael seems to really enjoy these days ruin the momentum of the songwriting he perfected on the previous record.
Album rating – 8.1/10
Persephone – A beautiful, haunting piece of acoustic playing with that added touch of Opeth weirdness via the spoken word at the end. I think it sets up the album rather nicely. It doesn’t do much, but it’s a nice intro. 7/10
Sorceress – The mixing on this song is horrendous, but that doesn’t stop it from being a very cool tune. An absolutely maniacal circus riff kicks off a little jam that, although I don’t think it fits very well with the main chugging riff, is interesting. Turn down the fucking bass, though! The main riff, I must say, is amazing. It’s so damn simple, but so heavy and tight and swinging, I love it. The first refrain introduces us to Mikael’s higher range with some shouting and it sounds great. In fact, I love his vocals in this entire song and especially how they punctuate the staccato riffing. The turnaround with just some very quick noise chords going into the second verse is my favorite subtle arrangement. I really like the dynamic section beginning at 2:50, I just wish the quiet guitar wasn’t so damn quiet and that the hi-hat were mixed out. “Watch your eager tongue” part and the transition (similar to the beginning of the second verse) going into the solo are so damn powerful. There’s a simple power to this song that is not usually present in Opeth, it’s more of a Metallica thing, but I truly enjoy it. The ending riff is cool, but reeks of Heritage in the lack of good transition. With a more biting guitar tone, better mixing, and some transition work this song would be perfect. As is, it’s a 9/10.
The Wilde Flowers – Continuing with the same power as the previous track, Wilde Flowers kicks ass from start to finish. The riffs are awesome and chaotic, the vocals are catchy, and the immediacy is striking. I love the riff in-between the first two sets of verses and the swirling bee keyboard behind verse 4. The transition at 2:15 is so bizarre, but really beautiful and masterfully done. The little bluesy noodling before madness begins is great, and then: holy shitballs that fucking solo is amazing. This is the best thing Fredrik has done yet with the band. It was even cooler live. The chorus gets a bit repetitive, but it still works because of the dynamic change. The quiet vocal section is very reminiscent of the creepiness on classic Opeth albums. I don’t love the transition into the outro, but it’s not super jarring because it’s prefaced earlier in the song. I like the Egyptian blues feel it has. This is a beautiful moment of music, especially the Symphony X-ish piano scales. Once the band picks up behind Mikael it’s all justified because the emotional release is astounding. Acoustics leading into pure all out frenzy is just fantastic. This song is a journey. 10/10
Will O The Wisp – I love that the ending lyrics of Wilde Flowers and first verse of this song mirror each other; it really ties the album together. This is a simple, beautiful acoustic song with an amazing guitar outro. One of Opeth’s best ballads. Mikael’s vocals are rather nasally here, but they still sound great. I often find myself randomly singing the chorus to this song. When it plays, it’s so catchy that I cannot help but sing along (not something that can be said of many Opeth songs). The harmonies are gorgeous and the arrangement is perfect. I love the minstrel keyboard flourishes. Fredrik’s solo flows in so well with the vocal melody, and Mikael’s ending leads are just absolutely stellar. 10/10
Chrysalis – Classic Opeth! I don’t understand how people don’t love this song. The riffs, the solos, even the way the vocals are arranged sounds so much like classic Opeth. Sure, the vocal performance is different, but this song could easily have been on Still Life or Ghost Reveries. Sure, the mixing and guitar tone are still lame, but the song itself is so badass. The solos (there’s a keyboard/guitar duel!) are awesome, the riffs are awesome, vocals are awesome…I really hope they start playing this song live. It transitions wonderfully into the quieter part with a killer bluesy solo. Mikael’s layered vocals at the end are catchy as hell and his repeat of “Leave it all behind you” is haunting. A perfect modern Opeth track that lifts heavily from a bygone era. 10/10
Sorceress 2 – It’s very pretty, it’s very spooky, but honestly this song does nothing for me. I’ve said before how my least favorite aspect of Mikael’s voice is his soft falsetto and that’s all we get here. It leans too hard into beauty to come off as truly creepy and ultimately goes nowhere. Probably my least favorite Opeth song since Weakness. 3/10
The Seventh Sojourn – I really do like this (mostly) instrumental, but it’s placement on the album really kills the pace setup by the first 5 tracks. Sorceress 2 kills all momentum and essentially restarts the album. In that regard, it’s either genius or idiotic tracklisting. This album feels like 2 separate EPs: one that ends with Sorceress 2, and one that starts with this track. As the beginning of a new collection of songs, this works rather well. The rhythm section is positively alive here and I love it, and the guitars, bass, and keyboards fill out the space with perfection. The acoustic guitar and bass unison at 2:20 is wonderful. The only real problem, other than another meh transition into the vocal part, is that it’s simply too long. I do adore the way it ends, though. 8/10
Strange Brew – Oh hi, Heritage. So glad you could make it to the party…/s. I’ll review this in parts, since the transitions are all bad, just like Heritage. The first part is the third immediate vocal section we have on this album and the worst. The guitar-driven bit at 1:40 is infinitely better and should have started the song (to make it shorter). Of course, the heavy section dominated by the keyboard afterward makes zero sense. It’s cool and absolutely insane, but the (lack of) transition is awful. The big math rock riff with piano under it that starts at 2:40 is great, especially once the vocals come in. I love the panned vocals and the utterly harsh dynamics between each line, but best of all is the blues jam that breaks out over the final line. This is probably the best moment on the whole album: unfortunately it exists within this mess of a song. The bluesy verse that follows (“wickedness in me”) is very cool. All of this momentum is ruined by returning to the first section with another lack of transition. The outro is very cool and reminiscent of Watershed, but it just keeps going…to nowhere. Strange Brew is overstuffed and ill-conceived. 6/10
A Fleeting Glance – Ah, the minstrels have returned. The vibe of this song is immense. Although there’s lots of falsetto here, I really love the vocal arrangement. Those runs he does at the end of each line are incredible. Once the bass and drums kick in the song gets even better, especially when they start with the cool blues riffing. Jumping back and forth between acoustics and electric in a classic Opethian way makes this song all the more special. Each time that post-verse riff comes in it sounds better and better. The final minute-and-a-half are not my favorite, but the tonal shift is rather striking. That second bluesy solo is just ripping! Another almost classic. 9/10
Era/Persephone (Slight Return) – Why is the intro so damn quiet? And why is it so long? It’s unnecessary, especially considering the final track is just an extension of this intro. The transition into the heavy riff, again, is not good. Era is really a killer track, but the mixing really hurts it. The verses are great, the riffs are great, and the chorus is absolutely the most traditionally catchy thing Mikael has ever written. The guitar solo, as always on this album, is phenomenal. But, there’s also a lot to dislike (mostly in the transitions). That lame quiet piano interlude between the first and second verse kills the intensity of the song. Overall, the strengths of this song make up for the weaknesses, but it could’ve been better if it was even more straightforward. 9/10
Sorceress takes many lessons from Pale Communion in regards to catchy vocals and intricate, beautiful guitar leads, but unfortunately retreads Heritage territory when it comes to musical arrangement, instrument tone, and muddy mixing. Some of these tracks would be classics with better production, but the poor transitions that Mikael seems to really enjoy these days ruin the momentum of the songwriting he perfected on the previous record.
Album rating – 8.1/10
