Yes that's the one.
OPETH SURVIVOR 2016: Results -> The sun sets forever over Blackwater Park!
- Thread starter Night Prowler
- Start date
Mist, Moon, Forest, Twilight, Leper, Dirge. Going against my philosophy by voting for all songs from the debut, but I just can't bring myself not to when all other remaining songs are so much better.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Collin
Chasing Ponce De Leon's Phantoms
Forest
Twilight
Serenity
Bleak
Dirge
@Night Prowler Forgot to vote for Face of Melinda. Can you add a vote for that?
Twilight
Serenity
Bleak
Dirge
@Night Prowler Forgot to vote for Face of Melinda. Can you add a vote for that?
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
I really need to listen to this one in-depth again. I'll try to do it today.
You can change your vote now. Just tell me when you do it so that I can remove that option again. (No one else try to change their votes since I noted down every vote.)
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Dirge, Bleak and Twilight? Ouch, Collin.
Never thought Twilight would be less popular in this year's edition than Weeping Moon. :/
There goes the Opeth song with the most awesome guitar solos.
Perhaps Knick could still save Dirge ....
Alright. In opposite chronological order please. From Park to Mist.
Last edited:
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
I doubt that'll happen, but maybe Dirge will surprise me this time around.
Also, I'm just looking for a BWP relisten. My mind is pretty set on the rest.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
So that old stuff is the last thing in my mind, maybe?
I've considered doing the whole Survivor in reverse order but new album would've been too fresh.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Final thoughts on BWP:
The Leper Affinity – Kicking ass straight from the get-go, this song is a roller coaster of badassness. Mikael’s opening line is one of the most vicious things he’s ever growled. The riff at 2:15 is one of Opeth’s all-time greatest riffs, it’s as catchy as a tea-cup circus ride full of demons. The lead following it is also incredibly emotional and helps to balance the madness of the riff, only to end in a Dream Theater run-up before the break and amazing groove at 3:20. Beauty returns during the melodic swaying section at around 4:00. It’s absolutely stellar. Steven Wilson’s production is immediately obvious: from the panning vocals to the lighter, less metal drum tone. Although I like what he does to the vocal mixing (especially the delightful layering and panning during the acoustic mid-section), I do feel it is a bit too obvious. All of the lyrics run over each other and are clearly multi-tracked or recorded in segments. This technique adds to the madness of the delivery, but also calls attention to itself. I wish those vocals were a little more staccato, a little less produced. However, this song is still quite amazing. That outro lead guitar is haunting as hell, especially leading into the harmonized feedback before the piano (which I do think is a little out-of-place, but oh well). 10/10
Bleak – I love the opening of this song and the Eastern riffs that build it up. The verse is odd, I’m not sure I love the melodic structure of the vocals but I do love how it blends with that wailing lead guitar in the background. As a whole, however, it all works marvelously together. I love the shaker eggs right during the first musical break, very cool subtle layer. Nice work, Stevie! Oh hey, speaking of Stevie, who is that voice that sounds almost exactly like a more boyish Mikael? Hi, Stevie, thanks for the vocal! I really wish that Mikael had sung that part instead of Steven because it just feels odd to have a guest vocalist with such a prominent part on the album. It sounds beautiful, though. This may be one of the best choruses Opeth have ever produced. The entire bridge is one of my favorite sections in all of the discography. The lead up to the break at 5:16, which sounds like it could get heavy again, only to have this perfect melodic guitar solo and melancholic vocal part…it’s pure magic. Things get heavy again and the song drives towards home in a wonderful way. The riff before the second chorus (around 7:00) is awesome. I love that the ending picks up maniacally before the bass snake eats its own head into oblivion. 10/10
Harvest – A perfect song to follow the assault of the first two tracks. I don’t love this song, but it’s perfectly sequenced and the guitar layering is wonderful. The lyrics on this entire album are definitely Mikael’s best up to this point and this song is starkly poetic. The whole thing reads like a poem of loss, dying, and passing on, yet the song takes the vibe of a minstrel tune. I really like it, but the melodies don’t grab me the way the better songs on the album do. That guitar solo is incredible, though. 8/10
The Drapery Falls – The strumming at the intro seems to follow on the back of Harvest, which is a nice touch. I absolutely adore the music in this song. The bass playing in the beginning is catchy and the real first standout section from Mendez that I recall being immediately recognizable. The layering on this track is truly spectacular, from the heavy chords to the acoustics to the wailing ghoul guitar to the weird 1950’s whammy chords…it’s great. The first half of this song has some of my favorite, and some of Mikael’s catchiest vocal melodies and lyrics. I have unconsciously written 3 different songs that used this verse melody before realizing what it was and having to start from scratch. The “ah, ah, ah” part at 4:00 is so jarring, yet somehow flows. I do wish the guitar solo before the guttural part was louder. When this song started, I figured it would be the album’s Face of Melinda – a groovy, riffy song that didn’t get super heavy, but holy hell it does. The fucking insane clown riff at 5:50 is seriously disturbing. They pull out of it with a turnaround that is almost triumphant. God, this musical section is brilliant. There is so much power in the double-time part during the second growlie section. The fact that it ends in acoustics, and another absolutely beautiful vocal part, is simply astounding. From “NEVER AGAIN” through the “autumn leaves” part to the end is another contender for best Opeth section ever. Those heavy accents contrasted with the acoustics are stellar. The Drapery Falls is one of the only songs where I will ever defend a fade out. 100/10
Dirge for November – I do not like the vocals in the beginning. I understand the pleading quality that they were going for, the almost-dead quality that Steven probably pushed Mikael to do, but it just doesn’t good to me. Once Mikael sings “now,” though, we get one of the most transcendent pieces of music the band has ever recorded. That whale-sound guitar melody is perfection. However, I hate the transition (or lack of one) into the heavy part. It’s the most awkward Opeth moment since the first two albums. The music is all fine, but these riffs nowhere near stack up to that melody at the head. Overall, this song is a collection of ideas: some great, some not so great. The twisting riff in between the two growl sections is awesome, but the rest of these sections are a bit of filler. “Dirge” is not a joke. The growls seem to go on forever. The next transition is also jarring. To me, this sounds like a proto-Watershed song but with more melodic guitar hooks. It’s a meh song with a great guitar line in the beginning. 7/10
The Funeral Portrait – The classic “evil back half of the album song”. The acoustic build is neat and that first riff is amazing, though quite simple for Opeth. I love the rhythmic shifts and the bluesy touches, though, they add a different dimension not found anywhere else on the album. The riff at 2:00 is absolutely crushing and catchy as hell. It’s a riff fest of a song from start to finish, but most of them are a little rote for Opeth. I don’t love the random layered growl screams that appear a few times, a bit cheesy. This track sounds the most like older Opeth, I think, especially MAYH. It’s a big wall of sound that works on it’s own, but pales in comparison to the superior tracks on BWP. Some very nice leads, though, including a little trade off/duel between Mikael and Peter. I do like the ludicrously-layered clean vocal section towards the end. That final classical guitar solo jam is amazing and raises the song by a point. Don’t like the fade here. 8/10
Patterns in the Ivy – A beautiful transition piece, but nothing more. Thanks to Stevie for the nice, subtle piano work. It’s nice, but there’s bigger fish to fry…7/10
Blackwater Park – No bullshit, we jump straight in with a killer turnaround and some massive chord riffs. As always, the layers are stellar here. The riff at 1:18 and the bizarre Eastern noodling underneath is so wicked. Our first acoustic break is so brief and perfect that Mikael gives us an “OOOH!” to lead into that fucking spectacular verse riff. The clean transition seems pre-emptive, as if it shouldn’t happen so early in the song, but it works wonders for the remainder of the tune. We were given only a taste of brutal riffing before a long buildup back into it, like a glimpse into the future. This clean section littered with acoustics and subtle sighs and guitar wails is so damn creepy. It simply oozes atmosphere. A swirling sound comes from the mud pits and then chaos ensures when that riff breaks. Mikael’s menacing growl returns us to another verse. “It is the year of death” indeed. The riff and solo at 7:00 is probably Opeth’s single most memorable instrumental section ever. I worship its brilliance. The riffs are simply too good. There’s too many of them. I’m dead. Once again, Lopez picks the perfect time to speed up and the song levels up to a level I didn’t know existed. The confidence in adding another brief acoustic stop before that insane ending is simply astounding. By the time we come to Mikael’s final, infuriatingly perfect, couplet, the journey is complete. Death metal can close it’s doors, we’ve reached peak death metal. No more shall ever be death metalled. 1000/10
BWP is not a perfect album. However, the title track and Drapery Falls are among the finest work the band has ever recorded and easily top 5 material. Leper and Bleak are not far behind.
Voting for Orchid stuff (minus Twilight) and Dirge. I cannot cut anything else yet in good conscience.
The Leper Affinity – Kicking ass straight from the get-go, this song is a roller coaster of badassness. Mikael’s opening line is one of the most vicious things he’s ever growled. The riff at 2:15 is one of Opeth’s all-time greatest riffs, it’s as catchy as a tea-cup circus ride full of demons. The lead following it is also incredibly emotional and helps to balance the madness of the riff, only to end in a Dream Theater run-up before the break and amazing groove at 3:20. Beauty returns during the melodic swaying section at around 4:00. It’s absolutely stellar. Steven Wilson’s production is immediately obvious: from the panning vocals to the lighter, less metal drum tone. Although I like what he does to the vocal mixing (especially the delightful layering and panning during the acoustic mid-section), I do feel it is a bit too obvious. All of the lyrics run over each other and are clearly multi-tracked or recorded in segments. This technique adds to the madness of the delivery, but also calls attention to itself. I wish those vocals were a little more staccato, a little less produced. However, this song is still quite amazing. That outro lead guitar is haunting as hell, especially leading into the harmonized feedback before the piano (which I do think is a little out-of-place, but oh well). 10/10
Bleak – I love the opening of this song and the Eastern riffs that build it up. The verse is odd, I’m not sure I love the melodic structure of the vocals but I do love how it blends with that wailing lead guitar in the background. As a whole, however, it all works marvelously together. I love the shaker eggs right during the first musical break, very cool subtle layer. Nice work, Stevie! Oh hey, speaking of Stevie, who is that voice that sounds almost exactly like a more boyish Mikael? Hi, Stevie, thanks for the vocal! I really wish that Mikael had sung that part instead of Steven because it just feels odd to have a guest vocalist with such a prominent part on the album. It sounds beautiful, though. This may be one of the best choruses Opeth have ever produced. The entire bridge is one of my favorite sections in all of the discography. The lead up to the break at 5:16, which sounds like it could get heavy again, only to have this perfect melodic guitar solo and melancholic vocal part…it’s pure magic. Things get heavy again and the song drives towards home in a wonderful way. The riff before the second chorus (around 7:00) is awesome. I love that the ending picks up maniacally before the bass snake eats its own head into oblivion. 10/10
Harvest – A perfect song to follow the assault of the first two tracks. I don’t love this song, but it’s perfectly sequenced and the guitar layering is wonderful. The lyrics on this entire album are definitely Mikael’s best up to this point and this song is starkly poetic. The whole thing reads like a poem of loss, dying, and passing on, yet the song takes the vibe of a minstrel tune. I really like it, but the melodies don’t grab me the way the better songs on the album do. That guitar solo is incredible, though. 8/10
The Drapery Falls – The strumming at the intro seems to follow on the back of Harvest, which is a nice touch. I absolutely adore the music in this song. The bass playing in the beginning is catchy and the real first standout section from Mendez that I recall being immediately recognizable. The layering on this track is truly spectacular, from the heavy chords to the acoustics to the wailing ghoul guitar to the weird 1950’s whammy chords…it’s great. The first half of this song has some of my favorite, and some of Mikael’s catchiest vocal melodies and lyrics. I have unconsciously written 3 different songs that used this verse melody before realizing what it was and having to start from scratch. The “ah, ah, ah” part at 4:00 is so jarring, yet somehow flows. I do wish the guitar solo before the guttural part was louder. When this song started, I figured it would be the album’s Face of Melinda – a groovy, riffy song that didn’t get super heavy, but holy hell it does. The fucking insane clown riff at 5:50 is seriously disturbing. They pull out of it with a turnaround that is almost triumphant. God, this musical section is brilliant. There is so much power in the double-time part during the second growlie section. The fact that it ends in acoustics, and another absolutely beautiful vocal part, is simply astounding. From “NEVER AGAIN” through the “autumn leaves” part to the end is another contender for best Opeth section ever. Those heavy accents contrasted with the acoustics are stellar. The Drapery Falls is one of the only songs where I will ever defend a fade out. 100/10
Dirge for November – I do not like the vocals in the beginning. I understand the pleading quality that they were going for, the almost-dead quality that Steven probably pushed Mikael to do, but it just doesn’t good to me. Once Mikael sings “now,” though, we get one of the most transcendent pieces of music the band has ever recorded. That whale-sound guitar melody is perfection. However, I hate the transition (or lack of one) into the heavy part. It’s the most awkward Opeth moment since the first two albums. The music is all fine, but these riffs nowhere near stack up to that melody at the head. Overall, this song is a collection of ideas: some great, some not so great. The twisting riff in between the two growl sections is awesome, but the rest of these sections are a bit of filler. “Dirge” is not a joke. The growls seem to go on forever. The next transition is also jarring. To me, this sounds like a proto-Watershed song but with more melodic guitar hooks. It’s a meh song with a great guitar line in the beginning. 7/10
The Funeral Portrait – The classic “evil back half of the album song”. The acoustic build is neat and that first riff is amazing, though quite simple for Opeth. I love the rhythmic shifts and the bluesy touches, though, they add a different dimension not found anywhere else on the album. The riff at 2:00 is absolutely crushing and catchy as hell. It’s a riff fest of a song from start to finish, but most of them are a little rote for Opeth. I don’t love the random layered growl screams that appear a few times, a bit cheesy. This track sounds the most like older Opeth, I think, especially MAYH. It’s a big wall of sound that works on it’s own, but pales in comparison to the superior tracks on BWP. Some very nice leads, though, including a little trade off/duel between Mikael and Peter. I do like the ludicrously-layered clean vocal section towards the end. That final classical guitar solo jam is amazing and raises the song by a point. Don’t like the fade here. 8/10
Patterns in the Ivy – A beautiful transition piece, but nothing more. Thanks to Stevie for the nice, subtle piano work. It’s nice, but there’s bigger fish to fry…7/10
Blackwater Park – No bullshit, we jump straight in with a killer turnaround and some massive chord riffs. As always, the layers are stellar here. The riff at 1:18 and the bizarre Eastern noodling underneath is so wicked. Our first acoustic break is so brief and perfect that Mikael gives us an “OOOH!” to lead into that fucking spectacular verse riff. The clean transition seems pre-emptive, as if it shouldn’t happen so early in the song, but it works wonders for the remainder of the tune. We were given only a taste of brutal riffing before a long buildup back into it, like a glimpse into the future. This clean section littered with acoustics and subtle sighs and guitar wails is so damn creepy. It simply oozes atmosphere. A swirling sound comes from the mud pits and then chaos ensures when that riff breaks. Mikael’s menacing growl returns us to another verse. “It is the year of death” indeed. The riff and solo at 7:00 is probably Opeth’s single most memorable instrumental section ever. I worship its brilliance. The riffs are simply too good. There’s too many of them. I’m dead. Once again, Lopez picks the perfect time to speed up and the song levels up to a level I didn’t know existed. The confidence in adding another brief acoustic stop before that insane ending is simply astounding. By the time we come to Mikael’s final, infuriatingly perfect, couplet, the journey is complete. Death metal can close it’s doors, we’ve reached peak death metal. No more shall ever be death metalled. 1000/10
BWP is not a perfect album. However, the title track and Drapery Falls are among the finest work the band has ever recorded and easily top 5 material. Leper and Bleak are not far behind.
Voting for Orchid stuff (minus Twilight) and Dirge. I cannot cut anything else yet in good conscience.
Eliminated after Round 5:
Forest Of October - 4 votes
Dirge For November - 4 votes
Promoted after Round 5:
In Mist She Was Standing
Under The Weeping Moon
The Twilight Is My Robe
Forest Of October lost the tiebreaker against Under The Weeping Moon and The Twilight Is My Robe, based on the average number of votes.
Deliverance joins the game!
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Forest of October is the best song on the debut. For shame, people. For shame.
Moor
Melinda
White Cluster
Leper
Wreath (one of the weakest heavy songs they've ever done)
Absent Friends
BTPISIO (far better than Wreath but it can't compare with these other juggernauts)
Moor
Melinda
White Cluster
Leper
Wreath (one of the weakest heavy songs they've ever done)
Absent Friends
BTPISIO (far better than Wreath but it can't compare with these other juggernauts)