Opeth

By Request, Part 1 - Orchid:

  • Total voters
    10
Cornfed Hick

Cornfed Hick

Ancient Mariner
Fuck it, these guys are worthy of their own thread. 

There is a new song, called "The Devil's Orchard," available for streaming here.  It can also be linked through the band's official site. 

The band has also announced something that is great news for me:  the new album, called Heritage, "includes 100% clean singing" (in other words, no more of the growling/Cookie Monster vocals that, in my view, made Opeth less than perfect).  Very much looking forward to it.  The album is to be released September 20.
 
Most people think Åkerfelt is a great grunter and I am one of them, but I admit that he sounds kinda different in that clip, Night Prowler. Still like it, though.

This song is really progressive stuff. Love the without-guitars part ! Mysterious synth! And when the axes join, a great change of mood enters.

I am curious to hear more atmospherical parts of this album. I like that aspect the best (plus the awesome harmonies of the first two, more Maiden inspired albums).
 
I'm an Opeth fan and I'm still getting into them, I have their 5 most recent albums. I think Mikeal has a great voice (both clean and growls). As with DT, I'm not gonna listen to the new single before the album comes out :)
 
Although I have known about them for bloody years, I'm fairly new to Opeth's music. As I stated before in another thread somewhere, I love the album Blackwater Park and possibly would rate that album in my overall top 30 (or even 20).

I have just started to listen to Orchid and I am quite enjoying it (this album is so strongly Maiden influenced).
 
Cool to see someone who enjoys the first album. In the last years I've often only heard positive remarks about their later albums.

What I like about those two first albums...


Opeth_Orchid.jpg

15483.jpeg


... is that Opeth made nice contrasts between calm acoustic 'folky' passages (very atmospheric and also suspenseful!) and harder parts. Back then, the changes in the songs were sudden and the guitars were mostly based on very strong melodies, often beautiful harmonies (which is indeed a treat for Maiden fans! ;) ). That aspect disappeared on the next couple of albums in favor of rhythmic driven guitars. I had the idea that their songs lost their melodical touch and at times I even found some songs very monotone, and plain boring and repetitive.

But since Damnation and the albums that followed -Ghost Reveries & Watershed and hopefully the new album as well- Opeth have returned with an intriguing blend of powerful and psychedelic music.

In short, I like their early stuff and their latest 3 or 4 albums. I haven't checked Blackwater Park & Deliverance properly yet, but I dislike Still Life and what I've heard from My Arms, Your Hearse was also not that impressive.
 
I haven't heard their first four, but BWP is my favourite closely followed by Ghost Reveries/Watershed. D/D are both great too :)
 
I love anything these guys put out. I really enjoy their earlier albums for the reasons Foro stated, but I really enjoy Still Life quite a lot. Both because of the story and the music. Watershed is incredible and I felt it was very... 70's inspired.
 
We should have a survivor of these guys this season, I think we have enough people :)
 
I'm fairly new to Opeth, but I agree with Foro that their early albums are their best.

@Jupz: if SMX decides not to do Opeth Survivor, I'll do it. I think that it's time for a Survivor focused on an extreme metal band.
 
Just got Opeth's new album.  Not only have they abandoned the growling vocals ( :bigsmile:)  they have abandoned the metal genre altogether ( :S).  Not only isn't it metal, it arguably is not even rock music.  It's mostly jazz.  Yes, jazz.  Some might call it prog, but it's more akin to jazz, based on a first listen.  I'm not sure what I think about it yet.  There are some moments of breathtaking genius, while other passages are a little boring -- though the latter may benefit from more focused, intense listening.  Right now, I give it a 7/10, but it could be a grower. 
 
After repeated listens of the new album my mind is beginning to understand this growless work of art. This was my fb post today:

The new Opeth album 'Heritage' is a truly masterful melancholic acoustic soundscape occasionally pierced by brutal roaring distorted guitars. The album has a romantically gothic atmosphere akin to listening to the images within the mind of Lord Byron at his most creative. They say jazz grew out of the Great Migration to urban Chicago but the unrestrained sounds filling 'Heritage' really make me wonder if an earlier era of jazz existed back in ancient Scandinavia from whence these troubadours evolved - well its plausible to me anyhow. The boys from Opeth show once again that there is more to Scandinavia than IKEA and jarred fish. Allow 'Heritage' to permeate your waking hours - TLHC

It's great and I'm relieved. Watershed was a difficult album to better and I believe Opeth have done this. Be sure to download the bonus tracks too.
 
I heard the album and I'm very dissapointed. The Devil's Orchard is great. Slither, The Lines In My Hand and second part of Folklore are OK. All the other songs are extremely boring and plodding, and I probably won't listen to the album in its entirety again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top