Opeth

By Request, Part 1 - Orchid:

  • Total voters
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Thanks man! Just listened to all 4 songs. Love the vocals on Dead Eternity! I think I'll check out that album first. I definitely hear lots of melodies and a pretty big Maiden influence, the first song also reminds me of a slightly more upbeat Opeth. Overall it seems a little more fast paced and much more to the point. The riffs aren't quite as strong, but melodically it's a bit more interesting than Opeth's more melodic guitar parts.

As far as growls go, I guess I don't discuss these bands much on here but I actually listen to quite a few bands that only use growls and no clean singing, so that's not an issue. However, I do tend to enjoy it more when clean singing is mixed in.
 
It is very to the point indeed. That's exactly what I wanted to add to the post. Some songs also have calmer acoustic passages but when the distortion pedal is down, you can expect no beating around the bush music. Opeth have more contrasts, longer build-ups, they tend to stay longer on the same themes and atmospheres. Since the third album their songs tend to originate rather from rhythm-(guitar)s, than from a melody and of course they have longer stuff. But it's an interesting combo. I am only afraid that In Flames hardly plays their old work. If you're lucky you might catch Episode 666.
 
In Flames nowadays doesn't sound similar at all to their earlier works, nor do they play a lot of their old songs live. It's quite commercial nu-metallish/metalcore-ish music. They don't even have any original members left in the band, none of the members who played on the debut album are still in the band either. Big fall from grace IMO.
 
@ the style: That's why I lost interest at some point. But I still cherish the old stuff. I think it's worth to discover, even if the band doesn't do that anymore.
@ line-up: Yeah, that's because Jester Stömblad left four years ago. That said, they still have 2 members from the second full length album (The Jester Race) and two other dudes are also in the band since the nineties. Just to emphasize that it wasn't a carrousel of members coming and going. ;)
 
Tour starts in two days.

”So. we’re gearing up to go out on our first tour in support of ”Pale Communion”. As always, there’s mixed feelings. Parts of me wants to stay home, and the other part wants to go out and rip it up on stages all over the world. That’s always been the case. We’re all very happy with the new record, and the new songs (were rehearsing 5 of them) are sounding good when we play them. If I may say so myself. Overall there seem to be a little bit more focus on older heavier material this time around. We sat down, drank wine and discussed songs we wanted to play, and ended up with a list of 30 or so songs. We’re rehearsing a song from 1996 and it’s probably the funniest one to play. I don’t know why. Maybe because it brings back memories. Some older songs are difficult to get right but nothing compared to the new stuff. We can now choose songs from the 90’s AND the 2000’s. We’re getting old! Anyways, come and see us, whydontcha?
Might be worth it. Metalheads, progheads, music lovers, old and young, male or female. You’re all very welcome!
Cheers!
Mikael, on behalf of Opeth"

I might get to see them in Vienna this month, depends on money though. Happy to see that they won't be ditching the heavy stuff. My wishes would be (in this order): BWP, Deliverance, Melinda, Serenity Painted Death, Closure, Bleak, Harlequin Forest. Although just the first two would make me very very happy :)
 
A song from '96, huh? Well since I can't see To Bid You Farewell or Night and the Silent Water being "funny," I certainly hope he's talking about Black Rose Immortal!

Also, five songs from the new album?! Seems like a lot, but I'm okay with it. My guesses are Eternal, Cusp, Moon, Goblin, and Faith. To not play the closing track would be a crime.
 
Black Rose Immortal seems unlikely. My guess is Nectar.

From the new album: First three songs + River and Voice of Treason
 
Orchid (nothing) - nothing really stands out, happy that they skipped the album
Morningrise (Advent) - best pick
MAYH (April Ethereal) - best pick
Still Life (The Moor) - pretty much a perfect album, considering an awesome song like The Moor is only my 3rd favorite :D
BWP (Bleak) - Bleak is my favorite song, but I think the title track works better live
Deliverance (Deliverance) - best pick
Damnation (Windowpane) - second best pick after Closure
Ghost Reveries (The Grand Conjuration) - eh, pretty much the worst song on the setlist, would've preferred Harlequin Forest
Watershed (The Lotus Eater) - this one and Heir Apparent are equal to me, so best pick I guess
Heritage (The Devil's Orchard) - best pick
PC (Eternal Rains Will Come, Cusp Of Eternity, Elysian Woes) - first two are best picks, but I think Moon Above, Sun Below is better than Elysian Woes
 
Wish they would've dug a bt deeper with some of the older songs. Advent, Moor, and Ethereal have been played recently. But they're great songs so I can't complain too much.
 
...what a weird setlist. That would be an interesting show, for sure. I'd be most excited to hear the new stuff, as I honestly can't say that I'm too thrilled about any of their other picks. Oh well, guess it's not too bad that I'm missing this tour.
 
This is sort of what they did on the Blackwater Park anniversary tour a few years ago, when they played one song from each album (plus all of BWP). A fair amount of overlap with the same songs too, which is a little too bad. Frankly, I'd prefer more stuff from the new album (River in particular), but I realize I'm in the minority.
 
I agree about the lack of new songs. I'm really disappointed with the selection there honestly. It's a crime that River and Moon Above aren't being played.[/quote]
 
Good to see that early Opeth is not disappearing from the setlists (and very satisfied with just one song from Still Life; that's more than enough:D ). I do think that the debut has outstanding stuff as well, but you can't have it all at the same time. At least Orchid has been represented on both The Roundhouse Tapes and Royal Albert Hall, and I do not expect to hear the last of it.

Satisfied with all other choices, although I can't really comment on the stuff from the last three albums, which I'm planning to hear more often in the upcoming weeks.
 
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I'm not thrilled about that set, but not massively disappointed, either.

Eternal Rains - awesome, glad they're playing this
Cusp - meh, I'd rather hear Goblin
Bleak - this is kinda overplayed; I'd love to hear them do Funeral Portrait!
Moor - why don't they ever play Moonlapse Vertigo?
Advent - my least favorite song from Morningrise; I'd much rather hear BRI!
Elysian - why? This is probably the weakest song from PC. I wanna hear Faith in Others!
Windowpane - tied w/Hope Leaves for my Damnation fave, so I'm cool with it
April - if they HAVE to represent MAYH, Amen Corner or Karma are the only two songs I'd want to hear
Devil's Orchard - great song, one of Heritage's finest
Lotus Eater - I'm okay with it solely because I'll get to hear them play the funky part live!
Grand Conjuration - why? Harlequin Forest, please
Deliverance - predictable, but still a great song

I'm okay with the lack of Orchard, because every song on there is like 15 minutes long and none of them (aside from Forest) are really that interesting the whole way through.
 
They didn't change the setlist for the 2nd show. Here's a video of The Moor, Mikael's growls aren't bad compared to a lot of performances over the past few years:
Drummer still annoys me though ::)
 
Why does their drummer annoy you? I mean, he's no Mendez, but he's still really good...

MrKnickerbocker saw Opeth earlier this year and said that Mikael's growls were spot on (much better than on their most recent live album).
 
Detective Beauregard said:
Why does their drummer annoy you? I mean, he's no Mendez, but he's still really good...
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You mean Lopez :P I dunno, he doesn't have the same style & feel like Lopez and it's just really really annoying to me. He changes some fills for the worse and his improvisations are generally meh. I do think he's a great drummer, works perfectly in Bloodbath. I could compare it to how Broderick nails all the Friedman solos in Megadeth, but it doesn't sound same. Or how Mosh didn't like Smedley's drumming in Iced Earth yet I thought it's great :P

Detective Beauregard said:
MrKnickerbocker saw Opeth earlier this year and said that Mikael's growls were spot on (much better than on their most recent live album).
Click to expand...
My point of reference was the Rock Am Ring 2014 video, he probably just had a bad day there... or its just the bad mix.
 
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