THE OPETH REFERENDUM MMXXI: Results -> Blackwater Park wins again!

I'm not a huge fan of MAYH. The songwriting just isn't as concise, now this isn't really a word that describes Opeth to begin with, but here a lot sounds like a mishmash of ideas strung together. The Amen Corner for example feels about four minutes longer than what it really is, there's just too much packed in there.

Now, none of those songs are bad, but this songwriting problem makes it hard to recall them fully. Or maybe I'm talking out of my ass and I'm just not familiar enough with it. :p

Bleak
The Moor
Face of Melinda
Prologue
Madrigal
The Amen Corner
Credence
Karma
Epilogue
 
Shmoolikipod said:
I'm not a huge fan of MAYH. The songwriting just isn't as concise, now this isn't really a word that describes Opeth to begin with, but here a lot sounds like a mishmash of ideas strung together. The Amen Corner for example feels about four minutes longer than what it really is, there's just too much packed in there.
Click to expand...
I think MAYH is the weakest of the growly Opeth albums, save for maybe Watershed. I think a lot of the songs meander on and lack any coherence or true direction. One of the biggest reasons that this album does little for me is the lack of any real bass presence. Akerfeldt played the bass himself - with a pick - since Martin Mendez had just joined and didn't have enough time to learn the songs. As such, the bass follows the rhythm guitars 99% of the time and thus has almost no standout parts. The only one that comes to mind is the end of The Amen Corner. Opeth's first two albums had an incredible fretless lead bass style, and from Still Life onward Mendez grooved like there was no tomorrow. This album is the black sheep in that regard. The album just isn't tight enough for me, with the riffs and the mix being too "wall of sound" for my tastes. I feel like there's a lack of dynamics.

I do like The Amen Corner, but mostly for the first few minutes of sick riffs (they just keep coming!) and the terrific "eerie circles upon the waters" part (and the intensity preceding it). But it's no perfect song.

The same is true of Karma, where the first few minutes are meh but everything from 2:54 on redeems it spectacularly. The song is very wintery, which I believe is the part of the story it alludes to. The ending is just brutally cool. That scream!

April Ethereal is... fine. If I had an additional vote it would have been for it. Up until that sweet riff at 6:00 with the droning and the chugging, it's pretty standard Opeth "wall of sound" fare.

Then you have When, a song I've always found to be massively overrated in almost every way imaginable. I just don't see the appeal.

Finally, Credence is a solid little breath of fresh air (the ending is beautiful), but there just isn't enough meat there. I saw them play this live on the growl-free Heritage tour and I was pumped for it but it ended up seeming out of place and a bit lifeless.

Demon of the Fall is the big tune from this album, and deservingly so - it's really the only track here that is consistent from start to finish.

MrKnickerbocker said:
Y’all voting for The Moor are off your rockers.
Click to expand...
It's far from a bad song, but outside of the intro riffs, chorus, and quiet bridge, it doesn't hold my attention in the way some of the other songs on the album do. Similar to When, Opeth fans seem to worship this song... and I just don't get it. Perhaps because a lot of it is the "wall of sound" vibe that I disliked from MAYH? My favorite tracks from Still Life - Godhead, Moonlapse, and Serenity - all have distinct, tight, rhythmic sections in them.

I'm weird in that I see the songs of Still Life in colors - as in, when I hear the song or even think about it, I pretty much only see that color. Maybe because the album's cover is so vivid? When I saw them play The Moor a few tours ago, they had the audacity to bathe the stage in red light during some of the parts. No!

The Moor - green (red is just so inappropriate and I can't believe they didn't fire the lighting guy)
Godhead's Lament - orange-yellow
Benighted - light blue
Moonlapse Vertigo - dark blue
Face of Melinda - red-purple
Serenity Painted Death - red-orange
White Cluster - yellow (oddly)

I want to add that zero songs from Still Life are bad. Even my least favorites - Benighted and The Moor - are excellent (especially in terms of the overall narrative). It was also difficult to vote for Melinda and White Cluster here (I think they're both stronger than almost all of MAYH), but the format of the game demands it.
 
Detective Beauregard said:
I'm weird in that I see the songs of Still Life in colors - as in, when I hear the song or even think about it, I pretty much only see that color. Maybe because the album's cover is so vivid?
Click to expand...
Maybe you have a form of synesthesia? To me “The Moor” is a red title, but I’m not sure if the actual song is also red cuz it’s been ages since I played it.
 
Detective Beauregard said:
It was also difficult to vote for Melinda and White Cluster here (I think they're both stronger than almost all of MAYH), but the format of the game demands it.
Click to expand...
I mean, we don't have to. We can try to carry all of them all the way to the finals by getting rid of the other albums instead, I think. Honestly, I don't know why I'm not doing it this way, considering I pretty much have a five-way tie in this album...
 
Benighted is the obvious 1st choice to be eliminated from Still Life and Godhead's Lament the obvious 2nd choice. But for the remaining five songs it's super hard. With a heavy heart I'd say White Cluster is 3rd obvious choice but it's still an amazing song that's better than any songs from the first 3 albums apart from Demon Of The Fall. But I can't decide which one's the weakest The Moor, Moonlapse Vertigo, Melinda and Serenity Painted Death, it's impossible.
 
Diesel 11 said:
Maybe you have a form of synesthesia? To me “The Moor” is a red title, but I’m not sure if the actual song is also red cuz it’s been ages since I played it.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I would think of the title as brown or green due to actual moors. But the music to me is mostly green for whatever reason. I probably do have a mild form of synesthesia, and I take it you do as well?

Night Prowler said:
Benighted is the obvious 1st choice to be eliminated from Still Life and Godhead's Lament the obvious 2nd choice. But for the remaining five songs it's super hard. With a heavy heart I'd say White Cluster is 3rd obvious choice but it's still an amazing song that's better than any songs from the first 3 albums apart from Demon Of The Fall. But I can't decide which one's the weakest The Moor, Moonlapse Vertigo, Melinda and Serenity Painted Death, it's impossible.
Click to expand...
Outside of Benighted for me, it really is a tough album to vote for. Everything flows so well!
 
Detective Beauregard said:
Interesting. I would think of the title as brown or green due to actual moors. But the music to me is mostly green for whatever reason. I probably do have a mild form of synesthesia, and I take it you do as well?
Click to expand...
It’s either brown or red for me, but I can also understand green. I’m sure I’ve got a mild form of synesthesia, there’s a lot I associate with colors and shit but sometimes it’s more blurry than as well-defined as it is for my partner, who definitely has synesthesia and not just in a mild way. When it comes to music a lot of times the album cover links a color to the music I hear, but there are exceptions. Piece of Mind is a green album to me even though the cover is gray, black, and mustard. It also presents itself when I make lists; an item has to be on a specific number or it feels off (but it depends on the list because one item may be a different number on a different list).
 
Voted for The Leper Affinity and everything from MAYH apart from April Ethereal, When and Demon Of The Fall.
 
Bleak

Prologue
Madrigal
Credence
Karma
Epilogue
Also - April Ethereal - which is wholly unmemorable to me other than the one really cool syncopated riff in the middle.

When and Amen Corner actually clicked with me a lot on these listens, the former being the most similar to the first two albums and having the second best clean vocal sections on the album, the latter being an utter riff-fest from start to finish. I'll be voting for them immediately in the finals, though, as Demon of The Fall is the only real winner on this album.

Nothing from Still Life. Never anything from Still Life.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top