[10068]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opeth

Opeth is the first band I'd ever listened to that consistently and expertly combined beauty and hardcore/badass/brutal -ness in all of their material. Beautiful Metal? You bet your expensive cans it exists!
Until I'd heard them, I hated the death growl stuff - I thought it was ridiculous and comical. They won me over and now I'll never look back.

Whether you're a self-proclaimed Metalhead that hates Death Metal and/or Black Metal, or just open-eared and looking for something new to listen to, I highly suggest that you check out Opeth.

The tracks linked below (all with lyrics) show some of the different styles of theirs, each from a separate album. Enjoy!

Beauty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUU0Q9Ry58I   [A Fair Judgement, from Deliverance (2002)]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YCGSwG9Rg8   [To Rid The Disease from Damnation (2003)]

Beauty+Badass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr40TWMxM3I   [Harlequin Forest from Ghost Reveries (2005)]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EozLK-aCuKU   [White Cluster from Still Life (1999)]

Badass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYeZ5M1tWHk   [Blackwater Park from Blackwater Park (2001)]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbJCgDtjSDg   [Heir Apparent from Watershed (2008)]
   
Prog:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FGQN9W188g   [Famine from Heritage (2011)]   (jump to 4:50 if you get bored)

.

 

[GetsugaSSJ]

I hated death vocals until I heard Behemoth, now I refuse to go back. Opeth is amazing as well, I love how they can balance gutteral and clean so delicately. "The Apostle in Triumph" is easily one of their best songs.

 

[batphink]

What's wrong with Cookie Monster vocals?

 

[Taowolf51]

Opeth still has cookie monster vocals. The songs that don't are fantastic, I just wish I could go through an album without them.

 

[Asr]

No offense, but the suggestion of Opeth to people that include "self-proclaimed Metalhead that hates Death Metal and/or Black Metal, or just open-eared and looking for something new to listen to" seems counterintuitive to me, because let's face it, Opeth is a fairly popular band. Are there any metalheads that haven't heard Opeth?
 
I'd call attention to other less-popular bands, or sub-genres, for people who don't like "cookie monster death vocals". For example, sub-genres like thrash (Anthrax, Megadeth), prog (Kamelot, Symphony X), power (Blind Guardian, Helloween), symphonic (Epica, Nightwish), or folk (Agalloch, Eluveitie).

 

[daniboy]

not sure if you will consider tool metal, maynard james keenan vocals are really clean.

 

[10068]

My point was that I've met plenty of people that go, "I love Metal it's da bezt LOLOL" and then say they hate vocals in groups like Opeth/My Dying Bride/Slipknot/Otep/et al., and that of all the ''death metal growl'' stuff I've heard, I believe Opeth is the best and most understandable (as in, you can hear what he's actually saying)
 
You give some great groups in this post though. Thank you
 
Quote:

No offense, but the suggestion of Opeth to people that include "self-proclaimed Metalhead that hates Death Metal and/or Black Metal, or just open-eared and looking for something new to listen to" seems counterintuitive to me, because let's face it, Opeth is a fairly popular band. Are there any metalheads that haven't heard Opeth?
 
I'd call attention to other less-popular bands, or sub-genres, for people who don't like "cookie monster death vocals". For example, sub-genres like thrash (Anthrax, Megadeth), prog (Kamelot, Symphony X), power (Blind Guardian, Helloween), symphonic (Epica, Nightwish), or folk (Agalloch, Eluveitie).

 
 

 

[Taowolf51]

Quote:

My point was that I've met plenty of people that go, "I love Metal it's da bezt LOLOL" and then say they hate vocals in groups like Opeth/My Dying Bride/Slipknot/Otep/et al., and that of all the ''death metal growl'' stuff I've heard, I believe Opeth is the best and most understandable (as in, you can hear what he's actually saying)

 
There are plenty of people who like metal without the growl. Doesn't make their taste any less valid.

 

[Lord Crow]

I don't like the growly metal either. For the most part I don't like vocals with metal at all, it rarely works for me. That's why I listen to instrumental metal:

[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHAUQNTwYZo[/VIDEO]

 

[LithoJazoSphere]

 
Quote:

Opeth still has cookie monster vocals. The songs that don't are fantastic, I just wish I could go through an album without them.

Their albums Damnation and Heritage are completely bereft of growls.
 
I haven't been here long enough to really have a pulse on what people in general know on this forum, but in the larger musical world, Opeth is one of the most popular metal groups, and I'm also skeptical that there are all that many people who like metal and yet have never heard of Opeth.  They are certainly one of the best gateway groups to more intense forms of metal, and still one of my overall favorites, though my enthusiasm for them has waned as I consider the last two albums sub-par to their previous efforts.  Mikael Akerfeldt's growls are some of the best in the business, and he contrasts it with an excellent clean baritone. 
 
One of the coolest things about metal is that there is a band out there for almost every conceivable taste.  If there is some particular element that you don't like in a certain genre or band, a little bit of searching can reveal a very similar band without that particular element.  There was a period of time where I also enjoyed metal, but didn't enjoy the harsher vocals style associated with the more aggressive forms, but I'm glad that I overcame that barrier, as there are so many fantastic bands on the other side.

 

[Angelbelow]

How can you like opeth with out the cookie monster vocals haha. I guess its personal preference but I like Orchid and Morning Rise the most. Ghost Reveries is up there too though but for different reasons.

 

[10068]

I think Sigh is having the same effect on me for black metal that Opeth did for death metal. Interesting.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigh_%28band%29
 
By the way, since many of you have mentioned, it sounds like maybe I'm the exception on this but I know plenty of people who love the metal they've heard, but have never listened to Opeth - and many that have never even heard of Opeth. In fact, the vast majority of people I know or have met don't know who Opeth is. More people I've asked know who Otep is than who Opeth is. (comes up because of the similar spelling I suppose)

 

[RobustOrange]

A good group I could recommend is Charred walls of the Damned. Their vocals are clean and very Iron maiden-esque.
 
 

 

[PLUSSOUND]

Quote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opeth

Opeth is the first band I'd ever listened to that consistently and expertly combined beauty and hardcore/badass/brutal -ness in all of their material. Beautiful Metal? You bet your expensive cans it exists!
Until I'd heard them, I hated the death growl stuff - I thought it was ridiculous and comical. They won me over and now I'll never look back.

Whether you're a self-proclaimed Metalhead that hates Death Metal and/or Black Metal, or just open-eared and looking for something new to listen to, I highly suggest that you check out Opeth. I guarantee you won't be dissapointed. And if you are, well, you're crazy and might need an MRI.

The tracks linked below (all with lyrics) show some of the different styles of theirs, each from a separate album. Enjoy!

Beauty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUU0Q9Ry58I   [A Fair Judgement, from Deliverance (2002)]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YCGSwG9Rg8   [To Rid The Disease from Damnation (2003)]

Beauty+Badass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr40TWMxM3I   [Harlequin Forest from Ghost Reveries (2005)]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EozLK-aCuKU   [White Cluster from Still Life (1999)]

Badass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYeZ5M1tWHk   [Blackwater Park from Blackwater Park (2001)]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbJCgDtjSDg   [Heir Apparent from Watershed (2008)]
   
Prog:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FGQN9W188g   [Famine from Heritage (2011)]   (jump to 4:50 if you get bored)

.

Great band. Got the chance to see them last year. 
 
 

 

[Scars Unseen]

Absolutely amazing band; Blackwater Park was my "gateway drug" to death metal.  Couldn't stand the stuff before them.  I remember seeing them live in Dallas...  2004, I think?  Possibly 2003.  It was right before I enlisted in the Air Force.  The concert featured Strapping Young Lad, Meshuggah, Lacuna Coil, and Opeth.  Best concert I ever attended.  Unfortunately, I missed a chance to see them last year when they came to Japan.  Maybe next time.