[Dublo7]

Ok, I hope I don't get in trouble for resurrecting this thread. I'm still a relatively new Opeth fan, so I haven't listened to a great deal of their earlier material. I think in Opeth, I listen to their mid-late material the most, simply because I appreciate the increased adoption of progressive structure in those particular albums. I came to Opeth as a prog-rock fan, not as a metal head. Really, I find most metal to be ****ing abhorrent.

1. Blackwater Park.
2. Ghost Reveries.
3. Damnation.
4. Deliverance.
5. Still Life.

My first Opeth album that I could actually digest was Damnation, simply because it lacked death vocals. Like I said, I came to Opeth as a prog fan; it took me a long time to actually appreciate death vocals. With that being said, Opeth is really the only band in where I can tolerate death/metal vocals. When I purchased Damnation, I also arbitrarily purchased Deliverance. Deliverance scared the crap out of me, and I couldn't actually begin to enjoy it until later on.
Blackwater Park then became the first heavy Opeth album that I grew to love. Ghost Reveries seemed like the next logical step - it's a lot proggier than Blackwater Park. It's classic brutal Opeth at times and other times it's heart wrenching (Isolation Years and Hours of Wealth).
Deliverance is a recent favourite of mine, and it's been a long time coming. A lot of people I know tend to think that Deliverance is the most impenetrable Opeth album; it's very dark and very heavy. I'd agree that Deliverance is difficult to adjust to at first, but with repeated rotations, it really shines.

And on the subject of Watershed, I'm not totally sold on it, but I don't think it's a bad album - just a little weak at times. There are some amazing moments throughout it, but I find myself losing interest in the last 2 or 3 songs. Coil, Burden, and Lotus Eater are great tracks. However, I can't really listen to Coil or Burden anymore, simply because they remind me of somebody that's now no longer a part of my life - they're way too painful to listen to. I guess that speaks to the effectiveness and talent of Akerfeldt's writing.

Needless to say, I wait on baited breath for the next Opeth project.

 

[fuseboxx]

Too easy:

1. Still Life
2. Blackwater Park
3. My Arms, Your Hearse
4. Ghost Reveries
5. Damnation

\m/

 

[acolyte289]

Easy indeed.

1. Still Life
2. MAYH
3. Blackwater Park
4. Ghost Reveries
5. Orchid

Of course Morningrise, Watershed, and Damnation fall just slightly behind Orchid and there is no large gap between these. Except Still Life, it still gets far more plays than any of the others. Deliverance perhaps is my least favorite, I rarely listen to it.

edit: I pulled up Deliverance on the computer and now I am wondering why I don't listen to it more often. I don't care as much for some of the tracks (compared to the other Opeth albums of course) but the album definitely has its moments. Wreath is definitely a great track.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Nice to see this brought back to life! I care a lot about this band. An added joy is the pure amount of output. These guys are hard at work and we should see an added disk in a year or so. For me it would not matter as I do not comprehend a tenth of what they have done. It seems we have a genius here and the world is very lucky. I was only able to like death growels in 99 after a lifetime of metal. It may be a taste only for some. Opeth is the gateway band for many even though we like to feel they are underground. For headphone types, they bring the heavy prog. of the 1970s and make a bridge into the current sound.


With the output before us there comes a special response to be required from ourselves. Do we find the DVD audio from the Opeth albums and try two track mixdowns to see if they are better than redbook? If we care about our gift, yes we do. Do we go out and get a turntable and get the Lps? Yes we do!


There are experiences here for the few and brave. The Lps are some of the best sounding rock made by humans. The new will hear it and years will pass and our Opeth will rule. This my friends is a fact.

 

[Dublo7]

I'm planning to get myself a turntable next year. I will definitely do my best to hunt down some Opeth vinyl.

It's well known that Mikael is a vinyl junkie, so it's not surprising that the Opeth vinyl sounds great.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Orchid is a whole new animal on vinyl.

 

[Dublo7]

I think my new favourite Opeth song is A Fair Judgement.

The section at around 4.30 makes me melt.

 

[crazyjeeper]

^Yeah, a Fair Judgement is pretty awesome. One of my favorites for sure.

 

[Commanderloochy]

Just got MAYH today and I'm more or less blown away by it. Never listened to Opeth before but I'm enjoying this album so far. It just sounds better than most metal I've heard, it seems like they recorded this with audiophiles in mind. I can actually distinguish the instruments unlike some other metal I've heard, where it all just blends together. Thanks you head-fi for turning me onto this band.

 

[Dublo7]

I think MAYh will be the next Opeth album I will pay more attention to. I've listened to it sparingly, so I haven't really been able to form an opinion on it.
However, from listening to the small amount that I have, it's so bleedingly obvious that Mikael's growls have improved a million-fold since then.

 

[Meliboeus]

You are right, his growls on the later albums are completely different from Orchid...i really can' say it's an improvement though, i like both styles. Those high pitched screams suited Orchid music very well, but i wouldn't like Deliverance sung that way...

 

[Dublo7]

Speaking of vinyl

I wonder if that's Mendez's vinyl collection?
Pretty sweet.

 

[acolyte289]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Commanderloochy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just got MAYH today and I'm more or less blown away by it. Never listened to Opeth before but I'm enjoying this album so far. It just sounds better than most metal I've heard, it seems like they recorded this with audiophiles in mind. I can actually distinguish the instruments unlike some other metal I've heard, where it all just blends together. Thanks you head-fi for turning me onto this band.

I strongly recommend you get Still Life next. Or just buy them all!

Probably couldn't go wrong with Blackwater Park either. Still Life was a bit of a grower for me. I hated the track Serenity Painted Death (especially the chorus) for a long time and now I love it and its my favorite song. Go figure.

But as far as listening to full albums start to finish, the two concept albums MAYH and Still Life are without a doubt the strongest IMHO. Watershed is also a concept album (I think?). I could never bring myself to put any of these on shuffle. The former two are rock solid all the way through. I like Watershed too but it doesn't come close to the magic of SL and MAYH.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Opeth - Lamentations [DVD]
24 November 2003


01. Windowpane
02. In My Time Of Need
03. Death Whispered A Lullaby
04. Closure
05. Hope Leaves
06. To Rid The Disease
07. Ending Credits
08. Harvest
09. Weakness
10. Master's Apprentices
11. The Drapery Falls
12. Deliverance
13. The Leper Affinity
14. A Fair Judgement
+ Making Of 'Deliverance' And 'Damnation'


This DVD was recorded during a show of the Damnation Tour in London. Two parts here: the most interesting, the reason why you already have it, is the concert. The second part is the making of Opeth's last two albums. As the important part is the show, I'll go quickly on the bonus.

The making of allows us to enter the writing and recording process of Deliverance and Damnation, and to see the studio life of this band. Every part of the recording of the albums is explained by the musicians, who also think back about the band's debuts. It is indeed really interesting to hear about the beginning of Opeth, with some anecdotes that desanctify these guys who look like unreachable geniuses... I guess a new sparkle of hope will light the ears of songwriters around the world when they will know that Akerfeldt's first metal song was called 'I hate Hiphop'. Everybody has to start somewhere... Something cool on these bonuses is the writing process with Akerfeldt and Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree: this is the living proof that two geniuses and great musicians can work together without ego problems...
Actually the interest of this making of is to show four good and intelligent musicians who know exactly what they want and what they have to do to get it.

The concert part is concentrated on the last album Damnation. The whole album is played (eight songs of Damnation out of the first nine) by a square and very professional band. They don't seem ill at ease, on the contrary Mikael Akerfeldt is smiling all along, chatting with the crowd, far from the shyness they usually show. Even if the first part of the show is only acoustic, the audience shows its interest, and the band does its utmost to avoid boredom, like the breathtaking 'In My Time Of Need' played with deep and stunning emotion or the metal jam at the end of 'Closure' that would break the neck of the most experienced headbanger of the world. 'Harvest' is as perfect as always, while 'Weakness', a track that doesn't seem fit for the scene, is eventually not as boring as I feared. The second part of the show is more metal, with tracks from Blackwater Park and Deliverance only. Once again, there is nothing to reproach to these guys, they know their job... And I can't tell which one of the acoustic or the metal part is the best.

The sound of the show is worthy of the best live albums, the songs are as perfect as on album, there is no problem with any instrument, you recognize a clean guitar out of an electric riff... As I said, just perfect. The only reproach that I can think about while watching the show is this one: guys, for your next DVD, please choose another head cameraman... It looks like this one had gone out for a cigarette or a coffee during the concert, and that gives way to some aberrations. Example: when there is a guitar solo, there is no point in filming the crowd or the drummer; when Mikael Akerfeldt starts growling, the camera seems all of a sudden very interested in Martin Mendez's bassplaying, as if afraid of the singer... This is very irritating, and is enough to avoid the maximal rating to this DVD which is, on any other point, in my opinion perfect. But this is a minor flaw that must not spoil your pleasure to watch 'Lamentations'.


Band profile: Opeth
Album: Lamentations

Just made this into an Mp4 so I can have it with me all the time in an Ipod Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Redcarmoose]

Just used a Dvd audio extractor to get Lamentations audio!