Opeth

Toasty · 13-03-2008, 4:31 PM

I've heard a number of Opeth tracks recently, couldn't name them I'm afraid, but I've been impressed by what I've heard. Anyone into these? Any particular albums that stand out?

Cheers..

karkus30 · 13-03-2008, 5:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toasty

I've heard a number of Opeth tracks recently, couldn't name them I'm afraid, but I've been impressed by what I've heard. Anyone into these? Any particular albums that stand out?

Cheers..

Blackwater park and Ghost reveries, still life. TBH they are all pretty much as good as each other if you like the music. Im supposing you are also into Dream Theater and Tool ??

Toasty · 13-03-2008, 5:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karkus30

Blackwater park and Ghost reveries, still life. TBH they are all pretty much as good as each other if you like the music. Im supposing you are also into Dream Theater and Tool ??

Ta, DT and Tool are not my main choice of music, but I don't mind them. Been using some social internet radio stations recently and Opeth have caught my ~~eye~~ ears.

Matt_C · 13-03-2008, 5:44 PM

Opeth are awesome, and I've seen them a couple of times. Blackwater Park (from this check out "The Drapery Falls") as per mentioned, and my personal fave : Morningrise (from this I LOVE "Nectar" and "To Bid You Farewell")

I was a huge black/death metal fan when I got into them, I've since left that all behind (well, most of it, I still listen occasionally to the best bits - Emperor, Dimmu Borgir etc - those that are based around exceptional musicianship), and since got into the more technical and, dare I say it, prog stuff (like DT and Tool, tho I'm not much of a Tool fan - more Meshuggah, Biomechanical, Rush, Lamb Of God etc) and as such, Opeth have carried over... Great band

Xabi17 · 14-03-2008, 9:38 PM

Ghost Reveries would be my personal favourite. If you do pick it up, ensure it is the 'Special Edition' or 'Limited Edition' etc., as it contains a [Bonus Track] going by the name of Soldier of Fortune...excellent song and album. Good luck

pmc · 15-03-2008, 12:28 PM

Another

for Blackwater Park.

I normally don't like growly vocals but Opeth do enough musically for me to get past it.

Matt_C · 15-03-2008, 1:35 PM

Might be worth mentioning - check out PORCUPINE TREE if you haven't already - IMO, some of it is quite similar to Opeth, in terms of musicality - just without the "black metal" element if you like

sh18 · 15-03-2008, 2:58 PM

Never thought id see an Opeth thread on this site! Love Opeth, a friend of mine recommended Still Life a while ago and I havnt looked back, Blackwater Park is easily one of my favourite albums of all time (listen to Bleak!), saw them live in Nottingham last year and they were blinding, can't wait to see them again this year at Rockam Ring

karkus30 · 15-03-2008, 5:22 PM

May I suggest a listen to a band called Agalloch-Ashes against the grain. try two tracks called Fire above, ice below and falling snow. Simpler but no less atmospheric.

[youtube]GlVzgAsVI4I&hl[/youtube]

[youtube]z4ih3JVrRPE&hl[/youtube]

Matt_C · 15-03-2008, 5:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sh18

Never thought id see an Opeth thread on this site! Love Opeth, a friend of mine recommended Still Life a while ago and I havnt looked back, Blackwater Park is easily one of my favourite albums of all time (listen to Bleak!), saw them live in Nottingham last year and they were blinding, can't wait to see them again this year at Rockam Ring

They're playing the Brixton Academy in April (26th) with Arch Enemy, DevilDriver and "guests" which I think I would very much like to go to!

overkill · 16-03-2008, 2:07 PM

Blackwater Park is the magnum opus of the Opeth canon, but Ghost Reveries, Deliverance and the, 'off the wall' Damnation are all great albums.

As others have said the 'growly' death metal vocals are not my scene either, but the music is quite superb so I don't let them bother me.

Agree with Karkus on Agalloch-Ashes.

Matt_C · 16-03-2008, 3:46 PM

Booked up a couple tickets for the Brixton show next month - should be a good show, not seen Opeth live for a good few years!

sh18 · 16-03-2008, 5:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt_C

They're playing the Brixton Academy in April (26th) with Arch Enemy, DevilDriver and "guests" which I think I would very much like to go to!

yeah the defenders of the faith tour, was gonna go but ive already seen Arch Enemy once and Devildriver twice so im gonna save the money and wait until germany

Xabi17 · 16-03-2008, 5:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt_C

They're playing the Brixton Academy in April (26th) with Arch Enemy, DevilDriver and "guests" which I think I would very much like to go to!

Opeth & Arch Enemy Co-Headlining
DevilDriver & 3 Inches of Blood Co-Supporting.

Should be excellent, I'll be going to the London (Brixton) date. Hope to see some of you there

TarPot · 16-03-2008, 5:24 PM

I've got my ticket to Brixton too. Can't wait.

I like Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries as much as each other. They're great. Damnation is a good album for feeling mellow. Closure is my favourite from Damnation.

The new album is out in July.

karkus30 · 16-03-2008, 6:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overkill

Agree with Karkus on Agalloch-Ashes.

Toasty · 17-03-2008, 9:33 AM

Thanks for the great response, sounds like there are a number of Albums worth checking out, which is always a good sign

But for now, Black Water park seems to have got it

Matt_C · 27-04-2008, 12:30 PM

Went to see Opeth last night on a co-headline tour with Arch Enemy - first time I have seen Opeth live in probably over 10years!

Absolutely superb gig, by the end of the night the crowed was totally tranced out! They were so mesmorising on stage, the sound was fantastic, the set list was great, the whole effect was just top notch - I've never been so chilled out at a death metal gig LOL...

Seriously tho, was a superb show and Opeth were on top form and played brilliantly

Hope to see them again in a year or so when they tour to support WATERSHED which is due out in June or July...

karkus30 · 27-04-2008, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt_C

Went to see Opeth last night on a co-headline tour with Arch Enemy - first time I have seen Opeth live in probably over 10years!

Absolutely superb gig, by the end of the night the crowed was totally tranced out! They were so mesmorising on stage, the sound was fantastic, the set list was great, the whole effect was just top notch - I've never been so chilled out at a death metal gig LOL...

Seriously tho, was a superb show and Opeth were on top form and played brilliantly

Hope to see them again in a year or so when they tour to support WATERSHED which is due out in June or July...

That peaked my interest.........tranced out ?? Chilled........tell me more, because that is certainly what I would not have expected. I found something similar when I went to see Tool, but they are slightly less auraly demanding.

Matt_C · 27-04-2008, 3:58 PM

Opeth are a death metal band, don't get me wrong. Blisteringly fast drum parts (blast beats) and insane riff's, but they incorporate elements and passages of acoustic guitars, piano's, and folk and jazz styles into it - coupled with growling vocals and huge soundscapes, mixed with clean folk style vocals - all in one huge package. The overal effect is a somewhat mesmorising soundstage, with fast "death metal" bits, slower "stoner rock" bits, folk bits, jazz bits - it's so hard to describe and pigeon hole!

overkill · 27-04-2008, 8:49 PM

Anyone heard much off the new album yet? The boy tells me that there is a new single out?

Hopefully, as, thanks to a cock up by my younger brother, I didn't get to see the 'keep the faith' gig at Manchester the other night, they will be touring to support it.

overkill · 27-04-2008, 8:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karkus30

That peaked my interest.........tranced out ?? Chilled........tell me more, because that is certainly what I would not have expected. I found something similar when I went to see Tool, but they are slightly less auraly demanding.

Tool was a weird experience. Great concert, but they really 'play' with the crowd emotively. The only band I've seen do that before was Floyd (with Rog).

Matt_C · 27-04-2008, 10:35 PM

I've heard the full new album (Watershed, due for release in June or July as I previously said = but it's been leaked on the net, so I got hold of a copy to tide me over till the actual release comes out) and it's good! Porcelain Heart is EXCELLENT, and I think there is a promo video available for it on Roadrunner's site....

Need to give it a few more listens to get it tho - same as most of Opeth's stuff. They aren't really a "one listen" band - much like Muse, Porcupine Tree etc - bands that need a few listens to their stuff before it all sinks in

gingerninja72 · 28-04-2008, 9:18 AM

I normally can't stand vocals like this, but there is something about Opeth that I really like. Ghost Reveries is excellent, as is Blackwater Park and Still Life. Keep meaning to get some more albums by them.....

Matt_C · 28-04-2008, 9:56 PM

I agree. I grew out of the whole death + black metal scene years ago, yet a couple of bands still stay with me - Opeth being one, and Emporer (now defunct) being another. Both are two of THE most creative bands I have ever heard (along with Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Muse, Lamb Of God, to name a few) and both have such HUGE soundscapes. Emperor and not as diverse as Opeth are, but what I love about them is just how VAST their soundscape is. Opeth I love for the same reason, but also the diversity of their multiple styles : the combination of blistering blast beats and uber heavy guitars + growling vocals, along with the folk element, the jazz element, the pure musicality of it all!

I think they are quality!

overkill · 29-04-2008, 1:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt_C

I've heard the full new album (Watershed, due for release in June or July as I previously said = but it's been leaked on the net, so I got hold of a copy to tide me over till the actual release comes out) and it's good! Porcelain Heart is EXCELLENT, and I think there is a promo video available for it on Roadrunner's site....

Need to give it a few more listens to get it tho - same as most of Opeth's stuff. They aren't really a "one listen" band - much like Muse, Porcupine Tree etc - bands that need a few listens to their stuff before it all sinks in

Hi Matt. There is. The boy linked to it and was impressed.

Can't wait for the album to come out, and hopefully a headline tour to follow.

Agree totally. Opeth albums need several listens to fully take them in.

Again, I'm not big (at all) on growly vocals but Opeth offer so much more than that.

Matt_C · 29-04-2008, 6:47 PM

If they do a headline tour over here in support for the new album, I wouldn't hesitate to go see them again. I saw them 10 or 12 years ago when they were a "smaller" group, and I wasn't really into them back then (they were support for Cannibal Corpse or Mayhem, I can't remember who now) but their gig the other night was just superb!

karkus30 · 29-07-2008, 8:55 AM

Well I bought Opeth-Watershed and quite frankly its a big disappointment.

I have to say that I never much cared for the growling vocals but the music saved them from being too annoying. So, it was with great relief that I found the new album to have gone back to old fashioned vocals......that I will call singing for want of a better term...........and God said 'thats good' and I said it wasn't because for some reason they have been hanging around with the wrong crowd.........the wrong crowd being Dream Theater, Scott Walker and .........................gasp Mike Oldfield.

Somehow, Opeth have decided to go the mid road route and managed to get themselves all mixed up. They now sound far too much like DT without being DT, they seem to have been listening to Scott Walker albums during the evening to gain some atmosphere and its all come out a bit Mike Oldfield. The first album by Opeth that actually sounds 'less' than the sum of its parts.

Thats not to say its an awful album. The musicianship is still top class and so is the production, but its a step back from the edge into the more acceptable table top of alternative metal which means it flounders with a lot of other bands and lacks Opeths distinction. I'm pleased that they have decided to forgo the growling, but for all that I would rather have that back plus the element of character that now seems missing.

KoThreads · 29-07-2008, 9:30 AM

I love prog, although i haven't posted in 'Music' for some time, but I realy would like to like Opeth but i just can't seem to get into them no matter how many times i've tried.....weird.

wormvortex · 29-07-2008, 5:39 PM

The new albums good. Epesically coil. But it's the worst Opeth album by far. The band kicks ass live as well. Saw them in Brixtion a few months ago \m/