Author Topic: The Opeth Discography Thread (Read 8584 times)

senecadawg2 · « **Reply #35 on:** February 02, 2016, 07:08:49 PM »

Oh shit, I wonder why.

black_biff_stadler · « **Reply #36 on:** February 02, 2016, 07:09:52 PM »

Your browser isn't running the latest version of rottingpiss.exe ?

senecadawg2 · « **Reply #37 on:** February 02, 2016, 07:14:11 PM »

You think you're cute, don't you?

ORCHID is a great album. Not as great as the next one, I don't think, but still really solid debut. I hope to someday see Opeth again, even if half the setlist is occupied by more recent songs that I'm not excited about.

black_biff_stadler · « **Reply #38 on:** February 02, 2016, 07:21:04 PM »

Pic works now and I'm very jealous of your hair. It's funny how you look seven years older in 33 months' time.

senecadawg2 · « **Reply #39 on:** February 02, 2016, 07:53:15 PM »

That can't bode well for my future.

And if you think that hair is good, you should see my pubes.

Mladen · « **Reply #40 on:** February 03, 2016, 07:24:30 AM »

Oh my God, Orchid... I couldn't get past the third song...

seasonsinthesky · « **Reply #41 on:** February 03, 2016, 08:27:02 AM »

Quote from: Mladen on February 03, 2016, 07:24:30 AM

Oh my God, Orchid... I couldn't get past the third song...

Just listen to "Forest of October!"

ASacrificedSon · « **Reply #42 on:** February 03, 2016, 09:19:46 AM »

Do I actually have to wait a week? Will it be alright to post one today or tomorrow or is it too early?

Train of Naught · « **Reply #43 on:** February 03, 2016, 09:22:44 AM »

I'd say it depends on when everyone's about done discussing, I'm not an Opeth expert but I think their debut album isn't as popular as the others so it'll probably not be an entire week.

Zantera · « **Reply #44 on:** February 03, 2016, 11:01:13 AM »

Listened to Orchid and Morningrise yesterday, trip down memory lane.

Orchid has always been somewhat of a personal favorite. While Opeth has other albums I rate higher, I think Orchid is an excellt debut with mostly great songs, and several of them (In Mist She Was Standing, Under a Weeping Moon and Forest of October) would be up there among my favorite Opeth-songs, top20 or so. Mikael's growls sounds really great on the album as well IMO.

Tomislav95 · « **Reply #45 on:** February 03, 2016, 11:14:27 AM »

Quote from: ASacrificedSon on February 03, 2016, 09:19:46 AM

Do I actually have to wait a week? Will it be alright to post one today or tomorrow or is it too early?

It's alright with me

As Train of Naught said, some of their latter albums are much more popular here and I know there will be even more discussion going with those.

ASacrificedSon · « **Reply #46 on:** February 03, 2016, 01:32:20 PM »

Yeah thanks Tomislav and Train of Naught! will have it up!

ASacrificedSon · « **Reply #47 on:** February 03, 2016, 01:55:38 PM »

Morningrise June 24, 1996

Song list:
1. Advent       13:45
2. The Night and the Silent Water   10:59
3. Nectar      10:09
4. Black Rose Immortal      20:15
5. To Bid You Farewell       10:54

Personnel:
Opeth
Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitar
Peter Lindgren – guitar
Johan De Farfalla – bass guitar
Anders Nordin – drums, percussion

Additional personnel
Stefan Guteklint – bass guitar on "Eternal Soul Torture"

Production
Opeth – production, mixing, mastering, artwork
Dan Swanö – production, engineering, mixing
Peter In De Betou – mastering
Tuija Lindström – album cover
Lennart Kaltea – booklet
Tom Martinsen – artwork
Timo Ketola – layout

Morningrise is the second Opeth album and in no way is a slouch. I find this album to be way better than the first album, simply because it is much more diverse. Highlights of this album include the longest song Opeth has created to this date: Black Rose Immortal and the first long all-clean vocals song: To Bid You Farewell.

Upon first listening to Advent I was absolutely caught by the opening riff. It's one of the most memorable in all of Opeth's catalogue. The song follows the typical high-low pattern of their songs by transitioning fluidly from aggressive metal energy to folky acoustic guitar. Around 3:20 they take an instrumental break that includes a very interesting interlude by De Farfalla on bass. They come raging back from another break just after 8:00 with another fantastic riff which bleeds into another that again includes a bass run by DeFarfalla.

The Night and the Silent Water runs all the way through it’s length with a mournful and contemplative feel befitting its melancholic subject matter. The boys never hit a false step, and Mikael grieves over the loss of his grandfather during some of the most heartfelt acoustic passages in the bands history. The song ambitiously reaches for its ending with about three and a half minutes left with a semi-epic crawl up the song’s crescendo.

Nectar begins with a much more aggressive riff and follows a path of anger through the emotionally tortured lyrics up to a truly epic peak at the end of the song. The only calm in the storm of metal comes just before the seven minute mark with a peaceful acoustic and moment of lyrical resolve that abruptly follows the climax.

Black Rose Immortal always stood as a test of willpower to me before I actually had the time and resolve to devote twenty straight minutes to paying full attention to this brilliance. But, Dream Theater had changed all of that. It can effectively be split into two parts. The first half volleys back and forth heavy riffs and mystical acoustic moments before letting a bass solo introduce the first climax right at 7:27. It took me a while to notice the Easter Egg at 7:51, but Anders Nordin decided to bless us with a bass/snare nuance by breaking up the main beat to see if you’re really listening. The second half of the song begins just after the first lead solo and consists mainly of two large acoustic sections sandwiching a heavier one, the second leading into the final run of the song. The final solo is a truly epic moment. What it lacks in length it more than makes up with punch and a sense of finality. It seems to me as though the two solos in this song definitely build upon one another, and they sort of revisit (and to a degree improve upon) a moment from the beginning of the solo in Forest of October. Also, the ending of this song has one of the most violent Mikael scream. You can feel the tension build up and in the end, his screams will pierce throughout the night.

The final song on this record, To Bid You Farewell, carries it’s weight in utter sorrow and then some. It has a slightly longwinded beginning, but it’s all still masterful acoustic phrasing. This song is the first song that utilizes clean vocals throughout the entire song and it is just amazing. It gives you a really depressed vibe throughout the entire song and once more, the acoustic guitar is amazing and captivates my heart every time. I suggest you listen to this song fully and bask in the feels just like I did.

I call this album an extreme high of Opeth’s songwriting career. They haven’t hit any wrong steps thus far, but as far as sheer creative force, Morningrise stands out aggressively for me. Although compared to Orchid, it is a bit less

, I certainly enjoy this more than Orchid. They’ve certainly grown in many great ways since then, but they cannot, and apparently, will not recapture the same utterly progressive and scenic metal feel that they illustrated so perfectly here. Go forth and have fun dancing into the void.

Randaran · « **Reply #48 on:** February 03, 2016, 03:44:05 PM »

Though Morningrise is a big improvement over Orchid, I am still not a fan. Luckily, the seven albums that follow are all fantastic.

Zantera · « **Reply #49 on:** February 03, 2016, 03:47:58 PM »

I don't like Morningrise as much as Orchid, but The Night and the Silent Water is a top10 Opeth-track. SO GOOD. That acoustic part is one of their best musical moments, and that final epic climax that leads to Mikael singing the title is really epic. Overall it's a great album, with mostly solid tracks, but TNATSW is the big standout for me. The live version from the Roundhouse album is epic as hell.

seasonsinthesky · « **Reply #50 on:** February 03, 2016, 08:03:46 PM »

Very much a sister record to Orchid, Morningrise is older, more expressive than stuffed full of ideas. Things actually take time to develop here, and moods are given time to follow the natural build and wane.

I would call "The Night and the Silent Water" and "Nectar" exceptions, though. While "The Night..." is consistent and so reminiscent of a Dorian Grey-esque painting on the wall of an old, decayed home (something only My Dying Bride and Shape of Despair have captured otherwise, imo), its ending is so amazing and such an epic peak of the record that it overshadows the 8 minutes preceding. "Nectar" suffers from a different problem, imo, that being its Orchid-leftover-esque arranging; it comes across amateur in comparison to the masterful arranging on the rest of the album. Another example of the best parts of two songs making a better conglomeration than the separate pieces, like "Under the Weeping Moon"/"The Twilight is My Robe" from Orchid.

So. "Black Rose Immortal." I'm surprised the band have left it as their longest track. It speaks to Åkerfeldt's ambitions walking into the studio – reportedly with an actual lute in hand. Still, though its opening 'pirate riff' is perhaps one of the folkiest in the catalogue, BRI is unrelenting in its quality ideas. When it's quiet, it's thoughtful and well paced; when it's fast, it's blazing and complicated, yet overlaid with memorable melodies or harmonies; and when it's epic, it's the most intense ending the band has ever crafted. They have many amazing conclusions, of course, but none with the sheer weight of BRI: not only because it has the longest amount of material preceding it, but because that material is a well-considered emotional rollercoaster.

Which leads to, I think, the band's best ballad still, and its best ending to an album. The first foray into a true 'power ballad' includes some of the band's finest acoustic harmonies and call-and-response, building into one of its most heartfelt and powerful climaxes. This is the blueprint of "The Drapery Falls" and many others that overshadow its lonely place at the cusp of their popularity and recording quality breakthrough.

A classic everyone should hear at least once.

Required listening:
"Black Rose Immortal"
"To Bid You Farewell"

Fluffy Lothario · « **Reply #51 on:** February 04, 2016, 02:04:18 AM »

I tried these two albums last years ago. I should probably give them a listen again.

darkshade · « **Reply #52 on:** February 05, 2016, 09:59:38 AM »

I may follow. I put on Orchid last week when we got snow in NJ, and today we got snow again, so I put on Morningrise, so I'm already up to date here. Haven't listened to Orchid in 10-11 years before last week.

Mladen · « **Reply #53 on:** February 05, 2016, 10:27:10 AM »

This album is pretty excellent, especially the opener and the closer. The Night also has some fantastic bits.

Tomislav95 · « **Reply #54 on:** February 05, 2016, 11:29:05 AM »

To Bid You a Farewell is my favorite from Morningrise. From the rest of album, Advent and Black Rose Immortal are cool but I find it very hard to listen whole album, it just feels exhausting

I'm much bigger fan of albums to come after.

? · « **Reply #55 on:** February 06, 2016, 07:45:27 AM »

Orchid was my first Opeth album so it'll always have a special place in my heart. The atmosphere is so incredible - just listen to 5:34 in Mist, 7:53 in Forest of October or 6:48 in The Twilight

I still think it's a pretty good debut despite its shortcomings, like some awkward transitions (5:36 in TTIMR being the worst offender) and the awful vocal harmonies on The Apostle.

I like Morningrise too, but I think they pulled off that style of songwriting better on Orchid, and the drum sound is too sterile and lifeless (something Dan Swanö himself has admitted: https://www.unisound.se/book/black/#7). Maybe Orchid's advantage is having those short instrumental tracks in there to give some breathing space between all the epics. That said, Advent is one of the band's best songs, and I'm glad I got to hear it live on the Pale Communion tour. I've also started to really like TNATSW lately.

ori.elias5 · « **Reply #56 on:** February 07, 2016, 02:12:29 PM »

Great thread, i'm just starting to discover the band so it came in a good timing.

The only albums i've heard are the these 2. i totally agree with most of the opinions out here. orchid is a strong debut followed by a better sophomore album that is similar to Orchid but even better with more clean vocal parts . i love the middle section in TNATSW and the 2nd half of black rose immortal and oh boy... what a sweet closer!

Keep it up

Onno · « **Reply #57 on:** February 07, 2016, 03:18:53 PM »

Why have I only discovered this thread after the first two albums have been done already? Anyway, following of course.

Scorpion · « **Reply #58 on:** February 07, 2016, 03:20:06 PM »

I like Orchid a fair bit, but this is definitely one of their best albums. The Night and the Silent Water and To Bid You Farewell are two of my favourite Opeth songs of all time.

Oh yeah, following this. Don't know why I only just got around to it.

Kwyjibo · « **Reply #59 on:** February 09, 2016, 05:18:43 AM »

Following, Opeth is one of my many favorite bands.

I came to know Opeth through Arjen Lucassen and Steven Wilson. I first heard Akerfeldt on The Human Equation and really liked his clean vocals and his (very few) growls, they fit the theme so perfectly. And then I read an interview with Steven Wilson where he referred to Opeth (and Meshuggah) because of their heavyness and aggression. So I thought I had to check them out. The then actual album was Blackwater Park, I got this, listened to it and was hooked.

As others have said, when you come from Blackwater Park and make your way backwards through their discography it's not always easy.

Orchid is good for what it is, but it has some problems. The transisitions, as mentioned, between the different song parts are not always well worked out. The clean vocals could have a bigger part to get that balance I like in later records. The production is rough and especially the rhythm guitar sounds are too screechy for my liking. They lack that more organic sound and deepness (or simply oomph) that they have on later records. But as this is the debut and they were still kinda searching for direction this is okay. Under The Weeping Moon is my favorite from Orchid.

Morningrise is a tad better but still has some of the issues that Orchid had (at least for me). Still an enjoyable record. But for some reason I have no real favorite song from Morningrise.

seasonsinthesky · « **Reply #60 on:** February 09, 2016, 09:36:44 AM »

I'd say we're overdue for MAYH...

ASacrificedSon · « **Reply #61 on:** February 09, 2016, 09:41:38 AM »

I'll have it up today, really soon.

ori.elias5 · « **Reply #62 on:** February 12, 2016, 06:41:53 PM »

seasonsinthesky · « **Reply #63 on:** February 13, 2016, 09:27:35 AM »

Maybe we should just move on anyway...?

My Arms, Your Hearse is important in the Opeth canon for a few reasons: "Demon of the Fall" being the obvious one, but it's also their first concept album, the first album of the 'classic lineup' with the two Martins (though one only entered at the end), their first big step up production-wise, and the only record Mikael sang with a cold!

I love of the sound of this one. Yes, the guitar tone is muddy, but it's hugely muscular; yes, there's too much reverb, but the drums sound real and HUGE, as they should. The cold makes Mikael's growls SO evil and the frosty 'verb really does the trick on him too. Clean vocals obviously suffer a bit from the intonation and phlegm issues, but it thankfully doesn't take away from the climaxes in the songs.

Big shoutout to "The Amen Corner," one of my alltime favourite riff-fests and a massively underrated song. It sorta gets overshadowed by the opening songs and DOTF afterward. Another shoutout to "Karma" for basically the same reasons.

This album is a sleeper in the catalog. If people want death metal Opeth, they pick BWP and GR over it; if they want concept, they pick Still Life over it. It's a goddamn shame, and it should have been reissued on DVD in 5.1 with SL, BWP, DD and the others.

Big Hath · « **Reply #64 on:** February 13, 2016, 09:54:19 AM »

Quote from: seasonsinthesky on February 13, 2016, 09:27:35 AM

Big shoutout to "The Amen Corner," one of my alltime favourite riff-fests and a massively underrated song. It sorta gets overshadowed by the opening songs and DOTF afterward. Another shoutout to "Karma" for basically the same reasons.

Demon, The Amen Corner, and Karma are the standouts on the album for me.

The sound and song writing really matured here and they hit their stride with this album.

senecadawg2 · « **Reply #65 on:** February 13, 2016, 10:29:22 AM »

Morningrise is so good and likely the most underrated Opeth album, for me.

Randaran · « **Reply #66 on:** February 13, 2016, 12:23:35 PM »

MAYH is amazing, and is tied with Watershed for my favorite Opeth album. This is one of the few albums I can listen to more than thrice in a single sitting; it's excellent from start to end, with no boring sections. I doubt I'll ever get tired of MAYH.

Kwyjibo · « **Reply #67 on:** February 15, 2016, 12:21:44 AM »

Demon Of The Fall

MAYH is really good, better in terms of songwriting, production and sound than its predecessors.

Mladen · « **Reply #68 on:** February 15, 2016, 03:08:24 AM »

One of my lesser favorites. I haven't listened to it for way too long so I'm having a hard time remembering what was so off-putting about it. Would it be fair to say that it is their least melodic album along with Orchid? I love the well balanced Opeth, I love the more melodic Opeth, but I'm usually bored when they're mostly aggressive.

I do remember April ethereal, Demon of the fall and Epilogue being pretty amazing, though.

Zantera · « **Reply #69 on:** February 15, 2016, 03:11:35 AM »

Definitely one of their best, and I'd say superior to Blackwater Park and maaaaybe it has also edged out Ghost Reveries for me. It really is amazing from start til finish, whether it's April Ethereal, When, The Amen Corner (that groovy intro riff), Demon of the Fall or Credence. Even Karma, which was never a personal favorite of mine clicked recently, and it is such a great album. Definitely more consistent than many of their later albums.

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Author Topic: The Opeth Discography Thread (Read 8584 times)