The Official Opeth Thread: New Album now streaming

[juice]

My dream setlist:

Ghost of Perdition
The Baying of the Hounds
Beneath the Mire
Atonement
Harlequin Forest
Hours of Wealth
The Grand Conjuration
Isolation Years
The Moor
Deliverance
The Drapery Falls
And then Isolation Years again because it would be such an amazing closer and who the fuck cares if they played it already.

Yep.

Ghost Reveries 

[snapple]

Not enough Godhead's Lament.

[Dark Castle]

All I have to say is Underwhelming.  Way to hyped up.  Its not bad, but definitely felt like it could've been much better.

[TimmyHiggy]

Just listened to the new album on the streaming site, and whilst I am definitely going to go out and buy it I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I hope this album isn't a sign of things to come, and that the old opeth with the death/soft contrasts is gone because the new album didn't really move me at all...

[Zantera]

Yeah, cause it's not like we have 8 Opeth albums with harsh/clean-vocals already, why oh why would the band do something new after 20 years, rather then sticking to the same sound they've had since they left school? 

[Perpetual Change]

All I have to say is Underwhelming.  Way to hyped up.  Its not bad, but definitely felt like it could've been much better.

Just listened to the new album on the streaming site, and whilst I am definitely going to go out and buy it I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I hope this album isn't a sign of things to come, and that the old opeth with the death/soft contrasts is gone because the new album didn't really move me at all...

Wow, Im listening to the stream right now, 25 minutes in. I must say I'm having mixed reactions. I like the jazzier feel (though I wouldn't call it jazz-fusion as some have been claiming), and it's experimental, but I sense a lack of direction in the songwriting; like, where is this going? The production is also a little strange. However, the music itself has intrigued me enough to purchase it. It'll be my first since Ghost Reveries, since I lost interest in Opeth a little while after GR came out.

Sadly, I find myself agreeing with most of what I see in these three posts. I just got through my first listen, and I didn't really hear much that I'd like to revisit. I had high-hopes for the band's new direction, but there was very little I heard on this album that really excited me aside from a couple movements here and there.

I don't know if I'll be buying this now. I mean, it was OK, and if there already weren't so many good albums coming out this month I could justify it, but now I'm just not sure.

It's a shame. This was definitely my most anticipated album this month, aside from DT.

Also, the production is weird. I hope that's just the stream, though. SW usually does a good job so we'll have to wait and hear.

[Zantera]

Is this another one of those "did not click at first listen, fuck this"-posts? 

[Perpetual Change]

Is this another one of those "did not click at first listen, fuck this"-posts? 

Like I said, it might be. I don't know yet. I could stream it a couple times, sure. But am I going to go out and buy it? I dunno. I've already doing to be spending quite a bit this month and next month on DT, Arch/Matheos, Mastodon, Pain of Salvation, Steve Wilson, and Haken, and whoever else I'm forgetting. I realize for some people who download everything listening to everything and giving everything the chance it deserves is no big deal, but as someone who usually buys their music I'm not sure I can really justify keeping this album on the tab now.

I'm sure I'll check it out again sometime later, maybe around Christmas, but now it might just be time for me to pass on this. I know it's not fair to judge something on a first impression, but hey, I can't buy everything that I'm even remotely interested in. 

[Zantera]

If you're going to buy DT, that proves that you don't care too much about what you spend your cash on, so Heritage is easily worth it. 

[Perpetual Change]

I enjoyed ADTOE on first listen infinitely more than Heritage. I'm not trying to troll by stating that; you seem to think it's relevant for some reason.

[Zantera]

Nah but to be honest, I think most of Opeth's albums require several listens before they click, even though Heritage might need a couple of more spins.

[Perpetual Change]

Right now I'd rank it around-about Damnation. There's some cool parts, some boring parts, and ultimetly it's cool that they did this one time but honestly I wouldn't be too thrilled about hearing it done again.

Will give it another shot, though. When I'm bored of everything else coming out this month 

[Zantera]

I think more people should listen to music like I do, I tend to listen to an album about 7-8 times in a week before I make up my mind.
There has been some albums that sounded bad at first, but then I loved it after those 7-8 times. 

Nah, but you should easily listen to it again.
It's fantastic. 

[Heretic]

If you're going to buy DT, that proves that you don't care too much about what you spend your cash on, so Heritage is easily worth it. 

this would be a good and perhaps less condescending statement if ADTOE wasn't infinitely better than Heritage

[Xanthul]

If you're going to buy DT, that proves that you don't care too much about what you spend your cash on, so Heritage is easily worth it. 

this would be a good and perhaps less condescending statement if ADTOE wasn't infinitely better than Heritage

Maybe in Australia

[Zantera]

If you're going to buy DT, that proves that you don't care too much about what you spend your cash on, so Heritage is easily worth it. 

this would be a good and perhaps less condescending statement if ADTOE wasn't infinitely better than Heritage

DTF is always a good place for laughter.

[Jirpo]

I think more people should listen to music like I do, I tend to listen to an album about 7-8 times in a week before I make up my mind.
There has been some albums that sounded bad at first, but then I loved it after those 7-8 times. 

I agree, I usually try and do something while listening to an album for the first few times to take my mind off it a bit (playing video games, reading). I find that I really absorb it and I can listen to the album a lot more times than otherwise without getting sick of it. It usually takes me 5-6 listens to really discover how good the album is.

[Zantera]

I'm a bit the same, it's interesting because after a few spins, some songs (melodies and such) tend to just pop up in my head while not listening to the album, and eventually more and more songs do that (click), and I start to appreciate the album more and more.

I'm probably pretty weird in my music listening, normally I pick a few artists that I'm going to listen to each week (say 4-5 every week), and then I listen to those, not particular albums or anything, but I try to listen to an album at least 7-8 times (if I haven't heard it before), and then next week I move on with 4-5 other artists, though sometimes some artists/bands stay with me for several weeks, and I just change the others.

[TimmyHiggy]

Yeah, cause it's not like we have 8 Opeth albums with harsh/clean-vocals already, why oh why would the band do something new after 20 years, rather then sticking to the same sound they've had since they left school? 

I wasn't saying bands should never change, I'm just saying that the old opeth sound was amazing, and the albums really moved me with those massive contrasts. The songs on watershed I am least tired of hearing are the ones with growls. I love Akerfeldt's clean vocals, and think he does some really nice parts but I don't think a whole album of softer opeth is anywhere near as interesting as the older albums. Maybe it will grow on me like damnation did but in the meantime I will make a bold statement: Opeth aren't as good at writing soft songs as they are at writing heavy ones

[zxlkho]

Hours of Wealth, A Fair Judgement, and Face of Melinda would like a word with you.

[Zantera]

Isolation Years, Hope Leaves, Harvest, Credence, Burden, Hours of Wealth, A Fair Judgement, and Face of Melinda would like a word with you.

 

[TimmyHiggy]

I meant that more in a sense of If you were to look at the average rating of my top 15 heavy opeth songs, it would be higher than that of my top 15 soft opeth songs.

[Zantera]

I'm not sure how it would be for me to be honest, take Deliverance and Isolation Years for example, two completely different songs, still both would be up there fighting for my favorite Opeth-song spot.
It's hard to say.

One thing I must say, and I don't think many will agree, but I think Porcelain Heart was one of the best songs on Watershed, and it's both really heavy and features no growls.
I think that could be a good way for Opeth to make heavy songs in the future, without growls. (if Mikael doesn't want to growl)

[Jirpo]

I'm a bit the same, it's interesting because after a few spins, some songs (melodies and such) tend to just pop up in my head while not listening to the album, and eventually more and more songs do that (click), and I start to appreciate the album more and more.

I'm probably pretty weird in my music listening, normally I pick a few artists that I'm going to listen to each week (say 4-5 every week), and then I listen to those, not particular albums or anything, but I try to listen to an album at least 7-8 times (if I haven't heard it before), and then next week I move on with 4-5 other artists, though sometimes some artists/bands stay with me for several weeks, and I just change the others.

Thats cool and interesting. I usually go through phases with different albums where I will listen to them once a week or less for a few months. I have a lot of albums that are currently in a "phase", so that I can listen to 4-5 albums a day without listening to an album more than once a week or so. This way I avoid overlistening to albums, although on the downside it takes me longer to get into new albums (I try to incorporate new albums into this schedule). Albums slowly drift in and out of these phases for me; some may last a month, some last 4-5 months and some never leave. The list is slowly growing though as I find more good albums that stay with me for ages

That was probably a confusing post, but thats pretty much how I listen to music


And I love Porcelain Heart! My favourite from Watershed.

[Bedwetting Cosmonaut]

All I have to say is Underwhelming.  Way to hyped up.  Its not bad, but definitely felt like it could've been much better.

Just listened to the new album on the streaming site, and whilst I am definitely going to go out and buy it I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I hope this album isn't a sign of things to come, and that the old opeth with the death/soft contrasts is gone because the new album didn't really move me at all...

Wow, Im listening to the stream right now, 25 minutes in. I must say I'm having mixed reactions. I like the jazzier feel (though I wouldn't call it jazz-fusion as some have been claiming), and it's experimental, but I sense a lack of direction in the songwriting; like, where is this going? The production is also a little strange. However, the music itself has intrigued me enough to purchase it. It'll be my first since Ghost Reveries, since I lost interest in Opeth a little while after GR came out.

Sadly, I find myself agreeing with most of what I see in these three posts. I just got through my first listen, and I didn't really hear much that I'd like to revisit. I had high-hopes for the band's new direction, but there was very little I heard on this album that really excited me aside from a couple movements here and there.

I don't know if I'll be buying this now. I mean, it was OK, and if there already weren't so many good albums coming out this month I could justify it, but now I'm just not sure.

It's a shame. This was definitely my most anticipated album this month, aside from DT.

Also, the production is weird. I hope that's just the stream, though. SW usually does a good job so we'll have to wait and hear.

This isn't acceptable. Listen more and you will love it.

BC

[Dark Castle]

Nah but to be honest, I think most of Opeth's albums require several listens before they click, even though Heritage might need a couple of more spins.

Most Opeth albums have clicked with me first listen.  Just because I don't spin an album 3 or so times before I give judgement, it doesn't mean I'm rushing my thoughts.  I was bored most of the time listening to it, I listened to OTBOA last night and enjoyed it an insane amount.  Heritage just wasted a lot of opportunity it had, and it never really climaxed.
:L

[Zantera]

To be honest, I think Mikael achieved exactly what he wanted to achieve with this album.
The album also sounds pretty much exactly like I had expected by what was said about it before, I don't know what you "the album sounded interesting before but wasn't"-people had expected, because the result sounds pretty much like how it was described beforehand.

[zxlkho]

Heritage >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ADTOE

[Zantera]

Yeah and I agree with that as well, I don't want to diss ADTOE too much, because I feel like it's DT's best album since 6DOIT or ToT, but Heritage is a really interesting album, has some really good songs, and is overall just a fascinating listening-experience.
One of those albums you gotta hear in full because it's a journey.

ADTOE on the other side, is DT.
Some good songs, but mostly just decent songs. (IMO ofc)

[Dark Castle]

To be honest, I think Mikael achieved exactly what he wanted to achieve with this album.
The album also sounds pretty much exactly like I had expected by what was said about it before, I don't know what you "the album sounded interesting before but wasn't"-people had expected, because the result sounds pretty much like how it was described beforehand.

I came into this album with no preformed ideas, I was just gonna listen and see how I liked it, the only exposure I'd had had been the Decibel article with Mikael, and The Devil's Orchard
And after that song, nothing ever climaxed, it just stayed lukewarm.  I'm not a diehard Opeth fan so I'm not gonna feel betrayed by a band changing their sound, hell  Exodus did and it's been for the better honestly, but I just feel they didn't acheive what they'd hoped to achieve.  I mean its nice and all that they enjoyed making this album, but in the end,  its all underwhelming and not that memorable.  I'll give it another listen, but after WITTR, Anthrax, Revocation, The Atlas Moth, Mastodon, and maybe even Skeltonwitch and Black Tusk.  I've got a lot more I'd rather listen to right now.

[Xanthul]

Heritage >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ADTOE

How many babies do you want to make?

[Zantera]

I think it's good that you're not a diehard Opeth-fan tbh, those are crazy. 

The worst kind of fans are the ones that DEMAND something from their favorite artists/bands, I think in the end we should all be happy that they are doing what they want to do, and we should just appreciate that. 

[Dark Castle]

I think it's good that you're not a diehard Opeth-fan tbh, those are crazy. 

The worst kind of fans are the ones that DEMAND something from their favorite artists/bands, I think in the end we should all be happy that they are doing what they want to do, and we should just appreciate that. 

Eh, while you should never demand a certain standard to be met from a band you like, taking that attitude isn't much better.  Morbid Angel's new album is just awful,  is it cool that Trey's doing what he wants to do and he doesn't give a fuck what anyone thinks?  Yeah, but at the same time, if he really wanted to change the sound of Morbid Angel that much, why not form a 'Side Project' with the members so as not to completely ruin and alienate Morbid Angel for everyone.  Chuck Schuldiner did that with Control Denied, and his Death fans not only liked it, but appreciated he didn't change 'Death's' sound, even though both band featured the members from the album era 'The Sound of Perseverance'  with a new singer.

[zxlkho]

Heritage >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ADTOE

How many babies do you want to make?

All of the babies.

[Xanthul]

Some babies are best left undone.