The official Opeth thread v. Bring on the new album!

[Lolzeez]

1.Still Life
2.Blackwater Park
3.Ghost Reveries
4.Deliverance
5.Damnation
6.Watershed
7.My Arms You Hearse
8.Heritage
9.Morningrise
10.Orchid

[me7]

Yo I don't even know what to do... There has NOT been a single weak Opeth song thus far. Deliverance is on its way, so I'm excited to give that a listen too.


... This all makes me wonder what other poor decisions there are that I have made in my life...

Better approach Deliverance with modest expectations. Deliverance is basically the exact opposite of Damnation. There isn't much prog on it (probably even none), just run of the mill death metal. Now I don't mean to insult people who enjoy it. If you love pure death metal, Deliverance is an awesome album for you.
But judging from your posts, I assume that you could consider it the weakest Opeth album you've heard so far.

[Scrub206]

Thanks for that heads up. I'm really warming up to Akerfeldts harsh vocals, so well see.

[aprilethereal]

I definitely disagree. The fact that Deliverance is a tad heavier than most other Opeth albums definitely doesn't mean it's standard death metal. I personally don't like pure death metal at all, but Deliverance is not only my third favourite Opeth album, but probably one of my favourite albums of all time. Of course, you are the one who decides if you like it or not, but I just don't think me7's description does the album any justice. I would rather call it a darker, more "focused" version of the BWP sound. If you enjoy BWP (and you seem to enjoy it), there is a pretty big chance you will like Deliverance as well. If BWP wasn't such an important album for me for personal reasons, I would even rank Deliverance over it. So definitely check it out, if you don't like it, okay, but at least give it a serious try. Or more than one. It took me a coupe of weeks to really get into it, especially Wreath was just way to different from the Opeth material I had heard before, but once it clicked, it was phenomenal.

[Big Hath]

If you enjoy BWP (and you seem to enjoy it), there is a pretty big chance you will like Deliverance as well.

yeah, focus on this statement

[aprilethereal]

If you enjoy BWP (and you seem to enjoy it), there is a pretty big chance you will like Deliverance as well.

yeah, focus on this statement

Hey, I think my whole post is worthy of being read 

[black_biff_stadler]

Yo I don't even know what to do... There has NOT been a single weak Opeth song thus far. Deliverance is on its way, so I'm excited to give that a listen too.


... This all makes me wonder what other poor decisions there are that I have made in my life...

Better approach Deliverance with modest expectations. Deliverance is basically the exact opposite of Damnation. There isn't much prog on it (probably even none), just run of the mill death metal. Now I don't mean to insult people who enjoy it. If you love pure death metal, Deliverance is an awesome album for you.
But judging from your posts, I assume that you could consider it the weakest Opeth album you've heard so far.

That analysis is way off. Deliverance only has 6 tracks and 2 of those are ballads. The remaining 4 all have the signature Opeth style consisting of heavy riffing, melodic interludes, roaring, clean singing, odd time signatures, constantly-changing riffs/moods, and long run times. If odd rhythms, numerous different sections, and diverse usage of moods and textures ain't enough to constitute prog then I can only assume you're just saying it isn't prog because you're not into the album and consider it to sound completely unlike other bands you consider to be prog regardless of whether it's progressive or not.

I think you're generalizing it to be "run of the mill death metal" just because some of the melodic sections are darker than usual and also because the heavy sections are some of their heaviest ever.

[Scrub206]

Well then... Either way I think im going to enjoy it because, well, it's Opeth. 

Reading most of summaries(?) of the album you guys are posting, is making me more excited 


I'm thinking Ghost Reveries is now in the number 1 spot. I absolutely love the damn album. It's beautiful brutal and has the most memorable riffs and sections out of all the other albums so far.

[aprilethereal]

I wish I could like Ghost Reveries as much as you guys do. I tried so many times, but not even the best tracks on that album really do anything for me

[?]

You can't always enjoy everything others like. For example, I find the second half of Blackwater Park really boring, which is why it's my second least favorite Opeth album. Deliverance is the weakest, though - I like the title-track and Master's Apprentices, but Wreath and A Fair Judgement are much longer than they should be and BTPISIO is a total mess IMO.

[aprilethereal]

You can't always enjoy everything others like.

see Am Universum

[KevShmev]

I would not call A Fair Judgement a ballad.  Sure, it is a mellower song, especially for that album, but it rocks pretty good at times, and just doesn't sound like what most would call a ballad.

[Zantera]

I think for an Opeth-song, it's a ballad. But otherwise it has some rockier parts as well. My only really issue with it is the ending really. It feels stretched, a bit out-of-place, and while it's great music on it's own, I feel like the song would have been better with a more "traditional" and softer ending as well.

But one of their best songs for sure.

[Cyclopssss]

I wouldn´t call Deliverance ´run of the mill´black metal. It´s a very good (if not the best) Opeth album. Certainly, the ´making of´ story of Deliverance and Damnation are worth being read/witnessed as well.

[black_biff_stadler]

Opeth checklist time! Post a chronological list of all the Opeth songs you've seen live that are your favorite from the album they're from:

Orchid: Nope. Only seen Under the Weeping Moon which is my distant worst.

*Morningrise: The Night and the Silent Water

*My Arms Your Hearse: Demon of the Fall

*Still Life: Serenity Painted Death

*Blackwater Park: Bleak

Deliverance: Nope. Only seen Deliverance and it's been at all 3 of their shows I've seen. It's only my 3rd fave on its album.

*^Damnation: Hope Leaves

^Ghost Reveries: Harlequin Forest

*Watershed: The Lotus Eater

^Heritage: Häxprocess


*Seen on the Watershed tour in October 2008

^Seen on the Heritage tour in May 2013

I gotta say, after experiencing the unfulfilling setlist when I first saw them on the Ghost Reveries tour back in 2006 which didn't feature any song I'd rank higher than 3rd on its respective album, that Watershed show in 2008 was a beast of immeasurable proportions since it featured my top picks from 6 of their 9 albums that were released up to that point. All I'm missing now is The Twilight is My Robe (not holding my breath on that) and A Fair Judgement.

[Mosh]

Sure why not

Orchid: Nope,
Morningrise: None
My Arms: Nope
Still Life: They did a minute and a half of Face of Melinda at the show I saw, does that count?
BWP: Nope
Deliverance: Title track, and it was one of the live highlights. Love that song.
Damnation: Nope
Ghost Reveries: Ghost Of Perdition
Watershed: Nope, though I'm not really sure what my favorite from that album is. But definitely not Heir Apparent.
Heritage: The Devil's Orchard

From the albums I'm missing, I'd really just love to see Bleak live. Maybe Windowpane. A full length Melinda would be pretty badass too.

[Zantera]

Orchid: No (In Mist She Was Standing)
Morningrise: No (The Night and the Silent Water)
My Arms, Your Hearse: No (When)
Still Life: No (The Moor)
Blackwater Park: No (Blackwater Park)
Deliverance: Yes (Deliverance)
Damnation: No (Windowpane)
Ghost Reveries: No (The Baying of the Hounds)
Watershed: Yes (Hex Omega)
Heritage: No (Famine)

My trackrecord is not good, despite seeing them live three times.

[aprilethereal]

Never seen them live

[?]

Never seen them live

[Big Hath]

Orchid - nada
Morningrise - The Night and the Silent Water Watershed Tour, Raleigh
MAYH - Demon of the Fall Watershed Tour, Raleigh; Heritage-Hunter Tour, Dallas; Heritage 2013 Tour, Tulsa
Still Life - Serenity Painted Death Watershed Tour, Raleigh
Blackwater Park - Bleak Watershed Tour, Raleigh
Deliverance - Wreath (it's such a quality song I'll count it) Progressive Nation 2008, Atlanta
Damnation - Windowpane Heritage-Hunter Tour, Dallas
Ghost Reveries - nope (Harlequin Forest) I got freaking Lines In My Hand as a trade out on the last tour
Watershed - The Lotus Eater Watershed Tour, Raleigh
Heritage - nope (Nepenthe)

[DebraKadabra]

BTPISIO is a total mess IMO.

 
 
I'm not adding to floydie's stats since I've only seen one Opeth show, like... ever.

[?]

BTPISIO is a total mess IMO.

It's just my opinion However, I know Mikael dislikes that song too.

[black_biff_stadler]

If Mike disliked jumping off a bridge would you dislike jumping off a bridge too?

[?]

It would be a coincidence I disliked the song before I even heard Mikael doesn't enjoy it.

[Scrub206]

So you disliked it before it was cool?

[Scrub206]

So i just got done with Deliverance. There are a lot of familiar riffs and sections that were used again in Ghost Reveries it seems which was pretty  . A very solid album, Loved it. Opeth has YET to disappoint me.

[Big Hath]

yeah, you're doin' it right

[black_biff_stadler]

So i just got done with Deliverance. There are a lot of familiar riffs and sections that were used again in Ghost Reveries it seems which was pretty  . A very solid album, Loved it. Opeth has YET to disappoint me.

Glad to see you liked it. Try out Blackwater Park or Still Life next.

[Scrub206]

I have blackwater park already. Next up is My Arms, Your Hearse and Still Life. 

[?]

Don't forget to check out the first 2 albums after those

[Scrub206]

Working towards them

[aprilethereal]

I'd say go for SL first before MAYH.

[Big Hath]

they're both pretty great

[Buddyhunter1]

Still Life is overrated. MAYH is definitely the best of the pre-BWP albums.

[Zantera]

I'd say Still Life is their best, without a doubt for me.