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

[TioJorge]

 

[bout to crash]

I'm just going to ignore all this and buy the album when it comes out and judge it from there.

[jammindude]

The wide range of opinions is fascinating to me. People loving on Cusp and not liking Rains. People loving Rains and mehing on Cusp. People liking the new stuff more than Heritage. People thinking Heritage is good, but this is boring. People not liking either of the songs. People loving them both. People who prefer pre-Heritage material. People who like Opeth more now that they've gone to an all clean style.

Just based on the vast array of reactions alone, I'm inclined to say Michael is a complete genius.

[Buddyhunter1]

Just based on the vast array of reactions alone, I'm inclined to say Michael is a complete genius.

  Isn't that how it works?

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I'm just going to ignore all this and buy the album when it comes out and judge it from there.

[Zantera]

I feel kinda bad for Mikael though. If he and his family received death threats over Heritage, that kind of shit probably won't stop if Opeth continue down the line making albums like this. It's a shame because he's a musician and he should be able to make the kind of music he wants. It's one thing for us to discuss it, and some people might not be happy with the direction or the result, but when you get to the stage of death threats, that's just messed up.

[?]

I feel kinda bad for Mikael though. If he and his family received death threats over Heritage, that kind of shit probably won't stop if Opeth continue down the line making albums like this. It's a shame because he's a musician and he should be able to make the kind of music he wants. It's one thing for us to discuss it, and some people might not be happy with the direction or the result, but when you get to the stage of death threats, that's just messed up.

Agreed. It's ok to be passionate about a band, but being obsessed to the point of threatening to kill a musician, when he writes music that doesn't please you, is just sick.

EDIT:

Proshot footage of the Rock am Ring show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rsZdjGzOpA

Looks like Mendez shaved his head Mikael's growls sound pretty good, although he avoids the higher screams.

I get the feeling that their next tour will be similar to the first couple Heritage tours... i.e. all clean stuff with maybe one or two growly songs at the end. 

I don't think so... I mean, obviously they'll be promoting the new album, and I doubt there won't be anything from Damnation or Heritage, so of course most of the songs won't be death metal, but I think a third or so of the set will be stuff with growls, because they did a growl-free tour already. Songs like When and Serenity Painted Death haven't been played in over 5 years, so this would be a good time to bring them back. Perhaps they'll even premiere Beneath the Mire?

[jammindude]

People are always talkng about how different the earlier albums are, but I'm listening to Morningrise for the first time right now, and i think it sounds amazing...and really not very different from SL or BWP to my ears at all.

[Big Hath]

there are some great ideas, riffs, passages, etc on those early albums.  And a great mix of most of the qualities that can be found in "classic Opeth" albums.  The only real difference I detect is that they had not perfected the transitions between the various styles and sections.  Their growth in that area over the first three albums is striking.

[seasonsinthesky]

Looks like Mendez shaved his head

NOOOOOO he looks like Charlie Day now 

[TioJorge]

What do you mean now? He always has, now he's just his twin. 

[PolarizeMe]

Looks like he borrowed inspiration from Niklas the bassist of Katatonia who also cut his hair recently. 

[Zydar]

Guess I'll post it in this thread, MP is interested in collaborating with Åkerfeldt. Nothing new really.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/mike_portnoy_interested_in_collaborating_with_opeths_akerfeldt_would_love_to_lets_go_man.html

[krands85]

People are always talkng about how different the earlier albums are, but I'm listening to Morningrise for the first time right now, and i think it sounds amazing...and really not very different from SL or BWP to my ears at all.

I love the first 2 albums, possibly more than MAYH and SL

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Guess I'll post it in this thread, MP is interested in collaborating with Åkerfeldt. Nothing new really.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/mike_portnoy_interested_in_collaborating_with_opeths_akerfeldt_would_love_to_lets_go_man.html

Yeah, I think the bigger news would be if Åkerfeldt was interested, which seems pretty unlikely.

[?]

I think Mikael would be open to the idea, but his schedule is pretty hectic so I doubt it'll ever happen.

[snapple]

Still Life is still the only good Opeth album.

#DebateMe

[Buddyhunter1]

I honestly find Still Life to be in the bottom three or four Opeth albums.

I know, I know...

[?]

I honestly find Still Life to be in the bottom three or four Opeth albums.

Me too.

[PolarizeMe]

I honestly find Still Life to be in the bottom three or four Opeth albums.

Me too.

So do I.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

It's at least in my bottom ten.

[Zantera]

Yeah Still Life is their best without a doubt. But it's not their only good album, far from it.

[snapple]

Yeah Still Life is their best without a doubt. But it's not their only good album, far from it.

I just can't get into any of their other albums.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Yeah Still Life is their best without a doubt. But it's not their only good album, far from it.

I just can't get into any of their other albums.

I'm sorry for your loss.

[jammindude]

Yeah Still Life is their best without a doubt. But it's not their only good album, far from it.

I just can't get into any of their other albums.

I'm not even really that much into Opeth.  I just find it hard to believe anyone could actually like any of Opeth's harsh vocal material, and not like Blackwater Park.   Does...not...compute.

I got really hard core into harsh vocals back in the old school days of bands like Death, Obituary...etc...etc...   They didn't bother me, but for me they got very monotonous VERY quickly.   I have always loved variety, and always been bored by repetition ad nauseum.  (one exception...AC/DC...I have no idea why...but I even get sick of them after I've binged for a day or two)      Harsh vocals just don't have enough variety for me.    But this newer (relative to me) trend of clean and harsh vocals together ads a lot of dynamic.    I love it.

[Mladen]

I'd say Still life is, probably... top one.

[aprilethereal]

I'd say Still Life has been overtaken by BWP as #1 for me, but it's a very close number two.

[snapple]

Yeah Still Life is their best without a doubt. But it's not their only good album, far from it.

I just can't get into any of their other albums.

I'm not even really that much into Opeth.  I just find it hard to believe anyone could actually like any of Opeth's harsh vocal material, and not like Blackwater Park.   Does...not...compute.

I got really hard core into harsh vocals back in the old school days of bands like Death, Obituary...etc...etc...   They didn't bother me, but for me they got very monotonous VERY quickly.   I have always loved variety, and always been bored by repetition ad nauseum.  (one exception...AC/DC...I have no idea why...but I even get sick of them after I've binged for a day or two)      Harsh vocals just don't have enough variety for me.    But this newer (relative to me) trend of clean and harsh vocals together ads a lot of dynamic.    I love it.

Still Life has an interesting story that the music, melodies, vocals and all of that jazz do a perfect job of conveying. Everything else just seems...underwhelming. Damnation is okay, however.

[King Postwhore]

Opeth is one of the only harsh vocals bands that I can listen to.  It's because of what snapple listed that pulls me in.

[Zantera]

I have no problem with harsh vocals but I have to say that Opeth are pretty straight forward and slightly boring even with their use of vocals. Like it's either growl or cleans, and the growls sound very much the same in the songs that has growls, and the cleans sound mostly the same. I don't mean this as something bad, but I guess I would say Opeth are very very VERY straight-forward and basic with their use of vocals. They're not really that extreme or out there to be honest. If Opeth is a problem getting into, then you'll miss out on a lot of bands far more interesting vocal-wise. And I think Opeth shouldn't be too hard to get into really. The vocals are pretty basic.

[King Postwhore]

I think I like their growl more compared to the "screamo" growls.  That's just the old fart in my though.

[PolarizeMe]

I think I like their growl more compared to the "screamo" growls.  That's just the old fart in my though.

Nah, I feel the same way man. I can't stand "screamo" growls either.

[Jaq]

People are always talkng about how different the earlier albums are, but I'm listening to Morningrise for the first time right now, and i think it sounds amazing...and really not very different from SL or BWP to my ears at all.

I love the first 2 albums, possibly more than MAYH and SL

Morningrise isn't just my favorite Opeth album, it's in my top 10 ever. 

[?]

I think I like their growl more compared to the "screamo" growls.  That's just the old fart in my though.

Nah, I feel the same way man. I can't stand "screamo" growls either.

Same here.

I don't find Mikael's harsh vocals too monotonous, 'cause he often varies the pitch from low growls to high screams. However, as you can hear from the recent Rock am Ring recording, he avoids screams nowadays, going with growls all the way, which might sound pretty one-dimensional on a studio album.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

The thing I adore about Mikael's vocals is how menacing and evil he can sound with his growls and yet how beautiful and haunting he can be with his clean vocals. The best showcase of this, IMO, is Blackwater Park. He may not be an experimental vocalist, but there's no way you could not be satisfied by his delivery.