I think Damnation is a really, really strong album. Do you guys agree?
Nope, but I guess most Opeth fans love that album.
It's a great EP ("Windowpane," DWAL, "Closure," "Hope Leaves," "Ending Credits") but otherwise I find it overstays its welcome (TRTD) or just bores me (IMTON, "Weakness"). Happy it's a pretty short 45 minuter.
I wouldn't disagree that there are good songs on Damnation, but it is as if the band was trying to make the statement "oh, yea.. here, look.. we can be mellow too, you know, oh look how eclectic we are!". It seems forced and lacks the inspiration of previous records.
For example, I think Hours of Wealth or Benighted or Face of Melinda or Credence or Burden are much, much better than any song on Damnation. Isn't it funny that all those ballads in a typical Opeth album with growls sound much better than on an album only with ballads?
PS: By ballads I mean songs without growls.