40.
OPETH
WATERSHEDProgressive Metalreleased May 30th, 2008
by Roadrunner Records
1. Coil [3:07]
2. Heir Apparent [8:51]
3. The Lotus Eater [8:48]
4. Burden [7:42]
5. Porcelain Heart [8:01]
6. Hessian Peel [11:26]
7. Hex Omega [6:59]
WATERSHED is
Mikael Åkerfeldt (Guitars / Vocals)
Fredrik Åkesson (Guitars)
Per Wiberg (Keyboards)
Martín Méndez (Bass)
Martin Axenrot (Drums / Percussion)
WITHNatalie Lorichs (Vocals on 1)
Lisa Almberg (English horn / Oboe)
Christoffer Wadensten (Flute)
Karin Svensson (Violin)
Andreas Tengberg (Cello)
“Look. Pretty, isn’t it? Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.” – Thanos, Marvel Music Critic
In 2005 my friend introduced me to Opeth and Damnation. Fast forward a few years and several attempts at digging ‘heavy’ Opeth, and Watershed is released. I watched the video for “Porcelain Heart” prior to release and was floored at how good it was. It was different, darker, and better than any Opeth I had heard to this point. The perfect mixture of clean singing and gentle music, and huge distorted guitars and demonic growls, with a dash of woodwind instruments and Mellotron, was unlike anything I’d heard before. “Hessian Peel” is the embodiment of that last point. I wish more Opeth fans liked it, I remember it being trashed when the album first came out. It’s lengthy but such a beautiful song.
I bought the special edition of this album, with bonus tracks. But I never got around to listening to them. In late 2009 I had the album in my car when I had a brutal car wreck and lost almost all the music I had in the car, including that album. I didn’t listen to the bonus tracks until last week when I was writing all of this, and I really like them, but it’s the main 7 songs that do it for me.
I’m not too invested in the lore of the band and the history of its members; all I know is than Martin Axenrot’s drumming is more engaging here than on any other Opeth album, and the guitar licks and passages are more creative and imaginative than on any of their other records, too. There isn’t one song I want to skip, and its macabre nature is enticing in a grotesque sort of way.
In Summary: The perfectly balanced Opeth album. I wish every Opeth sounded like this. I want more of those woodwind arrangements and beautiful clean guitar passages. I don’t miss the growls in Opeth, but when I want to hear them, I’ll put on something from this album because this has Mikael’s best growling, in my opinion. I usually like to play this album all in one go, I think it’s better that way. I like Blackwater Park just fine, but it's not an all-time favorite. In fact other than Damnation, Blackwater, and Watershed, I don't really like much Opeth before they ditched the growls. I LOVE every moment of Watershed, though.
Katt’s Favorites: The Lotus Eater,
Burden (music video),
Porcelain Heart (music video),
Hessian PeelListen to "Watershed" by Opeth on Spotify