The TAC Roulette V.5...DTF Faves..WTF Am I Missing?? MastoDONE!

[425]

Ghost Reveries is probably the best way for a newcomer to get into Opeth but it hasn't aged well for me. I'm not sure if it'd even be in my top five Opeth albums at this point. I dunno, something about the sound of that album just feels very... flat. And the pacing is pretty bad imo; after the great start that is the first three songs the album just gradually gets less and less engaging.

I know the fanbase is pretty divided on Watershed but I think that album improved upon Ghost Reveries greatly. More variety, more energetic performances, and more weirdness (in a good way). Less metal I suppose, but Heir Apparent and The Lotus Eater more than hit that quota for me.

I never really got the Ghost Reveries thing, to be honest. I get it being accessible because it's sort of the median of their sound—a lot of both metal and prog-rock-y parts, a lot of both clean and harsh vocals, etc. But it's never really connected with me, even after giving it many chances.

Granted, I don't exactly consider myself an Opeth fan. Music with a really bleak () vibe isn't for me, and I'm made uncomfortable by the fascination with murder that comes across in a lot of their early lyrics. But I like Blackwater Park a lot better than Ghost Reveries, even though BWP is a lot darker in my judgment.

Watershed, on the other hand, is my favorite metal Opeth album for a lot of the reasons you name. And lest I be accused of just saying that because I'm not enthusiastic about metal Opeth, Heir Apparent is my favorite song on that album, and way better IMO than any song on GR.

[Zoom E]

Ghost Reveries is definitely my favourite Opeth album and Watershed is second. After that it's probably Deliverance and Blackwater Park.

Now I feel the need to go and listen to Ghost Reveries.  It has been a while.

[Kwyjibo]

The first three songs of Watershed are among the best they ever recorded, but the rest of that record isn't that good, imo. Burden is okay apart from the ending, Porcelain Heart recycles some Grand Conjuration riff and is too long, Hessian Peel is solid and Hex Omega plain out bores me.

[Crow]

Ghost Reveries is probably the best way for a newcomer to get into Opeth but it hasn't aged well for me. I'm not sure if it'd even be in my top five Opeth albums at this point. I dunno, something about the sound of that album just feels very... flat. And the pacing is pretty bad imo; after the great start that is the first three songs the album just gradually gets less and less engaging.

I know the fanbase is pretty divided on Watershed but I think that album improved upon Ghost Reveries greatly. More variety, more energetic performances, and more weirdness (in a good way). Less metal I suppose, but Heir Apparent and The Lotus Eater more than hit that quota for me.

I don't have any memory of that one listen to Watershed. Other than to think that I'm not doing this. Ghost Reveries was fine as a novelty for me. I really like Reverie/Harlequin Forest. Cool as hell outro on that.

Harlequin Forest is THE best song on Ghost Reveries, imo.

yeah i'm inclined to agree with this too

[Buddyhunter1]

The first three songs of Watershed are among the best they ever recorded, but the rest of that record isn't that good, imo. Burden is okay apart from the ending, Porcelain Heart recycles some Grand Conjuration riff and is too long, Hessian Peel is solid and Hex Omega plain out bores me.

Hex Omega is definitely the weakest song on the album, I'll give you that.

Porcelain Heart might be their most underrated song that I can think of except for maybe Moonlapse Vertigo. The proggy passages in the last half are superb, and the acoustic verse around two thirds in is absolutely beautiful.

[KevShmev]

Watershed is very good overall, but for me it only has a few songs I would call great, with the rest being all good, while Ghost Reveries is filled with mostly great songs. 

[TAC]

Tidbit incoming...


Sorceress would be so much better with Ronnie James Dio singing it. I mean, they got Ian Anderson to sing on Will O The Wisp..

[TAC]

This playlist is kicking my ass.

[KevShmev]

Sorceress would be a lot better if the mix was better and more consistent. Some songs sound good and some it is like they decided to crank the low end way too much.  They had a long stream of albums that legit sounded great and then the last two were clear declines in that regard. 

[TAC]

I haven't really picked up production differences yet. Just trying to differentiate the songs at this point.

[KevShmev]

Will o the Wisp is definitely a great one.  I don't revisit that record much, but I love that song.  Easily my favorite from Sorceress.

[TAC]

I got three songs from Sorceress and one is the clear winner (of the three, not of the round).

[LudwigVan]

Tidbit incoming...


Sorceress would be so much better with Ronnie James Dio singing it. I mean, they got Ian Anderson to sing on Will O The Wisp..

 You do realize that Will O the Wisp is a reworking of this? Or was your Ian Anderson call purely coincidental?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sxcktkNSw38

[TAC]

Tidbit incoming...


Sorceress would be so much better with Ronnie James Dio singing it. I mean, they got Ian Anderson to sing on Will O The Wisp..

 You do realize that Will O the Wisp is a reworking of this? Or was your Ian Anderson call purely coincidental?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sxcktkNSw38

I would have no idea, so it was definitely coincidental, though I'd like to chalk it up to my genius intuitive listening skills.

[King Postwhore]

Thankfully I read that without a drink in my hand. Lol

[TAC]

I know Dream Theater gets accused of putting parts together that don't really fit, but what I'm finding with a lot of these songs is that they just feel like a collection of parts put together. It's hard to find some commonality throughout a particular song.
But a lot of these sections are 

[King Postwhore]

I hate that. Those who say that have no creativity.   I love a 3 minute pop song and I love 20 minute songs with abrupt turns.

[TAC]

I hate that. Those who say that have no creativity. 

Wait..I just said that.

[425]

I think that criticism is more reasonable with Opeth than with Dream Theater, especially early Opeth.

[LudwigVan]

A “collection of parts put together” can be used to describe a lot of early Haken too.

[Evermind]

Will o the Wisp is definitely a great one.  I don't revisit that record much, but I love that song.  Easily my favorite from Sorceress.

Same here!

[King Postwhore]

I hate that. Those who say that have no creativity. 

Wait..I just said that.

So you got my shot at you then.

[TAC]

Scratched out 13 writeups today. Off to a good start. These are great songs.

Just finished Burden, and I have to say that it is Schenkerific!

[Lonk]

I love the out of tune solo on Burden, it's weird and confuses people

[Lonk]

I wish I had the balls to send tac some of Coheed's softer songs, but that would be a risky move.

I'm a metal fan, but sending me the heaviest track usually doesn't work either.

By the way TAC, if you are curious and have time to listen, the songs I was thinking of here were Dark Side of Me, Wake Up and Ghost.

Was listening to Coheed on my way home and all three songs came on

[TAC]

I wish I had the balls to send tac some of Coheed's softer songs, but that would be a risky move.

I'm a metal fan, but sending me the heaviest track usually doesn't work either.

By the way TAC, if you are curious and have time to listen, the songs I was thinking of here were Dark Side of Me, Wake Up and Ghost.

Was listening to Coheed on my way home and all three songs came on

I have time. I'm in pretty good shape for this round.


V..
First Impressions..

Dark Side Of Me was excellent.

Wake Up, I don't really remember.

Ghost was a tough listen the first time around.

[Lonk]

Good thing I didn't send any of those 

[TAC]

Me too!



Tibit incoming...

I hate the snare sound in Windowpane.

[Buddyhunter1]

Someone remix Windowpane with the Images And Words snare sound.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Someone remix Windowpane with the Images And Words snare sound.

Nah, St. Anger snare sound!

[TAC]

If I have a productive morning, I might have Results tomorrow afternoon. Writeups are done. Songs are ranked. Results posts are formatted. Just have to assign and plug in the scores.


This will be the highest scoring round.

Of the 23 songs..

18 scored an 8.0 or higher.

[lonestar]

If I have a productive morning, I might have Results tomorrow afternoon. Writeups are done. Songs are ranked. Results posts are formatted. Just have to assign and plug in the scores.


This will be the highest scoring round.

Of the 23 songs..

18 scored an 8.0 or higher.

And mine are two of the five that didn't, right?

[KevShmev]

I love the out of tune solo on Burden, it's weird and confuses people

I find it strange that that solo bothers so many people.  Who cares if it is out of tune, it sounds good, and that is all that matters. 

[TAC]

If I have a productive morning, I might have Results tomorrow afternoon. Writeups are done. Songs are ranked. Results posts are formatted. Just have to assign and plug in the scores.


This will be the highest scoring round.

Of the 23 songs..

18 scored an 8.0 or higher.

And mine are two of the five that didn't, right?

Er.. well, you do own a 7.9, but I have your other song ranked 8th overall (score not assigned yet). 

[TAC]

I love the out of tune solo on Burden, it's weird and confuses people

I find it strange that that solo bothers so many people.  Who cares if it is out of tune, it sounds good, and that is all that matters.

It's not the solo right? But the outro. And no, it doesn't sound good.