DELIVERANCE

Still artistically acute, 'Deliverance' serves the purpose of being the heaviest and most unleashed Opeth album, originally intended as part of a double with 'Damnation', both of which were recorded at the same time but left as separate entries into the band's catalogue. This album was recorded by the same lineup which produced 'Still Life' and 'Blackwater Park' and is the second in-studio collaboration between Opeth and Steven Wilson, making it an important part of the classic period of the band. 'Deliverance' is often blatantly aggressive and harsh but being less intricate and less melodic than its predecessor, it might seem like a more digestible listen overall. After all, this is the album that had to portray just one side of Opeth's music, the one pertinent to the world of progressive death metal, almost entirely leaving the acoustic and melancholic duties to 'Damnation'. And as a metal album, it works extraordinarily well, featuring impressive moments and episodes of songwriting brilliance all throughout.

Here we see the further development of the 10-minute song format that Opeth generally work within, providing enough space for each composition to reveal itself, something done brilliantly on the previous studio album. Opening the album with 'Wreath', we have a very dark and menacing entry, depicting the brutal side of the band's music. Unlike some of other opening tracks from the band's discography, this one seems a little confined by the desire of being presented as such a harsh piece of music. The magnificent title track follows, which is among the band staples - this song sees the songwriting prowess of Åkerfeldt, with each section of it being flawless, topped by the strident and genial outro. 'A Fair Judgement' is heavy and drab but in a more restrained manner, entirely features clean vocals, while the short instrumental 'For Absent Friends' (named after the Genesis song) is pure magic. 'Master's Appentices' reminisces a battle march and has an interesting development a la Porcupine Tree in the second half, while the last track on the album 'By the Pain I See in Others' is the most experimental and devilish piece of music on here, gritty and unpredictable, it bolsters a dramatic sound closing off with a haunting backmasked hidden track.

The desire to dedicate 'Deliverance' to the heavier side of Opeth's sound strips some of the complexity and variety achieved on 'Blackwater Park' off, which still does not compromise the powerful, dark and menacing approach in writing exciting death metal pieces with a progressive twist. The title track is immense and the album is fraught with memorable and impressive moments.

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