WATERSHED

Effectively one of the lesser known Opeth albums with death growls, 2008's 'Watershed' has remained somewhat of an enigma, given its place in the band's discography as well as the slightly more experimental sounds and unusual variations to the progressive death metal formula. This album introduces then-new guitar player Fredrik Åkesson, who would become recognizable for his pivotal role in crafting the more "retro progressive" sound of Opeth, while his performance on this release is quite impressive, fitting in perfectly with the massive and often aggressive tones, together with drummer Martin Axenrot, quite a technically gifted player. With the band relying on slightly shorter compositions here, 'Watershed' is a bold follow-up to the mesmerizing 'Ghost Reveries', simply because it is starkly different, it exists within a somewhat desperate, sorrowful ambience and pertains to a more crossover style between the harsh death metal grooves and the more folky and experimental influences of Åkerfeldt.

An interesting beginning in the face of the melodic and folky 'Coil', a duet between Mikael Åkerfeldt and Nathalie Lorichs. This sets a somewhat mysterious, medieval tone, almost like a tune that could been written by Ritchie Blackmore. 'Heir Apparent' then enters solemnly with its dense first notes. This is a more "traditional" Opeth track with harsh vocals and a lots of technical playing intertwined with peculiar shifts as well as several interesting passages. 'The Lotus Eater' is another intense and fast-paced piece that even introduces a jazzy keyboard section later on - the entire song is heavy and quirky, equally grim and abrasive and perhaps one of the best numbers on the album together with the sorrowful and ballad-y 'Burden', both of which seem to anticipate the future direction of the band's style, brimming with prog rock references. 'Porcelain Heart' is really strong and the vocals of Åkerfeldt sound fantastic here, while 'Hessian Peel' might as well be the most complex and hardly digestible track off of 'Watershed', an unconventional but appealing epic with interesting effects and dense production. With the exception of the less characteristic closing track 'Hex Omega', this entire album is a gorgeous, grim and powerful addition to the Opeth catalogue, introducing a peculiar sound that anticipates a future shift in style, as mentioned previously, rather than trying to be just another one of the band's heavier albums.

Social review comments

Review related links

• Send comments to A Crimson Mellotron
• Report this review (#3157330)
• Buy OPETH music online with PA partners
• Show all OPETH MP3/Stream
• Go to OPETH page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Watershed page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for OPETH related discussions