DAMNATION

Damnation is one of the best Opeth albums ever produced. Akerfedlt brought in Steven Wilson to produce and play on his double release experiment of Deliverance and Damnation. Wlson's presence is certainly felt here in a big way, and for some that may not wash. However, if you are disappointed with this, I might want to ask you what exactly do you think good music is? Everything about this album screams 'quality'. It is clear that Mikael Akerfeldt took incredible care with this record and made sure every song was as professional-sounding and well-played as possible. I've always applauded the production values of Opeth records, and even though I typically don't care about that type stuff, some albums just sound too good not to praise in that regard.

The songwriting itself is as top-notch as ever, yet the presentation is more tender and caressing than before. Imagine all of the elements that made Opeth's softer musical moments great being compiled into one package. Sounds like a success to me. However I realize some people only like Opeth's soft side when it is allowed to weave in and out of their heavy work (which after all makes up the bulk of this band's repertoire). I can understand that, and yes, separating those two elements COULD result in disaster potentially, but in this case it doesn't. At all.

The hauntingly beautiful ballads that Opeth have always been able to write are all that this album consists of. If you like that side of the band's music, you'll love this release. However, if you don't understand that these guys are masterful songwriters first and foremost, then you'll expect them to always be heavy, and will be disappointed when they don't maintain that aggressiveness on every single release. This is a dark horse in the Opeth catalogue as of right now. No other album is as consistently gentle as this, and yet it is one of the best works they ever did, in my view.

You don't have to like Opeth, but crucifying this album simply because it isn't conventional by the band's standards isn't the correct way to behave. Opeth is more than a just a Metal band-- they are Prog Rock first, and this album has plenty of unconventional, psychedelic compositions to satisfy the adventurous listener. Soft or not, the album is fantastic.

Happy listening.