DAMNATION

As someone who is not particularly keen on the "death metal" genre, I have not previously experienced the music of Opeth. Various reviews (including those on Amazon UK) had however indicated that this album represented something of a change for the band, being much more melodic, and even suggesting similarities with The Moody Blues and Barclay James Harvest.

My attention duly captured, "Damnation" became my first experience of the band. Certainly, there is not a grunt or growl in sight (earshot?), the vocals being soft and melodic. Bands who came to mind as I listened were Porcupine Tree, Camel, and Pink Floyd.

The album is very acoustic, to the point of almost being understated, with a steady pace, never getting particularly excited or for that matter depressed. "Windowpane" opens with some pleasant guitar backed by some good old mellotron (played by Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree, who guests on the album). "Death whispered a lullaby" is not nearly as doomy as the title suggests, the hints of orchestration setting things up nicely for the rather trippy ending.

"Closure" is the most Porcupine Tree like, Steve Wilson is presumably well to the fore here, and there are hints of Anathema's more recent works too. "To rid this disease" is where the Moody Blues similarities really appear, some fine up front mellotron again ("In The Court of the Crimson King" like), almost pop vocals, a strong melody, and some good guitar too. It could have been recorded 30 years ago, and sounded exactly the same.

"Ending credits" sounds like Andy Latimer (Camel) has strolled by guitar in hand, and picked out a tune as he passed. The ending credits to "The Snowgoose" perhaps? "Weakness" is indeed perhaps the album's only weakness, being a rather sparse, slow, spacey piece, with suggestions of Syd Barrett.

By all accounts, this is not a typical Opeth album. That I am not qualified to comment on, but this is a fine album by any standards, worthy of your attention and certainly worthy of gracing this site.

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