PALE COMMUNION

Opeth is one of the progressive rock's most popular bands nowadays and certainly the most famous prog band of Sweden. I have earlier heard and written about "Blackwater Park", a typical dark metal album and that didn't really get my full appreciation. It was too dark and too heavy for me and furthermore I don't like growl. Then comes this album of "Opeth" and changes everything. Here it is no disturbing growl and the metal is held back for the prog. This is in all terms a prog rock record and most of it is lovely. I have now listened to the record some times and feel ready to write som word about it.

"Pale Communion" is Opeth's eleventh studio record and it features Mikael Åkerfeldt on song and guitar, Fredrik Åkesson on guitar, Joakim Svalberg on piano and keyboards, Martín Méndez on bass and Martin Axenrot on drums and percussion. The cover picture shows a stone wall with three colourful paintings of interesting motives. On the small rectangle I see, it is hard to notice the details but I guess it would look lovely on a vinyl record.

The prog music on this record is unique and totally honest. The warm, though melancholic texture of melodies and musical harmonies goes from track to track and through it all the level of the music is high and rich. The album starts powerful with "Eternal rains will come", a true progressive challenge(9/10) and "Cusp of Eternity" is a worthy follower(8/10). The long "Moon above, sun below" is also very interesting for the progressive ear(8/10) and "Elysian woes" is beautiful(9/10) with so much love even if the album's best song is the instrumental "Goblin"(10/10) which actually is a jazz rock tune. I don't think the two ending songs are as good as the others but it could just be because I haven't heard them as many times.

I think this is the best metal album I have heard and I recommend it to every fan of progressive rock. This will also be my start in exploring the others records of this band. This record will get four strong stars of me.