DAMNATION

Opeth decided to release an album full of of soft acoustic numbers, and while this sounded like an interesting idea, the problem was that the album lacked the band's main appeal - alteration between layered heavy passages and sparse soft ones. This album is entirely built on the latter type, and while soft music certainly isn't inherently boring, Opeth have this sort of flat sound already that's much better suited for agressive metal music - very cold, emotionless, with little harmonic substance. The first track "Windowpane" is the best one of the bunch, having some nice melodies, nice subtle drumming from Martin Lopez, and mellotron playing Steven Wilson (who did a good job on the production too). The rest of the songs don't really bring anything new however. All of them save the last one, start with fingerpicked or strummed motifs, implying that this is how Mikael starts his ideas, but it would make a more interesting listen if he tried to take a different approach occasionally. This is not a bad album, but very boring, either you are sitting there listening to every detail, frustratingly awaiting its conclusion, or you are not paying attention to it, and the next thing you know it's over.