WATERSHED

This is my first progarchives review, so I'll make it a good one! And there's no better album for it in my collection than this one. It's amazing. On to the review! First, some general statements:

THE LAZY MAN'S REVIEW: for those of you who want a quick summary, the album is tremendous. It will probably appeal to many more of the traditional prog people who are usually skeptical of metal. This is true about most Opeth albums, but it is especially true of this one. I have a feeling that, over time, a vast majority of people in prog circles will get this album, and not getting this album will be a lot like flatulating loudly in a crowded elevator: everyone will stare disdainfully and wonder what's wrong with you. You will cry and hang your head in shame.

As the title of the album states, this really is a breakthrough album for Opeth. This is far-and-away their most progressive and original work. There isn't a weak track on the album, and there are several incredible passages, especially in the 11-minute epic track Hessian Peel. The main problem lies in the fact that some if it is slightly disjointed, but as I keep listening to it, I find that this actually fits the album very well. It conveys somewhat of volatility that I think reflects the main character's mental unrest. I'm not going to say anything for certain as to the storyline, but I'm FAIRLY certain of two things. The main character leaves his wife/love in the first track, but I also think it has a happy ending. Maybe they get back together? Not sure.

That brings me to another good point: they don't print the lyrics. That's not such a problem in the clean passages, because Akerfeldt has some his best vocal work ever in this album, but I can't understand a single word of Heir Apparent. There's a shroud of mystery around the heavier passages, because, to me, they sound like some of Opeth's most brutal and haunting work yet.

The heavier passages also reflect a shift toward regular death metal as opposed to melodic death metal, as once they get going, they rarely take a breather in Opeth's middle ground between heavy and light. Production did a great job with Akerfeldt's vocals processing, as his growls are just outright disturbing at times, and I never found that to be the case on any of the previous albums.

The lighter passages, by contrast, are much more upbeat than your usual Opeth. This is partially because they often go into triplets instead of duple meter (I hope I'm using the terminology correctly), creating a swing feel on a lot of the songs. They've toned down the melancholic riffs somewhat, replacing them with a lot more classical guitar and other instrumentation (possibly done on the keyboard), all of which fits in like a politician at a vampire convention (which is extremely well).

Both new members of the band are incredible, and I actually like them both better than the previous members -- no offense to them. Axenrot and Akesson both seem more technically proficient than the two they replaced, but there are no pointless solos that lead nowhere.

One interesting thing to note is that I heard in an interview with Mikael that he had been changing a lot personally as a result of having his daughter. I think his words were something to the effect of I didn't think I could care about anyone but myself. This shows on this album, as it shows a distinct shift away from all evil and melancholy all the time. I think this has some of the first funny passages in an Opeth album, and it definitely shows a more relaxed side of Opeth.

And then they lived happily ever after until the sequel, where he reviewed the songs themselves:

Coil: the opening track is pretty great, and I think it sets the stage pretty well. Unlike most of their other albums, it starts out with a very soft song, but it's not as melancholy as a lot of their other soft songs. Also, they do an excellent job of incorporating the voice of their new drummer's girlfriend, who has an amazing voice. Save for the first half of Hessian Peel, also on this album, I'd call this their best soft work (which is ironic because...). 10/10

Heir Apparent: ...this their best heavy work, hands down. You have crushing riffs that don't seem to drag on like they do in some of their other work. It's interesting to note that this may not only be their best heavy work, but their heaviest, because there are no clean vocals in the song. The growls throughout have been processed to sound amazingly creepy. The first time I heard this song, I was just overtaken by the speed and haunting brutality of this song. 10/10 (I'm not trying to be a fanboy, I just really like the first two songs)

The Lotus Eater: starts of with Akerfeldt humming, which quickly gives way to blast beats and raging guitars over -- surprise -- clean vocals! It took a few listens to get used to it, but it now sounds wonderful. There are actually a few growls thrown into the mix, but it's mostly clean. There are some other pretty interesting parts, like the jazz piano section toward the end, which is very reminiscent of Dream Theater (Dark Eternal Night). It makes sense, since they're touring together now, and Akerfeldt appeared briefly on DT's last album to do a spoken part (Repentance). Good song overall, though not as mind-blowingly amazing as the first two tracks. (9/10)

Burden: a more typical soft Opeth piece. They've moved away from the 70's prog feel, though, and more toward a classical theme mixed with maybe the 1920's in Europe. That's actually true about the whole album, but especially so here. Also not as melancholic as their usual soft songs. The most memorable part is the ending, where the classical acoustic guitar riff slowly falls apart as someone detunes the strings while he's playing, and it ends in laughter. Some great keyboard work that really goes after it but still fits within the context. Despite lavish reviews of this song from some other people, this is the low point in the album for me, but it's up against incredible competition. (8.5/10)

Porcelain Heart: a haunting track with some pretty heavy instrumental parts, but no growls. It makes me think of slow songs in power metal in some ways, with guitars driving things along smoothly. Wonderful song. The piece sounds very gothic and tense. The only thing that mars this song in any way is that they had the drummer go a bit overboard about a minute into the song. The part is kind of cool, but it doesn't quite work. For once, I think the music video actually applies to the song, but I still haven't figured it out completely. It also makes the Aaaaahh parts infinitely more disturbing. (9/10)

Hessian Peel: AMAZING. Their general best track ever. The intro sounds almost medieval. The classical instrumentation fits in so well, and the transition directly from the soft to the heavy part actually works in my opinion, despite some people's complaints. It goes along with the guy's decaying mental state. This track makes me feel warm inside. (10/10 -- 11 if that were possible)

Hex Omega: not as good as the previous, but it's a tough act to follow. It seems like a fitting ending, provided that the album ends positively. I think this is where the main character gets rid of his curse or something of the sort (hex omega -- end of the curse?). Majestic chords bring the album to its conclusion, and the drapery falls on what is, in my opinion, Opeth's (and for that matter, metal's) greatest album. (9/10)

Using a weighted average based on track length, the album receives a 9.35/10 (I made a spreadsheet). Definitely 5 stars.