WATERSHED

This album in my opinion is near PERFECTION. I always thought that Opeth's "softer" more musical side was what made them great. In this sense, this album is a perfect representation of this side of Opeth. Not only is the recording and mixing more polished than all the other Opeth records, the addition of Martin Axenrot on drums and Fredrik Åkesson on guitar, has evolved Opeth from a great Prog band, to an absolutely masterful progressive band. The guitar work itself would qualify this album as a masterpiece, yet the song arrangements and not to mention the AMAZING drumming make this as one of my personal favorite albums of all time. The "growl" vocals are used a little more sparingly, which makes the metal portions that much more significant making them stand out more. I will admit that this album took time to grow on me, as it definitely takes a few listens to appreciate. The chemistry between Akerfeldt's and Åkesson's playing is absolutely amazing, and is one of main things that make this album so special. Every song is amazing, Heir Apparent is a great "metal track" with a very epic ending. Lotus Eater is a bizarre yet extremely technical song that is definitely a highlight of the album. Burden, which is completely clean vocals and barely metal at all, is a PERFECT example of the guitar work i mentioned before. The Vocals are amazing and this is the most emotionally touching song on the album. Hessian Peel and Hex Omega, I believe are the best songs on the record. DEFINITELY GET THIS ALBUM