HERITAGE

"Heritage" is the tenth studio album of Opeth and was released in 2008. The album signals a departure from the musical style of Opeth's previous studio albums, being one of the two studio album of the group not to feature Akerfeldt's signature death growls. The other was their seventh studio album "Damnation". Akerfeldt was very clear when he said that he decided that the band is going to embrace progressive rock more openly and depart from the metal sound that Opeth has been pursuit for much of their preceding career. So, somehow "Heritage" represents a new starting point.

The line up is Mikael Akerfeldt (vocals, guitar, Mellotron, grand piano and sound effects), Fredrik Akesson (guitar), Per Wiberg (grand piano, Mellotron, Rhodes piano and Hammond B3), Martin Mendez (bass guitar and upright bass) and Martin Axenrot (drums and percussion). The album has also the participation of Alex Acuna (percussion), Bjorn J:son Lindh (flute), Christopher Wadensten (flute), Joakim Svalberg (grand piano) and Charlie Dodd (sound effects). "Heritage" has t en tracks. All songs were written and composed by Mikael Akerfeldt. The first track is the title track "Heritage". It's a short but beautiful, simple and eloquent instrumental entirely played on grand piano, by their new keyboardist Joakim Svalberg. Per Wiberg left the band after the recordings. The second track "The Devil's Orchard" is probably the only track that follows closest from the usual musical style of the band on their last two studio albums. This is an excellent song with some intricate musical moments, great musical passages but that maintains a very strong musical atmosphere. The third track "I Feel The Dark" is another great song that opens gently with its looping bass lines, chilled acoustic guitar work and Mellotron. The song fluctuates between happy and dark musical territories. There's definitely a "Damnation" feel in some parts of this song. The fourth track "Slither" is a song barrelling along on a hard rock guitar riff backed with strong Hammond organ work. It's a song with some good electric guitar work. Curiously, the song ends just with a folksy acoustic guitar playing. This is a song very influenced by the Akerfeldt's love for Deep Purple. The fifth track "Nepenthe" is a beautiful atmospheric piece of music, with an almost ambient feel. It has acoustic guitars, brushed drums, jazzy bass and Akerfeldt's warm and deep vocals. This is a very different song from the rest of the album, until now, with a very strong influence on the ambient and jazz styles. The sixth track "Haxprocess" is perhaps the perfect companion to the previous song, in terms of style. It's, in general, a slow song with calm and tranquil musical sections with the space between notes seeming as important at times as what is being played. The seventh track "Famine" opens with a very strange way with a burst of flute, before some bongo percussion, layered over an ominous sonic backdrop, leads us into the song, which starts with gentle piano and voice before a catchy riff kicks in and moves things forward. This is, in my humble opinion, a great song with strong influences from King Crimson. The eighth track "The Lines In My Hand" opens with a very interesting drum work, which manages to be simultaneously tight but loose, over with Akerfeldt delivering the lyrics. Gradually the track shift gears, with some great guitar work and nice driving rhythms and a strong chorus, and in the end the song ends abruptly. The ninth track "Folklore" is one of the strongest pieces on the album. It starts with some jazzy guitar work which gradually comes together with a short solo piano piece that leads the song down another path, with the rhythm section fading in and out of the mix, and the effective employment of celestial choirs, assuming conjured up from the Mellotron. "Folklore" is with "The Devil's Orchard" and "I Feel The Dark" the greatest highlights on the album. The tenth track "Marrow Of The Earth" ends the album in the same mood of the opening instrumental piece, only this time utilising acoustic guitar instead of piano. This isn't a strong way to finish the album but it represents a beautiful and gentle close to the album.

Conclusion: "Heritage" is another great album of Opeth. Everything on it sounds rich and full, mostly thanks to the use of analogue recording methods and other old hardware like real Mellotrons and Hammond organs. The vintage musical treatment of Akerfeldt's signature melodic sensibilities helps to consummate a unique world teaming with the beauty of the Scandinavian folk and jazz, while exuding the aura of some of the 70's darker psychedelic style. His vocal melodies are perhaps the most brilliant he's ever delivered, perfectly accenting each and in an every instrumental component. This is undeniably the album that will have most divided their fan base. If they have lost probably a lot of long time fans with "Ghost Reveries" with the addition of a keyboardist, with this last album the divorce was definitely consummated. Akerfeldt assumed more the progressive musical side and dropped more the metal side. Of course, his musical collaboration with Steven Wilson isn't strange to that. Steven had also declared that "Heritage" is the first part of a trilogy, alongside Wilson's solo album "Grace For Drowning" and "Storm Corrosion" the self titled album of both.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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