MORNINGRISE

Opeth is a progressive metal band that was formed in 1990 in Huddinge, a small town south of Stockholm. The name Opeth is a reference to the book "Sunbird" by Wilbur Smith. Opeth have become as one of the most influential heavy metal groups in all of the Northern Europe. Though their musical beginning was firmly rooted in the death metal, as can be seen especially on their three first studio albums, the albums that were released by the Candlelight Records, they were already threading many progressive elements into their music, like some acoustic instrumentation and influences from several musical styles, such as folk and jazz. As the band's individuals grew musically and personnel shifted, their approach and sonic palette expanded, losing practically all death metal influences getting closer and closer to prog.

So, "Morningrise" is the second studio album of Opeth and that was released in 1996. The line up on "Morningrise" is Mikael Akerfeldt (lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars), Peter Lindgren (electric and acoustic guitars), Johan De Farfalla (backing vocals, fretless bass and 6-string bass) and Anders Nordin (drums and percussion). "Morningrise" had also the participation of another musician, Stefan Guteklint (bass), as a guest.

"Morningrise" is considered to be an iconic album for death and prog metal fans, but the word iconic also applies to Opeth's history, because it certainly gave them that boost of popularity in the underground metal scene of the 90's. The first of a long line of great albums by Opeth was released following their debut "Orchid" the year before. "Morningrise" is often regarded as the defining album for the band with a diverse range of sounds. It's an epic album full of epic songs, with elements of death metal and acoustic blues to mix things up. On "Morningrise" we can say every songs are long, the shortest has 10 minutes. Don't expect a chorus or melodies to sing along with, but just the music and the atmosphere it leaves. It's first progressive, not only for the song structure but the technicality of each of the band's members. You can find no weak points here because there isn't an instrument that shines more than the others. The music is, either heavy, with growls, or acoustic with clean voices. It isn't too much fast but there are some great riffs.

"Morningrise" has five tracks. "Advent" is a wonderful opener with the typical Opeth's soft-to-heavy transitions. It's an excellent example of Opeth's hallmark blending techniques with its soft passages and an interesting groove that is interspersed between death metal riffs and growling vocals. The song follows the typical high-low pattern of their songs by transitioning fluidly from aggressive metal energy to folk acoustic guitar. The melodies, both on this song and the entire album, are immortal. "The Night And The Silent Water" is a great track with some amazing harmonies and a cascading ending. It runs all the way through its length with a mournful and contemplative feel befitting its melancholic subject matter. It's heavy but later gives way to some sad sounding material. When the clean vocals come in, you can hear that Mikael croons over the loss of his grandfather during some of the most heartfelt acoustic passages in the bands history. "Nectar" is closely similar to "Advent" in style, though not in its structure. It begins with a much more aggressive riff and follows a path of anger through the emotionally tortured lyrics up to a truly epic peak at the end of the song. We are presented to a staggering twin guitar harmony during the middle of the song. It's almost shocking how many riffs Opeth are using into their songs. They literally employ tens of changing riff patterns and incomparable melodies on a single track. "Black Rose Immortal" is the magnum opus of the album. It's a twenty minutes long epic in every sense of the word, and definitely one of Opeth's best songs. It has brilliant moments with great mix between the calm and strong parts. The melodies here are amazing, and the lyrics are indubitably the best Mikael has ever penned. It deserves a place of honor in Opeth's career. "To Bid You Farewell" is the mellow song on the album. It's sung in all clean vocals and contains finger picked acoustic melodies and touches on elements of jazz, folk, rock and even a blues guitar solo. This is a relaxing song and a great closing track. It's one of the best closing songs on any Opeth's album.

Conclusion: "Morningrise" is in many ways one of their darkest and most captivating albums. It's a transitional album, one of learning and experimenting, but it still remains a pleasure to listen to. The music is full of intricate melodies and sounds that are best enjoyed by shutting your eyes in order to take into account the complexities and the outstanding poetry through the lyrics. It's true that "Morningrise", as its predecessor "Orchid", has a raw and dry sound compared to the band's later efforts. I, however, believe this is all intentional to help create the dark atmosphere on this album, which is simply unique. Certainly this isn't Opeth's best album overall, but it definitely is very good. It displays all of their signature characteristics well. It's an incredible and diverse album and, while it isn't for every prog fan, I would recommend it to any open-minded proghead. Besides, until this moment, I still haven't found one weak album of Opeth.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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