BLACKWATER PARK

To start, I am not a fan of death metal. Most music that contains more than half of the vocals that are screamed really annoys, but not this album. This is the best album of that nature I've ever listened to. Maybe it's the quiet acoustic passages that set a dreary and dark mood, maybe it's the solid, complex, and enjoyable metal riffs. Whatever it is, this is truly a great album. Mikael Akerfeldt and co. have a unique style of play, and they do it so well. Steven Wilson seems to have a large influence on the bands sound, for it is filled with his input and his piano/guitar work.

The musicianship on this album is very solid. The drumming is very tight and fits the metal mold very well. The bass, while not spectacular, is very sporadic and full of texture. The guitar work is superb for the genre that they play in, with very cohesive and tight play from both Akerfeldt and Lindgren.

The album opens with a metal masterpiece, The Leper Affinity. With dark and melancholic lyrics, Akerfeldt's demonic (as Bryan calls it, "cookie monster') vocals roar into the speakers. His unique and captivating roar really caught me off guard, usually I dislike these vocals with an extreme passion, but I liked this one. The music is very structed, complex, and intricate, a very unique sound eminates from the guitars, for the intricacy of the riffs gives off the perfect tone to the album. Other tracks worth mentioning are The Drapery Falls, another metal nightmare of demonic roars, intricate riffs, and superb guitars; Patterns in the Ivy is a haunting acoustic piece that does nothing less than give me chills. The album closer Blackwater Park is also an incredible piece of metal, with much of the same elements as the other songs mentioned.

My only complaint with this album is that after awhile, Akerfeldt's roaring vocals getting a tad annoying, but it is quickly made up for with the incredible clean vocals that come during the acoustic passages. I give it a 4/5. A very impressive and solid piece of work.