MORNINGRISE

Is not a 4 star, because it is a very naive and album, however is impressive to hear that large amount of moods, from dark metal to cool jazz. The album is intended to be a whole, trying to experiment with a lot of ambient passages with acoustic guitars and some keys; in the end it reaches the goal, but has a lack of focus in presenting the musical changes, as a finished product. Anyway, to the curious listener the first song is "too heavy", but the record got is mildness until de 5th song, where it ends properly (becasue the 6th song is a leftover from the previous album that in some ways (and a lot of recompositioning) made it to the next album)... The main core or "strong moment" of the album is with BLACK ROSE IMMORTAL, and TO BID YOU FAREWELL, great pieces that mixes dark metal, growling, ambient and cool jazz. Don't get fainted with the review, the record is ***½, but by any meanings is an essential or excellent addition to a "plain prog" collection, beacuse of the heavy burden of "metal" that needs to be polished; i've compared this record with some early nineties dark-death metal efforts, and is not that far from, for example: ENTOMBED- CLANDESTINE, or DISMEMBER-INDECENT & OBSCENE, fair records but with a lot of "metal heart"... OPETH is like SOUNDGARDEN, a heavy metal act for those who hate metal... this band has improved with time, and you'll discover in late albums, the great job they've done with the proper guidance.