MY ARMS, YOUR HEARSE

Opeth's third album is a huge step forward from the first two albums. With "My Arms, Your Hearse", finally the band starts going towards the way that will lead them to glory, "Still Life" and "Blackwater Park". But it's obvious that they aren't quite there yet. Despite being really good, it still shows how much the band still has to accomplish.

What I was most relieved about this is how the production didn't sound so rough like in "Orchid" or "Morningrise" and I also noticed that they aren't any more counterparts, but only strong power chords. Musically the album is very different; having a cleaner production, the experimentation increased; the use of strange guitar effects that accompany some acoustic passages, the increased complexity of the structure and the melodies of all the songs, the much better musicianship from each single member.

"My Arms, Your Hearse" is a concept album, like many Opeth albums, and there is also a storyline; a man passes away and becomes a ghosts, and he constantly watches the girl he has loved in life, fearing that her grief for his death would be weak. He then realizes that she finds it hard to keep on living. Maybe not genius storytelling, like the following album "Still Life", but it's still a concept that can easily be respected and liked.

Some songs here will be for me great Opeth classics: "April Ethereal" is a ver well constructed and done song, with many time changes and great, evocative, slower passages. Another one of my favorites is "The Amen Corner", another excellent song. I was disappointed with some songs, like "When" which seems to be a great hit of the band. Also, "Demon of the Fall" didn't grab my attention much. I do love both the prologue and epilogue, as well as the "Madrigal" in the middle of the album, that really enriched the idea of the concept. "Karma" is another good, with plenty awesome metal moments as well as nice arrangements.

In conclusion, a really solid album, with some weak points, but still very muh worth your time, or money.