DELIVERANCE

Deliverance ? 2002 (3.2/5) 11 ? Best Song: For Absent Friends In 2002, Opeth decided that their fanbase was divided between two main groups ? those who liked death metal and those who smoked a lot of pot. Err. Their fanbase was divided into two groups ? metalheads and prog rock fans. So, what did they decide to do? They decided it'd be best to release two separate albums, one focusing heavily on technical death metal, the other focusing inherently on classic progressive rock. It might seem strange, but fellow progressive group Ayreon did the same thing about this time. Deliverance is, of course, the heavier perspective. It's not THAT clear-cut. A band of this nature would never submit to being that predictable. The title track melds their softer segments with really furious metal. It's more like a continuation of Still Life than it is one half of the equation. You could see Blackwater Park as the point of divergence. This is where the twin halves of the band separate and release themselves. The melodies are as strong as they were before, only less balanced. It's this loss of balance which I feel hinders the progress of Deliverance and makes it less entertaining, even if 'A Fair Jdugement' is everything you could like from the band at this stage. Mikael is a great singer. He has his tone, and you can deal with it. He's an expressive guy when he drops the roar and sings to you like a human being. Again, with 'For Absent Friends', he seems to be giving us a reprieve from the ferocity of the material. It's just a quiet little electric folk instrumental. It's a fine, fine album even if it seems to be taking a step or two in the reverse direction.