THE DEVIL'S ORCHARD

The first single from Opeth's forthcoming album Heritage keeps its promise in that musically, it is in a new direction. Whether that is good or bad depends on your personal preferences and tastes. As a prog fan who also loves metal, I couldn't be happier. I have enjoyed all of Opeth's music for the past ten years, but also felt that the extreme metal side of their sound was the least interesting aspect of a complex tapestry. The Devil's Orchard takes the prog side of Opeth and puts it up front, and eliminates the extreme metal side. That's not to say that the song isn't metal. It still retains that flavor, but in a new and interesting context. I can't give this new track five stars, because as a song, it is good, not great. For the new direction the band is heading in, I would rate five stars. Check it out, and see what you think.