DAMNATION

Opeth started their career successfully, starting with melodic death metal, in their debut album ("Orchid"), through narrative masterpieces ("Blackwater Park" - which named after a german prog band from the 70's), until their 2 albums that recorded at the same time, the heavy Deliverance, and his silent brother Damnation. The idea to release 2 sided albums (acoustic part and heavy part) is definitely brilliant and without a doubt shocked most of Opeth fans - that had a supported their work - when the music was heavy and acoustic. Another marketing idea - was to release "Deliverance" earlier than "Damnation", so that the death-metal fans of the band will not be disappointed and to satisfy those "hungry mouths".

The work with Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) who produced this album, and participated on keyboards and voices, created with Opeth a new fascinating sound. It's hard to realize what makes Opeth so invinsible in the swedish prog metal scene. It might be the aclectic guitar work, that has doom/death metal intensions with the touch of progressive rock, it might be the fact that they're so busy in weather metaphores of the human nature, and the reflection of these two worlds with the both voices of Mikael Akerfeldt, the one is sad and gentle, and the other is monster and cruel growl.

"Damnation" it's not the cruel-metal fans' cup of tea, that his musical menu based on Morbid Angel & Cradle Of Filth (but when you think about it, what cruel-metal fan will have a cup of tea :) ). One way or other, Opeth have removed their cruel side, which made them a death-metal band, on this album. This albums reminds a prog rock bands in the last stage of the 70's, but what a lot of bands couldn't do, specifically Opeth - a metal band from sweden that have successed to relive in autenticaly that reminds bands like King Crimson & Camel.

The album fills 8 superlative tracks that don't last more than 5 and half minutes averagely, the longest track is the opener "Windowpane" which last 7:43, and the shortest one is the instrumental track "Ending Credits" - 3:38. My favorite tracks on this album are "Death Whispered A Lullaby" & "To Rid The Disease" - That the second of them is one of the best tracks of Opeth of all time. Both of the tracks are definitely breath-taking, in some parts you can swear that is influence from a bands like Radiohead, but Opeth keeps a very high level of musical identity, even when you think that they have done a new attempt.

"Damnation" is without a doubt a milestone that prog-rock world have waited for a long time, the album is definitely a breakthrough of metal bands - aspecially because of their comeback to their aggressive style, after their "Damnation" tour. But still even in their last album ("Ghost Reveries") you can still feel the touch of Damnation, which is in my opinion the best Opeth album ever. 5 stars are just right.