ORCHID

Now that I've finally caught up with Opeth's productions, I can say with 100% confidence that this is the worst album that Opeth has put out to date. That does not mean that this is a weak album or isn't worth listening to, but I'd definitely not start with this album if I were picking up the band for the first time.

To begin, the production is rather lousy. The guitars are over-gained, which tends to muddle the riffing somewhat. The drums are, well, unimaginative to say the least, and of course, the vocals are nothing next to what Mike has evolved into over the years. This album also sports a less "proggy" feel. This was definitely the band's pure metal era, before they really started experimenting with prog.

With all that said, this is still a rather nice album. I find that all of the tracks seem to run together into one. The feel actually evokes images of flying through a misty forrest every time I listen to it. It's rather nice to just kick back and enjoy this album.

Ultimately, I'm going to have to throw it 2 stars. It's a good album until you compare it internally with Opeth's other work. Unless you're a fan/collecter, you really have no need of this album, grab any of the others instead.