OPETH

So here we go again with another Opeth album. I like Opeth except for one thing?Cookie Monster sings with them too often. I've been told that this is a great album, despite that. I hope so. Opeth gives me so many things I like, so I hope they outweigh the parts that I don't. I do believe this is the last album in the countdown (Prog Magazine Top 100 Prog Albums of all Time) that has this type of singing on it. So, let's get it done!

Track 1 - The Leper Affinity

We fade in with some synth sounds and kick into a big fast riff. And Cookie Monster comes in right away. I do like the harmonies in the guitar parts. A new riff starts at around 2:15, but Cookie Monster (Henceforth known as CM) keeps singing. Another riff enters a minute later, but CM returns again. The tempo slows at around 4:10, the guitars are still heavy but layered beautifully. The first clean vocals come in at around 4:45. Akerfeldt has a great voice when he uses it. Acoustic guitars accompany the change of tone. Dark, sinister heavy guitar parts return at around 5:45. CM begins growling again at around 6:35. This song is very heavy overall, so far other than the one minute in the middle of the song, until at around 9 minutes in a quiet piano part enters. This piano part is bringing the song to a close.

Track 2 - Bleak

I like the sound and the drum part in the intro. I love the slightly middle Eastern riff that follows. But of course, CM returns. I just read that Steven Wilson produced this album and contributes some vocals on this track. I think that might be him at around 3:30, then joined by Akerfeldt on harmonies. I like this calmer section quite a bit; lots of shifting meters. Things get even quieter at around 5:20, as there is a short interlude before the vocals return. By 6:20 things get heavier again, although in a more melodic way. This part wouldn't sound out of place on a Porcupine Tree album. CM returns at around 8:30. Interesting electronic sound effects close the track.

Track 3 - Harvest

This one begins with a 6-8 groove with acoustic strums as the primary sound, along with the rhythm section and a bit of electric guitar leadwork. The vocals come in smooth and clean. I can definitely feel the Steven Wilson influence at around 1:30. The song reminds me a bit of Iron Maiden's "Prodigal Son '' from Killers and that's a good thing. So far CM has stayed far away from the vocal booth on this one, and that makes it my favorite on the album, so far. I love the vocal interplay in the final minute of the song. We end on a subtle electric guitar solo.

Track 4 - The Drapery Falls.

This one also begins with an acoustic strum but is quickly joined by the full band playing heavy, but not overly so. It's another moderate 6-8 groove, but different sounding to the previous track. The intro goes until around 1:45, thin things quiet down. The first vocals join around 2:15 and they are clean but with an effect. The band kicked back in at just before 3:00, but the vocals remained clean. I am really enjoying this one so far. I like the guitar harmonies that begin around 4:35. Who let CM back into the room at 5:05? This was going so well. I like what's happening at around 6 minutes with the drums. CM is back at 6:50. Things get quiet again at around 7:50 with acoustic & clean vocals. Those parts are interspersed with heavier playing. I love the vocal harmonies on the second verse of this section. The section around 9:30 sounds kind of post-rock influenced with a very dense arrangement, but no lead instrument featured. The song fades out on that part.

Track 5 - Dirge for November

This one also begins acoustically with clean vocals. A clean electric joins in playing a jazz-tone lead part after the first verse. Things kick in heavily around 1:45. So far, I am enjoying this one. Again, it's taking on the vibe of a post- rock instrumental. But CM shows up at 3:28. He's kind of buried in the mix though. Things chill back out at around 5:50. We have a bit of a jazz chord melody thing happening on a clean electric guitar. This seems to be carrying us to the end of the song.

Track 6 - The Funeral Portrait

12-string acoustic fades in and leads to a heavy riff by around 30 seconds in. But CM rears his head again shortly thereafter. I love the riffs in this one. It's just the vocals that bother me. Things chill out at 3:55, but only briefly as CM returns 10 seconds later screaming at the top of his lungs. Nice guitar solos at around 5 minutes in. Clean harmony vocals enter at 6:50 and it sounds so refreshing. Excellent guitar dual lead at around 7:45. Things fade out following that.

Track 7 - Patterns in the Sky

A very short track at 1:50. We begin with fingerstyle acoustic guitar. A bit of piano joins in as well. This seems to be a brief interlude before the closing epic. I am a bit nervous now as to what faces me when it begins

Track 8 - Blackwater Park

The title track is the closing epic at just over 12 minutes long. This one fades in with mellotron strings joined by a heavy riff at a moderate tempo from the band. I like the sound of this. Everything drops out except for an acoustic guitar part played on the lower strings at around 1:45. But CM joins at just before the 2-minute point. Things chill back out at around 2:45 with clean electric guitar playing an arpeggiated part. This section lasts for about 2 and a half minutes. Then a heavy riff comes in and CM gives a warning growl showing that he's about to take over. I like the riffs that follow while he takes a break. He comes back again, briefly before a short guitar solo. Then he's back again. He's really showing off toward the last few minutes. Excellent double bass drum part at around 9:15. Acoustic guitar fills in for a few seconds then we are right back into all the growling and heaviness. Things cool down for the last 45 seconds of the track with arpeggiated acoustic fading out.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

As usual after reviewing one of their albums I day I loved the music but hated the growling. There were a few tracks without it here. I believe Harvest was my favorite one on the album. Every track had things I liked about them. Overall, it's pretty good, so I'm going with 3.75 out of 5, which would have been higher except for CM. Well, I think we can say goodbye to him now though for the rest of the countdown. (Unless he shows up on a Tool or DT album which I don't think so on the ones that remain.)

Clicking 4, but really 3.75.

I will call myself a level 1 on this Opeth album, as I have heard and liked track 6, Hours of Wealth. My experience with Opeth, thus far, has been, in general, that I like the music and the "clean" vocals. However, it's the so-called "death metal growls", AKA the Cookie Monster vocals, that they insist on using that I have issues with. So, if the Cookie Monster doesn't make too many appearances, it'll be ok. If he does, it's going to be a tough listen.

Track 1 - Ghost of Perdition

Cookie Monster must have been locked in a box before this song started, because he starts out screaming his head off immediately as the song begins. At around 1:10, we get a cool prog metal riff and clean vocals. Nice harmonies on the second verse. But Cookie Monster (CM hereafter) cannot be held back for long. He comes back briefly before a mellow section with beautiful vocals from Michael Akerfeldt, backed by 12-String acoustic guitar. The riffage returns at around 4:10, with vocal harmonies being added to the clean vocals. There is a nice instrumental break at around 5:30. CM returns at 6:40, but briefly. There is a beautiful mellotron feature just after that. Excellent guitar solo at around 8 minutes, before CM comes back. The playing is fantastic. There is a nice acoustic feature at just after 9 minutes, followed by more great band playing.

Track 2 - The Baying of the Hounds

We start with a big power chord and go into a cool 6-8 with organ and heavy guitar, but they put CM on the mic again. Instrumentally it reminds me of a heavier version of Deep Purple, too bad the vocals ruin it. Clean vocals begin around 2 minutes, followed by harmonies. The playing in this song is amazing, sometimes reminding me of Dream Theater. There is a vibraphone part at around 3:30, with a tight, but controlled rhythm section pattern underneath. After some clean vocals, there are some nice bass fills. The intensity level rises again at around 5:30, still instrumental. Gothic choir vocals follow that, but the CM comes back. Thankfully the CM sections have been a brief annoyance, as the instrumental sections are fantastic. There are moments of pure beauty, like starting around 7:40 until CM returns at 9:40. He stays until the end about a minute later.

Track 3 - Beneath the Mire

This one starts off with a funky drum fill and an almost funky riff with a mellotron melody on top. After about a minute the music shifts rhythms., but then the funkiness returns at around 1:30. CM shows up at around 1:45. Clean vocals come in at about 2:40. Akerfeldt has a nice soulful voice when he's not growling. Things chill out at around 3:25 and we have just piano and a mellow guitar solo on top. Then it goes into an almost jazz fusion groove with clean vocals, then a nice guitar solo with an octave effect on it. There is a scream at about 5 minutes, but the clean vocals quickly return. CM starts growling again at about 6:15. A nice melodic guitar solo follows. There is a cool little breakdown part as the song fades out.

Track 4 - Atonement

A synth sound fades in to be joined by a mid-tempo drumbeat & bass, then followed by a melodic guitar solo. Nice intro. Excellent clean vocals join in. This one has a bit of a Middle Eastern vibe. At around 3 minutes there is a droning sound and what sounds like Tabla drums with vocals with an effect on them over the top. This one is all about the groove. I like it. So far CM has stayed away. There is a false ending at around 5:20. Then a clean guitar riff follows, with some other sounds accompanying. Probably my favorite track so far. (I'd have liked the others better if it weren't for CM messing them up.)

Track 5 - Reverie/Harlequin Forest

Distorted guitar and clean vocals start this one quickly followed by the rhythm section. This has a promising start. I love the turn around fill at around 1:50. The CM returns at around 2:35 - sigh. A wonderful 12-string acoustic section follows that. Things really chill after that with sparse instrumentation and clean vocals. The rhythm section joins at around 5:15. I like the harmonized guitar parts that begin around 6:00. We get heavier around 7:20, but still clean vox so far. There is a long growl at around 8:15. Full-on CM growling begins around 8:40. I don't know why that vocal style bothers me so much, but it ruins songs (or at least sections of them) for me that I might otherwise love. There is so much good happening here, I don't know why they feel it's necessary. There is a cool "Morse Code" type of riff (albeit at a moderate tempo) as the song ends.

Track 6 - Hours of Wealth

This is the one that I have indicated that I heard and liked before, but I can't say I really remember it. Let's see if I agree with my past self.

We begin with clean electric guitar parts. Flute mellotron sounds join in. Things are slowly building in terms of dynamic level. Clean voice with sparse instrumentation begins at 2:30. His voice here reminds me of Greg Lake & John Wetton. Following that is a nice bluesy guitar solo. Simple song, but I like it, still.

Track 7 - The Grand Conjuration

This one reminds me of Dream Theater in the intro. Tight heavy playing. Then things drop down and clean vocals come in at around 1:20. There is an excellent roto-tom fill, very similar to what Alan White plays in "Does it Really Happen," on Drama. Unfortunately, it heralds the return of the CM at just after 2 minutes. Luckily, he doesn't stay long. Well, fooled me, after a few lines of clean singing he returns. A fantastic guitar solo takes over at 3:30. He comes back afterward. Things cool down for a few seconds at around 5:10, then some very fast playing happens. The CM will not be defeated in this one; he keeps coming back. There is a really cool riff at around 6:40. Then at 7:15 there is a low keyboard & vocal part that reminds me of Porcupine Tree (Steven Wilson did not produce this one, though). Things jump back up in intensity at 8:35. There is a cool gothic choir sound as we approach the ending. There are growls along with it, but not too prominent.

Track 8 - Isolation Years

We close with the shortest track on the album at under 4 minutes. Clean, arpeggiated electric guitar starts us off here, joined by clean lead guitar. Nice clean vocals join in, along with drum accents. I love the sound here on the choruses. It's almost Moody Blues-esque. Big mellotrons and lush guitars with the vocals. Might be my favorite from the album, but it seems to stop as soon as it gets going.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

As I have said before, I have mega-respect for Akerfeldt & company. They are super-talented. I just wish they'd leave the gimmicky growling behind. IMO the music suffers for it. It distracts from so many other good things that are happening. They'd probably contend with Dream Theater for my favorite Prog-Metal band, if it weren't for that. I am thankful though that the CM growls are dispersed and not constant. I can tolerate it in short bursts like they do here, even though I don't really enjoy it. I gave the 2 previous Opeth albums I've reviewed a 4 out of 5 for Damnation (as I recall, there weren't any CM vocals there) and 3 out of 5 for Still Life (which had an abundance of them). I think I'll split the difference and give this one a 3.5 out of 5.

Clicking 3, but really 3.5.

So I am a big fat "0" on this one. I've heard nothing from it. Just hoping that the vocals don't go into "growl" territory too often. I know Opeth CAN go there, but also know that they are pretty diverse. Mikael Åkerfeldt is a very talented guy. Let's give it a listen.

Track 1 - The Moor

We start with a slow, mellow, intro that fades in for about the first 2 minutes of the song, before going to a different mellow acoustic guitar driven section. The heavy guitar and the rest of the band kicks in at around 2:30. A nice heavy riff repeats for a while. And yep, here's the "Growl?" I love the music and hate the vocal tone. Why?!!!??? Nice harmony vocals begin around the 5-minute mark, so far, the quality of the music has made the growling vocals tolerable, as they have returned after the guitar solo. Opeth's music has SO much going for it, and I know a lot of people like the growling vocal tone, but they would appeal to so many more if they didn't have this aspect. The previous Opeth album that we listened to (Damnation) does not go there and I quite enjoyed it. There is a beautiful mellow section starting sometime around 9 minutes in. But the growl returns yet again at around 10:30.

Track 2 - Godhead's Lament

We begin with a fast-tempo 6-8 riff?. And more growling. Again, music fantastic?Vocals horrid. I love the harmonized guitar leads at around 3:00. Then nice singing begins around 3:30. There is a beautiful instrumental section following that, with acoustic guitar in the mix, then the good singing returns. We get heavier again at around 6:00. Then the growling resumes around 7:00. A really cool odd-metered section starts around 7:30, only to be ruined by the demonic voice. Good singing at 9:00, then the growl returns for the ending.

Track 3 - Benighted

This one starts with a nice acoustic part. At 5:00 it is the shortest track on the album. Wonderful singing joins the acoustic at around 1:30. The rhythm section joins around 3:15?. This is a nice respite from the growling.

Track 4 - Moonlapse Vertigo

A nice heavy riff kicks off the festivities with sustained lead guitar over top. Excellent 6-8 feel. At around 2:00, the electric guitars drop out and are replaced with acoustic guitars and good vocals. But the growl returns at about 2:40?.Thankfully, the real singing returns not long after. The riffs are SOOO good, I'd love to hear just the instrumental tracks without the growling that keeps returning. There is even a clean "funky" guitar fill at around 5:00. Nice guitar solo at around 5:30. Then it returns?. sigh. Excellent harmony vocals around 7:15?. I would have LOVED that track if it weren't for the growling parts.

Track 5 - Face of Melinda

A laid-back groove starts us off here with a mix of clean acoustic & electric guitars and the rhythm section. Mellow vocals join in. The music is somewhat haunting. Things stay mellow until around 4:25 when power chords kick in... WHAM! The vocals remain clean though, thankfully. We go mellow again around 6:40, temporarily, as awesome harmonized guitar parts join in soon after for the fade out. Probably my favorite track from the album, so far.

Track 6 - Serenity Painted Death

A short drum fill leads the band into a power metal type of groove. But then the growling returns. Again, the music is good, the vocals are horrid. The groove changes to an almost Van Halen style riff with the grow vocals over top. The groove turns to an odd meter section/guitar solo. Alice In Chains harmony style vocals enter at around 3:40. An acoustic driven section begins at around 4:25 with changing meters. One of the guitar parts has a cool phasing thing happening. But then it's disrupted by the demon-singing at around 5:45. Clean vocals return at around 7:00. He has a great singing voice when he uses it. But then he switches back at around 7:45. Then we drop down to clean electric & acoustic guitars for the closing section.

Track 7 - White Cluster

Big distorted open chords and double bass-drums start us off and of course the growling comes back. The guitar riffs are awesome. There are some Kings-X style chords around 1:45 then things calm down and clean vocals return with a softer, rhythmic acoustic riff under the singing. An excellent vocal harmony part follows. The music is great as the intensity builds back up around 3:45. Things drop WAY down at around 5:00 then a big riff comes in around 5:30, but of course, we get a Scream/Growl over that. A cool guitar-solo and riff follows that. Clean vocals return in a more subdued section at around 7:00. Mikael Åkerfeldt is a great guitarist and wonderful singer; I wish he didn't feel the need to growl so often. There is a false ending shortly after 9:00, followed by a brief mellow guitar part.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

If you've gotten this far, I'm sure you can guess. I would have absolutely loved this album if it wasn't for the demon- growl vocals (BTW I have no religious connotations here, it's just the best description I can give.) Instrumentally, it is fantastic. When he sings in a clean tone, it's great. But 5 of the 7 tracks are disrupted by that awful sound. Call me a boomer (which I'm not?Gen X) if you like. Maybe my tastes aren't up to date enough, but that sound is a major flaw in an otherwise great album. Fortunately, they are not all of the time, and the music is strong enough that I am able to tolerate it when it happens. This might have been 4 out of 5 stars. But because of the growl, I can't go above 3 out of 5.

Going into this one I'd say I have very limited knowledge of the songs on it. I had "loved" some of the tracks on Apple Music (Death Whispered a Lullaby and Hope Leaves) , so I've at least heard a few of them. Also, it is my understanding that this album was intended to show that Opeth was not strictly prog-METAL, but could also do a non-metal style of prog. Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree (and so much more) co-produced the album with the band and plays keyboards. He and Mikael Åkerfeldt have collaborated before and since this album. We just discussed their Storm Corrosion album recently.

Without further ado, onto the music!

Track 1 - Windowpane

The album opens with clean electric guitar, which is soon joined by drums & bass in an odd meter pattern. Mikael Åkerfeldt joins in with clean vocals followed by lead, slightly distorted guitar. Wilson has also joined in on mellotron. The track is slowly but surely building as it goes along. We go into a different groove after a drum break at around 3:45. Excellent musicianship all around. It doesn't quite have a 70s feel to me, but quite good.

Track 2 - In My Time of Need.

This one also starts with clean electric guitar, but in a more arpeggiated way. The rhythm section joins in setting up an odd meter (I promise it sounds different from the first song). But when the vocals come in, they are singing in a staccato pattern that creates a poly-rhythmic tension against the instruments. Quite well done. The chorus opens up with mellotron and smoother vocal melodies. Mikael Åkerfeldt's vocals are quite nice. The chorus and bridge sections are beginning to remind me of Moody Blues songs with Wilson's heavy use of mellotron. Really enjoying this!

Track 3 - Death Whispered a Lullaby

An acoustic guitar pattern starts this one off. The band kicks in at the start of the chorus after a sparse first verse. This song seems more in 4/4 but with highly syncopated rhythms. The rhythm changes 3 minutes in for a guitar solo, before returning like the intro afterward. I am noticing that most of the album thus far has not had very dense instrumentation, but it sounds full. Each of the instruments has room to breathe. Wilson and the band have given the production a very open, warm, organic sound. At 4:48, the song abruptly shifts into a more intense sound. Wilson is using the vintage-sounding keyboards to a nice effect along with Åkerfeldt's lead guitar effects to close out the song.

Track 4 - Closure

12-string acoustic and vocals begins this one at around 0:44 the vocal effects give a sound that would not be out of place on a PT (Porcupine Tree) album. After that the band kicks in around a complex guitar riff. A bit of King Crimson influence to my ears. Excellent arrangement with distorted sustained chords coming in until the crescendo gives way to a sudden softer acoustic and vocal section. The vocal harmonies at around 3:25 give PT vibes again (Lips of Ashes). We get a bit of a North African (Moroccan?) feel after this. Outstanding track, probably my favorite, so far.

This song ends abruptly and goes immediately into?

Track 5 - Hope Leaves

?which has a completely different feel. This one also begins with quiet electric guitar, and vocals with effects on them. The rhythm section joins in with the second verse and the voice effect goes away. A nice contrasting instrumental section takes place before the next verse. This track, while very good, seems less complex than the preceding tracks. Maybe a mid-album breather? We shall see what follows.

Track 6 - To Rid the Disease

Again, we start with clean electric guitar and vocals. Then the rhythm section joins in. (I am sensing a theme.) More mellotron follows in the second verse. Every song sounds different, but the arranging choices are a bit similar. Nice guitar solo at around 3:45. Then ?PIANO! First time I've noticed piano. A nice proggy instrumental break develops off of the 3/4 piano pattern to close the song.

Track 7 - Ending Credits

A slow fade in, with the whole band right from the start. The band settles into a nice groove for Åkerfeldt to solo over, with the mellotron making an appearance as he plays. Thinking this one might be an instrumental. Nice harmony guitar leads after 2:35. It is indeed an instrumental?

Track 8 - Weakness

This time we begin with keyboards. It's giving me Led Zep- No Quarter vives. Effect on the voice. After a verse, a mellow guitar line joins in. Remaining mellow, no bass and drums yet. Keep feeling it's going to open up?but it never does. Kind of an anticlimactic ending to a strong album.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

A very strong album that kind of let me down at the last track. The first several songs share a similar formula, but they don't necessarily suffer from it. Definitely not a metal moment on the album. I'm guessing back in 2003, some Opeth fans were disappointed in the lack of heaviness. I'm not though. I rather enjoyed it. I'll give it a 4/5 stars.

Review Nº 807

Opeth was formed as a death metal band in 1990 in Stockholm, Sweden. The band signed with their first record deal with Candlelight Records in 1994. Inside this record label, Opeth released their first three studio albums, "Orchid" from 1995, "Morningrise" from 1996 and "My Arms, Your Hearse" from 1998. "Orchid" tested the boundaries of the traditional death metal, featuring acoustic guitars, piano and also some clean vocals. With only five songs, but lasting 66 minutes, "Morningrise" features Opeth's longest song, the twenty-minute "Black Rose Immortal". This album was a huge successful work. "My Arms, Your Hearse" was released as Opeth's first international release. This was the album that marked the beginning of a shift in the band's sound. All of them are worthwhile albums in their own right, none having any major production shortcomings or stylistic differences when compared together. They represent Opeth's era of longer songs, acoustic interludes, and progressive innovation from the melodic death metal. So, it was with great pleasure when I saw that those three works were released together in 2009 on its vinyl versions on "The Wooden Box".

As I've already reviewed these three albums previously and individually on Progarchives, in a more extensive way, I'm not going to do it again. So, if you are interested to know, in more detail, what I wrote about them before, I invite you to read those my reviews. However, in here I'm going to write something about them in a more short way. So, of course, I'm not going to analyze them as extensively as I made before, but I'm only going to make a global appreciation of them.

"Orchid": I confess that I expected a much weaker album according to the ratings on Progarchives. But, it seems I was wrong. It's true that "Orchid" isn't a perfect album but it's a very solid album, especially for a debut from a new band trying out an original music style. Although maybe not as well executed as some of their later albums, but definitely has earned its place in the progressive metal history. "Orchid" still shows all the great characteristics that would come to the forefront on such mammoth albums as "Still Life", "Blackwater Park", and "Ghost Reveries". It's very well executed through an interesting and highly sensitive musical style that its creators used to explore both musicality and emotion. There's a large world to roam and plenty of parts that you'll be surprised to remember without too much effort. Each Opeth release is considered a classic in the eyes of many that also believe this band not yet released a weak album.

"Morningrise": "Morninrise" is, in many ways, one of their darkest and most captivating albums. It's a transitional album, one of learning and experimenting, but it still remains a pleasure to listen to. The music is full of intricate melodies and sounds that are best enjoyed by shutting your eyes in order to take into account the complexities and the outstanding poetry through the lyrics. It's true that "Morningrise", as its predecessor "Orchid", has a raw and dry sound compared to the band's later efforts. I, however, believe this is all intentional to help create the dark atmosphere on this album, which is simply unique. Certainly this isn't Opeth's best album overall, but it definitely is very good. It displays all of their signature characteristics well. It's an incredible and diverse album and, while it isn't for every prog fan, I would recommend it to an open minded proghead. Still, I recommend start with "Still Life" and "Blackwater Park".

"My Arms, Your Hearse": With this release Opeth keeps write songs which take the best elements from any number of metal subcategories, and blend them seamlessly, as if they were meant to be used that way all along. Here we have black metal tremolo picking and sinister death growl vocals counterpointed against clean and compelling narrative, atmospheric chord and elegantly composed lead melody lines which slowly weave a framework to these lengthy and wonderful songs. Opeth is the living proof that all things work to the great of the intelligent songwriter. In a musical climate filled with imitators and endless reiterations, Opeth is an island unto themselves with an amazing display of songwriting and musicianship. "My Arms, Your Hearse" is clearly an album that stands out among its peers. Although it would be later topped by "Still Life", it has a unique atmosphere and serves as a great testimony of their earlier works.

Conclusion: "The Wooden Box" is the counterpart of other box set released by Opeth "The Candlelight Years" released in 2008 with CD versions. We have on "The Wooden Box" 6 vinyls LP's, a limited edition and is numbered. As happened with "The Candlelight Years", "The Wooden Box" has also four bonus tracks, the 1992's "Into The Frost Of Winter", which later became "Advent", "Eternal Soul Torture" that is a demo recorded at the time of the "Morningrise" sessions and two cover versions, "Circle Of The Tyrant" of Celtic Frost and Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow" as two tribute samplers. But, there are still some slightly "technical annoyances": The discs are hard to get out of the box and they don't have their original visual. Fortunately, the box is not full, so they are not squished in it. But, apart that, "The Wooden Box" is an amazing purchase and an excellent addition, especially for all who prefer the vinyl versions.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Review Nº 801

Opeth is a progressive metal band from Stockholm, Sweden, formed in 1990. The band's works are characterized by the contrast that arises between the lighter elements of guitar, singing and jazz, combined with the aggressiveness of death metal. In addition to the peculiarities that make the band's sound unique, the themes are focused on dark aspects of human subjectivity, such as anguish, fear, remorse and suffering present in more sentimental and melancholic musical genres. Their vocalist and main guitarist is Mikael Åkerfeldt, who constantly changes between growls and clean vocals.

So, "My Arms, Your Hearse" is the third studio album of Opeth and that was released in 1998. The line up on "My Arms, Your Hearse" is Mikael Akerfeldt (lead vocals, electric and acoustic 6 and 12-string guitars, bass and piano), Peter Lindgren (guitars) and Martin Lopez (drums and percussion). "My Arms, Your Hearse" had also the participation of Fredrik Nordstrom (Hammond organ), Johan De Farfalla (bass) and Anders Nordin (drums), as guest musicians.

With their third release, Opeth created a powerful and dazzling death metal work. But it would be unfair to attribute Opeth's music to the death metal. One of the important points is that acoustic parts are so incredible that each song is worth any other "pure" death metal album. As a result, you don't need to be interested in death metal to enjoy Opeth. I'm not particularly fond of death metal however that band is now one of my favourite. This release is a great musical step for the band as the recording is better than on "Orchid" and "Morningrise". Every song is a must. It's a great work.

"My Arms, Your Hearse" has nine tracks. The album opens with "Prologue", which, as the name suggests, builds up some nice atmosphere with rain and some piano. It only serves as an appetizer reminding you about the mystifying theme of the album. "April Ethereal" has some nice acoustic interludes and clean vocals. It launches the album into full fury. Mikhael's growls are truly terrifying and the pounding riffs only serve to heighten that fact, but they manage to be memorable, from its technical to the melodic sections. This song single handedly proves that all grandiose plans of making progressive and technical metal worth nothing if you don't know squat about songwriting. And Opeth definitely have the talent of songwriting. "When" is a prototypical Opeth's song with lush, clean guitar tones subside into a brutal riff that then settle down. Layers of acoustic guitars blend with distorted electric guitar to dazzling effect. The rhythms are relatively simple but everything sounds seamless, and there is some heroic, melodic soloing. The song is exquisite. This is probably the lighter song on the album, although there is much intensity to be found here. "Madrigal" is a kind of a short "intermission" and builds up into the next song. It's a superb acoustic intro for "The Amen Corner", despite being one of the weaker songs on the album. It's simple but nice. "The Amen Corner" is a highly melodic song despite keeps the flag of brutality flying high yet again. It does have a crazy cool opening section that is catchy. This song showcases what the norm for the clean vocals would become on future songs. This song captivates its audience, especially with the acoustic breakdown in the middle of it. "Demon Of The Fall" is heavy, even with some layered distorted growls to add to the vocals a "demonic" feel. The acoustics interludes are awesome, and the end is extremely well done. Even this quite powerful song still relies on the prog Opeth's style, rather than standard death metal riffs. "Credence" is a ballad that features entirely clean guitars and vocals. Instrumentally this is truly a marvel, from the disconcerting introduction to the soft passages that appear during the course of the song to that sad ending. "Karma" has some crushing heaviness complimented by very long acoustic sections. It has one of the best acoustic sections on the album. It's consistent and it has a great riff near the beginning of the song which sets the stage for the rest of the song. It's a great song to start an end to the album. "Epilogue" appears as a melancholic closing with some touches of blues and progressive rock from past decades, giving the album a nostalgic air. This is an instrumental song with quite simple instrumentation but really beautiful. It's a nice emotional close, an excellent way to end one of their great works.

Conclusion: With "My Arms, Your Hearse", Opeth keeps write songs which take the best elements from any number of metal subcategories, and blend them seamlessly, as if they were meant to be used that way all along. Here we have black metal tremolo picking and sinister death growl vocals counterpointed against clean and compelling narrative, atmospheric chord and elegantly composed lead melody lines which slowly weave a framework to these lengthy and wonderful songs. Opeth are the living proof that all things work to the good of the intelligent songwriter. In a musical climate filled with imitators and endless reiterations, Opeth is an island unto themselves with an amazing display of songwriting and musicianship. "My Arms, Your Hearse" is clearly an album that stands out among its peers. Although it would be later topped by "Still Life", it has a unique atmosphere and serves as a great testimony of their earlier works.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Review Nº 788

Opeth is a progressive metal band that was formed in 1990 in Huddinge, a small town south of Stockholm. The name Opeth is a reference to the book "Sunbird" by Wilbur Smith. Opeth have become as one of the most influential heavy metal groups in all of the Northern Europe. Though their musical beginning was firmly rooted in the death metal, as can be seen especially on their three first studio albums, the albums that were released by the Candlelight Records, they were already threading many progressive elements into their music, like some acoustic instrumentation and influences from several musical styles, such as folk and jazz. As the band's individuals grew musically and personnel shifted, their approach and sonic palette expanded, losing practically all death metal influences getting closer and closer to prog.

So, "Morningrise" is the second studio album of Opeth and that was released in 1996. The line up on "Morningrise" is Mikael Akerfeldt (lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars), Peter Lindgren (electric and acoustic guitars), Johan De Farfalla (backing vocals, fretless bass and 6-string bass) and Anders Nordin (drums and percussion). "Morningrise" had also the participation of another musician, Stefan Guteklint (bass), as a guest.

"Morningrise" is considered to be an iconic album for death and prog metal fans, but the word iconic also applies to Opeth's history, because it certainly gave them that boost of popularity in the underground metal scene of the 90's. The first of a long line of great albums by Opeth was released following their debut "Orchid" the year before. "Morningrise" is often regarded as the defining album for the band with a diverse range of sounds. It's an epic album full of epic songs, with elements of death metal and acoustic blues to mix things up. On "Morningrise" we can say every songs are long, the shortest has 10 minutes. Don't expect a chorus or melodies to sing along with, but just the music and the atmosphere it leaves. It's first progressive, not only for the song structure but the technicality of each of the band's members. You can find no weak points here because there isn't an instrument that shines more than the others. The music is, either heavy, with growls, or acoustic with clean voices. It isn't too much fast but there are some great riffs.

"Morningrise" has five tracks. "Advent" is a wonderful opener with the typical Opeth's soft-to-heavy transitions. It's an excellent example of Opeth's hallmark blending techniques with its soft passages and an interesting groove that is interspersed between death metal riffs and growling vocals. The song follows the typical high-low pattern of their songs by transitioning fluidly from aggressive metal energy to folk acoustic guitar. The melodies, both on this song and the entire album, are immortal. "The Night And The Silent Water" is a great track with some amazing harmonies and a cascading ending. It runs all the way through its length with a mournful and contemplative feel befitting its melancholic subject matter. It's heavy but later gives way to some sad sounding material. When the clean vocals come in, you can hear that Mikael croons over the loss of his grandfather during some of the most heartfelt acoustic passages in the bands history. "Nectar" is closely similar to "Advent" in style, though not in its structure. It begins with a much more aggressive riff and follows a path of anger through the emotionally tortured lyrics up to a truly epic peak at the end of the song. We are presented to a staggering twin guitar harmony during the middle of the song. It's almost shocking how many riffs Opeth are using into their songs. They literally employ tens of changing riff patterns and incomparable melodies on a single track. "Black Rose Immortal" is the magnum opus of the album. It's a twenty minutes long epic in every sense of the word, and definitely one of Opeth's best songs. It has brilliant moments with great mix between the calm and strong parts. The melodies here are amazing, and the lyrics are indubitably the best Mikael has ever penned. It deserves a place of honor in Opeth's career. "To Bid You Farewell" is the mellow song on the album. It's sung in all clean vocals and contains finger picked acoustic melodies and touches on elements of jazz, folk, rock and even a blues guitar solo. This is a relaxing song and a great closing track. It's one of the best closing songs on any Opeth's album.

Conclusion: "Morningrise" is in many ways one of their darkest and most captivating albums. It's a transitional album, one of learning and experimenting, but it still remains a pleasure to listen to. The music is full of intricate melodies and sounds that are best enjoyed by shutting your eyes in order to take into account the complexities and the outstanding poetry through the lyrics. It's true that "Morningrise", as its predecessor "Orchid", has a raw and dry sound compared to the band's later efforts. I, however, believe this is all intentional to help create the dark atmosphere on this album, which is simply unique. Certainly this isn't Opeth's best album overall, but it definitely is very good. It displays all of their signature characteristics well. It's an incredible and diverse album and, while it isn't for every prog fan, I would recommend it to any open-minded proghead. Besides, until this moment, I still haven't found one weak album of Opeth.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Review Nº 784

Opeth have traveled a long way since their humble beginnings in Huddinge, a small town south of Stockholm. Formed in 1990 by David Isberg (vocals) and Mikael Akerfeldt (guitars), the duo enlisted Akerfeldt's former Eruption band mates Anders Nordin (drums) and Nick Doring (bass). Not long after, a second guitarist Andreas Dimeo was added to the line up. After a few gigs, the band splintered, with Dimeo and Doring exiting for personal reasons. It was the introduction of Peter Lindgren (bass, then guitar), where things started to get more serious. Even the departure of Isberg in 1992 didn't heavily affect the newly established core of Akerfeldt, Nordin, and Lindgren. But, it wasn't until the entry of the bassist Johan De Farfalla that Opeth was formally complete. With this line up Opeth released their debut studio work "Orchid".

So, "Orchid" is the debut studio album of Opeth and that was released in 1995. The line up on "Orchid" is, as I mentioned, Mikael Akerfeldt (lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars), Peter Lindgren (electric and acoustic guitars), Johan De Farfalla (backing vocals, Hofner bass, Washburn fretless bass and semi-acoustic bass) and Anders Nordin (drums, percussion and piano). "Orchid" had also the participation of Stefan Guteklint (bass), as a guest musician.

The Opeth's debut album "Orchid" isn't mentioned much by Opeth's fans but it's certainly a great work. The band that would forever change the face of metal over the years by incorporating progressive rock and folk elements into their music like no other launched this debut onto an unsuspected and amazed public. This wasn't an ordinary death metal album. Of course we have Akerfeldt's growls, but he tempered them with scattered melodic clean passages that were quite beautiful. In addition, plenty of intricate, folksy acoustic guitar interludes were woven into most of the songs from Akerfeldt and Lindgren that when mixed with the complex and heavy electric guitar parts made for an uncanny sound that was surely metal, but highly reminiscent of the great progressive bands of the 70's. This was a great debut album.

"Orchid" has seven tracks. "In The Mist She Was Standing" shows its strength with an epic and powerful riff. On this album Opeth proved to be a band that knows exactly how to make introductions to their songs. They don't get too long, they don't get boring because the construction of riffs and melodies is very good and not to mention the attention they add after the intro of each song. "Under The Weeping Moon" has a soft beginning but with a quite intriguing riff, which then evolves into a devastating and emotional sound. In fact the style of composition in the guitar melodies are quite similar to Katatonia. It has a more psychedelic and generally creepy atmosphere, introduced by acoustic guitars before yet another switch into full distortion. "Silhouette" is a beautiful, almost classical sounding piano interlude composed by Nordin, a real rarity for Opeth. This excellent piano interlude is very short, a magnificent piece with several different melodies and key changes to be found conjuring a mystic nocturnal atmosphere. It's simply beautiful and should never be overlooked. "Forest Of October" has some of the most beautiful and sorrowful melodies of the whole album and it really are yet another truly memorable and perfectly composed song. It's one of the best tracks on this album and it's also a song of great historical importance when it comes to Opeth's evolution from the more standard Death Metal to what they are now. "The Twilight Is My Robe" is another lengthy epic. It's arguably one of the album's easiest tunes to get into due to its high amount of catchy riffs. It has some of my favourite Opeth's acoustic passages on the album. The band embraces once again their prog rock roots, with mesmerizing acoustic sections, complex electric passages, and overall it just drips with atmosphere and emotion. "Requiem" is their first acoustic interlude and although rather short, it's still a superb piece of acoustic material. It's quite lovely, and it's a shame that it's as brief as it is, but there's barely time for a breath. "The Apostle in Triumph" is like some up tempo yet gloomy folk piece. Despite the overused acoustic guitar, Opeth proves they are capable of mixing other instruments into their songs in a brilliant way. The soaring guitar harmonies seep into the mix with loads of melancholy and despair increased more due to the Akerfeldt's death vocals.

Conclusion: I confess that I expected a much weaker album according to the ratings on Progarchives. But, it seems I was wrong. It's true that "Orchid" isn't a perfect album but is a very solid album, especially for a debut from a new band trying out an original music style. Although maybe not as well executed as some of their later albums, but definitely has earned its place in the progressive metal history. "Orchid" still shows all the great characteristics that would come to the forefront on such mammoth albums as "Still Life", "Blackwater Park", and "Ghost Reveries". It's very well executed through an interesting and highly sensitive musical style that its creators used to explore both musicality and emotion. There's a large world to roam and plenty of parts that you'll be surprised to remember without too much effort. Each Opeth release is considered a classic in the eyes of many that also believe this band not yet released a weak album.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

''The potential of Morningrise''

Morningrise is an album that my opinion has changed drastically over time, being the second album by Opeth (my favorite band), Morningrise was an album that I already loved, but which I currently think is the weakest the band has ever made, the least inspired, the messiest and certainly the least consistent, the debut, Orchid, is not perfect, it is quite flawed in fact, but because it is such a substantial album, I end up loving it, what makes Opeth, Opeth is there, less developed, but with the band proving the bright future they had.

Their second release is the last album from the melodic black metal phase and the band last album to feature Johan DeFarfalla on bass and Anders Nordin on drums and percussion, with a total of 5 songs (6 if you count the bonus version) with them all having lengths of 10+ minutes, with the way I'm describing them, all the songs are pretty flawed, right? well.

The album starts with Advent, and Advent... is fantastic... absolutely fantastic... holy [&*!#], what a way to start an album, this song catches all the mistakes of Orchid songs, the lack of structure, direction and cohesion, and corrects them, I say without a shadow of a doubt, that this song is better than any of Orchid, and one of the best that Opeth has ever done? Wait, brother, are you saying all this even though you think the album is weak??? yes, continuing, Advent is a wonderful start, the mix is ​​much better than in Orchid, Mikael and Peter release riff after memorable riff that is very melodic, Anders Nordin gives a great performance, and Johan... man, I really like Martín Méndez bass, I really like it, I started to appreciate the guy more, but Johan has a stunning bass performance, very creative and mesmerizing the way he plays, an aspect that is worth praising about Morningrise which is much better than in Orchid, are the acoustic, they are more present and certainly fit better, the more macabre and atmospheric feeling of the acoustic is less present, but something more melancholic and eclectic, which is certainly an interesting change, an aspect that would be present in the other albums, With that, I would say that Advent is the culmination of this formation, an incredible song that even though it's 13 minutes long, it doesn't seem like it, it's all very well structured, and very well executed, this song has some of the most powerful rhythm sections that Opeth has ever done, and so, the track ends, with a quiet acoustic, slowly fading away... incredible track, and then comes the next one, The Night and the Silent Water, you know? One thing that Morningrise gets a lot right and that I like is... how lonely and melancholic the songs are, and The Night and the Silent Water further intensifies this feeling that Advent established, it's less fast and more mid-tempo, giving even more emphasis biggest in acoustics, this one in particular has a sad story behind it, it's about a relative of Mikael who ended up dying during the production of the album, he wrote a lyric in honor of this relative, it's one of the most beautiful and saddest that Opeth already did it, with Mikael vocals sounding more ethereal, as if we were seeing someone's memories, and then, the music becomes more powerful, sadder... and the final part arrives, with the most beautiful acoustic that Opeth has already played, the percussion slowly returns, the melodic riffs are more present, with Mikael singing the following lines.

''Yet the night and the silent water Still so dark''

In a macabre way and full of pain, and then, the song ends, with another quiet and solo acoustic...

THE BEGINNING OF MORNINGRISE IS AMAZING, the band has evolved a lot, the songs finally have structure, the acoustic is better implemented, the riffs are more interesting, Johan has his best performance as a bassist ever, and everything is very atmospheric, beautiful, 2 incredible songs, so why? Why is Morningrise my least favorite, with all this praise? weeellllll... here things get more complicated...

and the next song is, Nectar, and... Orchid problems came back, where, where's the structure, where are the well- implemented acoustic sections, where's it? where is the formidable consistency of the other songs... yes, Nectar brings back what made Orchid flawed, and that wouldn't be a problem... if it were an Orchid song, but it isn't, it's a song from an album that brought 2 extremely competent compositions that solve the problems of the previous album, Nectar simply doesn't compare to how good Advent and The Night And The Silent Water were, it's the most forgettable of the album and the lowest point an Opeth performance has ever reached, What saves it is Johan DeFarfalla's performance, which is surprisingly his best here, the ending has a bassline that, oh, is awesome, but otherwise, the weakest on the album.

The next song on the album is the penultimate one, the ambitious Black Rose Immortal, simply the biggest song Opeth has ever done in their entire career, 20 minutes long, and it's better than Nectar? Yes, it's better than Nectar, actually quite competent but... the song suffers from something that I'll talk about later.

it's quite adventurous, going into several different sections, slower or faster, Mikael gives a very interesting performance on the vocals here, making it sound like an epic poem, there are a lot of really good riffs here, and Anders Nordin performance is his best here, but even with all that, I can't think that she comes close to the first 2 songs, Black Rose Immortal is ambitious, and going back to what I said about what she suffers, and that's where it is, it's 20 minutes of an Opeth song, and this is a huge weight for this song, I love it when Johan bass is so present in one part, but I don't really like half of it, I love Mikael and Peter's riffs in many parts, but others I just don't care, I love the part where there's only Mikael vocals, as if he were a ghost... do you see the problem? Black Rose Immortal is a song with very good sections in the middle of sections without anything interesting, which sound drawn out, uninteresting, it's an inconsistent song that also inherits from Orchid's problems (and interestingly enough, Black Rose Immortal WAS supposed to be an Orchid song, this has been confirmed, so... yeah...)

Hmpf, going from 2 amazing songs to 2 pretty weak songs was a more disappointing deal than play Megaman X6, and then, the last song arrives, To Bid You Farewell. the first soft song that Opeth ever made, after this drop I had low expectations with a very critical eye, but I can easily say that To Bid You Farewell is my favorite soft Opeth song, bringing back everything that Morningrise got right in the 2 songs, unexpected, I know, anyway, this is an absolutely beautiful song, the acoustic is well implemented, the vocals are ethereal, structurally great, with the jazz elements being very well fitted, and then, after powerful riffs, the song ends with an acoustic and drums along with Mikael's voice, in a hypnotic atmosphere, with Mikael finishing the song with these following lines.

''Why can't you see that I try When every tear I shed Is it for you?''

and then his voice disappears, and just like that, Morningrise ends...

It's easily Opeth weakest point, Morningrise is an album that I have mixed feelings about, a amazing start, with a disappointing half, and a very good ending, this album had a lot of potential to be even better than Orchid, better production, better lyrics and Advent and The Night and the Silent Water being perfect, with a sharp, inconsistent, but fascinating things, Morningrise is the lowest point in Opeth career, it's a good album, in the middle of masterpieces, I keep listening him and appreciating it, but he had potential, he had, good album, but Opeth weakest album.

Damnation is Opeth most different album, even from the prog-only lineage, coming after the brutal and heavy, Deliverance, its successor has a softer and more melancholic nature and originally together with Deliverance, it was supposed to be a double album with the first part heavy and the other soft, exploring in a fixed way the 2 sides of Opeth sound, and during my journey with Opeth, I already listened to it, however, after finishing all the albums of the heavy lineage, I thought about relistening because my opinions was not so formed about the album and... what an experience! I will be more different in this review and address what I think of the album in a more separate way.

Mixing: one of the best mixes I've heard on an Opeth album by Steven Wilson who already mixed the legendary Blackwater Park, it's very reminiscent of something from the 70s considering the influences of Opeth's prog bands (like Camel), the sound is clear and the volume is consistent and the instruments work very well, it is harmonious and very pleasant to pay attention to how each musician plays.

Composition: Because it is not heavy and the songs are softer, Damnation has the freedom to have several changes in the structure of the songs, and wow, everyone here plays with mastery, Martin Lopez is an excellent drummer, very jazzy, Mikael Åkerfeldt and Peter Lindgren are guitarists with a lot of chemistry and they present very memorable and dark riffs, expressing many different feelings as they switch from section to section, and Martin Mendez shines a lot as a bassist, the tones and his way of playing present well-planned melodies, a focused and subtle bass with its versatility, oh, and Steven Wilson plays here too, great mellotron and contributes well to the album.

Atmosphere: As said before, a soft and melancholic album, the atmosphere here is very immersive, the times I listened to this album, I felt like I was exploring someone's memories, and well, Opeth's lyrics were always about imagination, never in fact exploring specific concepts and quite open in interpretation, in this album, it is the same thing, all quite intriguing such as ''Death Whispered a Lullaby'' and ''Windowpane'' which gives even more atmosphere to this album are the Mikael's beautiful vocals, I love and love them here, he has always been a vocalist with duality between having powerful heavy vocals and calm and beautiful vocals and here, he fully explores the soft vocals, an incredible performance and a quality atmosphere.

In conclusion: Damnation is quite special and perfectly explores the soft side of Opeth, all the songs are fantastic and the album as a whole has a good replay factor, the melancholic and engaging atmosphere, a dark album that expresses many feelings of sadness in many ways with an eclectic composition, an incredible release, both for getting it right, being quite bold, in its proposal, if you, by chance, wanted to listen to Opeth, but don't really like the songs that contain Metal, this album is for you, perfect in every way and a release that I will find myself relistening to several times.

10/10