Opeth Albums no. 1 - Progressive Rock Music Forum

I love everything this band has ever released, this one is really tough between Morningrise and My Arms You Herse. On one hand, the songwriting is stronger and sound is more realized on MAYH, but Morningrise has a real haunting and menacing charm about it despite some bipolar song structures. Gonna give it to MAYH by a smidge, Demon of the Fall is just hypnotic.

The sun has left the sky...
...Now you can close your eyes

tough choice

I really enjoy early Opeth, i'd have to find time to give them a proper listen to vote here.

Edited by Cristi - November 13 2020 at 02:54

dougmcauliffe wrote:

I love everything this band has ever released, this one is really tough between Morningrise and My Arms You Herse. On one hand, the songwriting is stronger and sound is more realized on MAYH, but Morningrise has a real haunting and menacing charm about it despite some bipolar song structures. Gonna give it to MAYH by a smidge, Demon of the Fall is just hypnotic.

@dougmcauliffe Just don`t like the "VOCALS" to much ruff for me!!!! Oh not voting...

Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake."

Music Is Live

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.

Keep Calm And Listen To The Music…
<

Morningrise. Orchid is a pretty mediocre album if you ask me. My Arms Your Hearse has one of their hits with "Demon of the Fall", but overall Morningrise is the best album of this bunch.

I think Orchid already is a very exciting record. Certainly I wouldn't be able to guess the song title after a single chord, and song structures feel a bit random, but if I like all the ingredients, what difference does it make? It doesn't have to be a masterpiece in every aspect if it tastes well and satisfies for 65 minutes! Quite rare for a debut, methinks. Mikael played a sh*tload of acoustic guitar licks on this record and none of that felt amateurish. Stylistically it has much in common with 2nd wave black metal, but instead of frostbitten tremolo picking ad nauseam we get actual riffs, DOZENS OF RIFFS actually! And a very pleasant feel - not limited to Scandinavian forests and troll strongholds exploration, this is quite different.

I'm not sure if it's objectively true, but Morningrise seems to have fewer riffs, but better developed and sewn together. Also, the atmosphere is a big selling point for this album, it's dark and reflective without sounding whiny or cheesy, which plagued many other metal bands (and plagues to this day). It's my favorite of the three to listen to "in the background", especially when I'm typing something at night, or sipping a morning coffee at the office.

And then we have My Arms, Your Hearse, which is likely the first Opeth album sounding like the Opeth all the metal world came to appreciate post Blackwater Park. Stark contrasts between crushing riffage, terrific low growls and those proggy passages here and there. It's the easiest to get into for "regular" metal fans I think, and maybe the richest in highlights.

I think I'll go with the last one, but all three are sweet indeed. I feel that later, "prime" Opeth's success is so great that 2000's albums get all the praise. But what if they never made it actually, and disbanded after MAYH due to lack of funds and recognition? I believe they would achieve cult status a few years later, easily! That first trio of albums has so many hooks and riffs to explore that it takes multiple listens to have any idea what's it all about... these three alone are enough of a reason to put a "MUST LISTEN" sticker on Opeth.

Frankly, I think they are at least as enjoyable as their prog rock output since 2011.

TOP20 Songs
Genesis
Rush

Poll Question: Which one is your favorite?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Orchid (1995)	4	[40.00%]
Morningrise (1996)	2	[20.00%]
My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)	4	[40.00%]
You can not vote in this poll