Opeth?

Ok, from the first time I heard Opeth, I knew they were not the typical metal band, they were very very far from the common metal band...

I'm not a metal fan really, I tend to be very selective with metal music, but I'm surprised some people say "No! Opeth is pure death metal", and I don't really found their music to be real death metal, it's with no doubt heavy music, but arguably not death metal, from what I see they only have the typical death metal vocals, and I don't think that's enough to call one band death metal, I think that's being too lazy and doing a very big injustice with the music of Opeth, which is truly Progressive Metal in the original meaning of "Prog", and no, they're not a technical band, they are really bringing back the Prog Rock feeling to Metal, so forget about complex made-up terms like "Progressive Death Metal", or "Technical/Melodic Death Metal" and anything like that, because honestly they don't fit any of those, Opeth's music to me is very rich, one of the best bands of the last time in matters of Progressive Metal, IMO

what do you think?  ...comment.




Edited by P.H.P. - September 19 2007 at 01:03

I can understand them getting lumped in with the Death Metal bands on the early albums although far superior to what usually goes as Death Metal.

Inevitably, when metal is combined with prog you get musical technicalities. Proof is the majority of prog metal bands listed here in PA are technical, one way or another. We can never deny the technical proficiency ( which I consider a side dish/apetizer rather than the main course) of Opeth but I definitely won't I recommend them to anyone who seeks technical music.

Opeth IMHO is a band beyond description.  As I said in an earlier post, their music is truly a sonic adventure to the ears.  At least to my ears.  Because of Opeth, I have also discovered similar bands, Dimmu Borgir, Novembers Doom, In Flames, Immortal and a few others.  None of which imho top Opeth, but I still enjoy just the same.  I believe a new Opeth DVD is due out soon also.  I have read that GoP is on it. 

Opeth is more about melody then anything else.

In fact, it's wrong to call "Progressive Death Metal" as a genre or style, I think it doesn't exists since there aren't bands that do that, every band that has done more than common death metal bands are just technical or complex like Cynic or Atheist, not really Prog.

P.H.P. wrote: In fact, it's wrong to call "Progressive Death Metal" as a genre or style, I think it doesn't exists since there aren't bands that do that, every band that has done more than common death metal bands are just technical or complex like Cynic or Atheist, not really Prog.

Melomaniac wrote: They only get labelled death metal, like you say, because of the vocals, AND the double bass drum beats.  But I agree with you, it does injustice to this amazing band, among the best to appear on this music scene in a long, long while, along side bands like Porcupine Tree, The Mars Volta, Tool, etc...   Who knows, maybe one day Mikael will not be able to growl anymore and they'll release albums without the growls, then they will not be labelled death metal.

Exactly my thoughts.


Edited by P.H.P. - September 19 2007 at 14:32

Melomaniac wrote: P.H.P. wrote: In fact, it's wrong to call "Progressive Death Metal" as a genre or style, I think it doesn't exists since there aren't bands that do that, every band that has done more than common death metal bands are just technical or complex like Cynic or Atheist, not really Prog.   Concerning Cynic, they were more of a metal jazz fusion unit than the average technical metal.  Too bad they only released one album !

Like you said they are one of the top technical death metal bands, and yes, they explorate sonic landscapes that most of death metal bands never achieved, but I think more than to calling it Jazz Fusion Metal or whatever, because they can't really mix it really well, they only go alternating section by section, there's no single spot in their music that is the perfect mix of totally opposite genres as Metal, Jazz, and Fusion, which I think is almost inconceivable, and never happened in music.

What I find is this: "is it one or the other, but never both"...sometimes I got kind of Fusion oriented sections and then straight metal sections, then back again, and finally metal section again, and that's it, and I don't find that to be really Prog.




Edited by P.H.P. - September 19 2007 at 14:49

activetopics wrote: for all of you idiots, the correct word is "technicality" lol