Opeth?

Visitor13 wrote: Cannibal Corpse or Devourment lyrics are meant to be silly, so maybe growling works for them. Truly disturbing lyrics can most likely be sung... can't think of an example, though, Diamanda Galas, maybe? Though I'm not really familiar with her music.

Silly or not, growling is really the only way I can imagine those lyrics being performed.

Other than something like that, no, nothing really necessitates growling. But it's just as valid a choice as singing in any other style when it comes to lyrics like Opeth's.

MikeEnRegalia wrote: ^ IMO Opeth are one of very few bands who have growling vocals which actually fit the music. I'd recommend you give them a chance again after some time ... you may come to like them in the end. Like black coffee, dry wine or extremely dark chocolate it's something that takes some time to get used to.

bingo....  that kind of vocal style is not is not what I normally listen to but that growling really does fit the music well... and I found is a really nice contrast to Akerfeldt's 'normal' singing voice which I happened to like as well..

i see that many are complaining about growls ,but what is opeth without growling, it points out agression, it filts with blast beats , it gives new dimension ,accents on dark side, otherwise it will be just another prog metal band.along with clean vokals, acustic guitars, it is a perfect blend

May be a little simple...but I love Opeth.

I personally find Akerdfelt's growls velvety and luxurious.  Like a fatherly lion's roar.

It's often said that growling expresses anger and rage, but it can also express extreme joy and happiness.    That is what I get from Opeth.  The extreme nature of the vocals gives their music an edge towards the joyous.  

schizoid_man77 wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: I agree ... even on their early records they weren't much related to Death Metal except for the vocal style.   Totally agree, all my friends who know anything about Opeth al agree that besides the vocal style, Opeth is no way death metal. I've even been made fun of before because I called them death metal!

Opeth's music *is* closely related to Death Metal ... consider what he says in this interview:

- Mikael's first band ("Eruption") in the 80s was Old-School Death Metal
- His project "Bloodbath" (2000s) is Death Metal
- When asked what he thinks about people calling Opeth the "Death Metal version of Dream Theater" he says that he feels honoured and that he's a big fan of Dream Theater although he lost interest a bit in their more recent albums (the interview is from around 2002/2003, which would make the most recent albums Six Degrees of Inner Turbulance and Scenes from a Memory).

So: Death Metal and Opeth have a lot in common. You cannot call Opeth's music Death Metal because the songwriting is much different, and of course the acoustic parts have no place in Death Metal (unless they're played as intros, which isn't the case with Opeth). But the growling, drumming and pace of the music justifies to include "Death" in their genre label. How about "Symphonic Progressive Death Metal"? At least for albums like Orchid, Morningrise, My Arms Your Hearse and Still Life this makes sense to me.



Edited by MikeEnRegalia - September 22 2007 at 06:03

^ make no prisoners!

ProgBagel wrote: They contain too much melody for a death metal band also.

Melodic Death Metal bands might take issue with that.

MikeEnRegalia wrote:   Opeth's music *is* closely related to Death Metal ... consider what he says in this interview: - Mikael's first band ("Eruption") in the 80s was Old-School Death Metal - His project "Bloodbath" (2000s) is Death Metal - When asked what he thinks about people calling Opeth the "Death Metal version of Dream Theater" he says that he feels honoured and that he's a big fan of Dream Theater although he lost interest a bit in their more recent albums (the interview is from around 2002/2003, which would make the most recent albums Six Degrees of Inner Turbulance and Scenes from a Memory). So: Death Metal and Opeth have a lot in common. You cannot call Opeth's music Death Metal because the songwriting is much different, and of course the acoustic parts have no place in Death Metal (unless they're played as intros, which isn't the case with Opeth). But the growling, drumming and pace of the music justifies to include "Death" in their genre label. How about "Symphonic Progressive Death Metal"? At least for albums like Orchid, Morningrise, My Arms Your Hearse and Still Life this makes sense to me.

I don't think Opeth could have much musical things in common with death metal, Opeth's music is certainly more related to Prog in any musical sense like you said, and death metal in Opeth's is just a consideration to justify the death metal growls, their factual music just doesn't sound death metal at all to me.

and with "Symphonic Progressive Death Metal" I think it's close when it comes to describe Opeth's sound with words, but there's one very important thing bad with that term, note it well, when you say "Progressive Death Metal" you're implying that the band is mostly death metal and then "Progressive" just as an adjetive of "something more" or "another complexity level" "IN" death metal, which I finally think doesn't reflect the sound of Opeth accurately, and of course it contradicts everything you agreed in first place:

MikeEnRegalia wrote: "You cannot call Opeth's music Death Metal because..."

Opeth are a Prog band with cookie monster vocals. Not a death metal band with with prog tendencies. Musically they are far more intricate and progressive than the majority of bands on PA.

Personally I cant get past the Cookie Monster vocals, but that's my loss!!