WATERSHED

The problem with this album, at least in my view, is that it constantly toys with the listener. The potential to be even better than their last masterpiece (Ghost Reveries, one of the best Prog albums-- or indeed, of ANY genre --in recent years as far as I'm concerned) is always looming, and every once in awhile can even be heard in full clarity, but most of the time, Watershed merely pretends to be original.

The songs within the attractively-presented package all seem to follow the same pattern. They are heavy for awhile, then soft, then heavy again, and sometimes if the track length allows, softer once more. Ah, but here is the problem: changing tempo and mood constantly doesn't impress anybody. It's more about what you change it TO that makes the songs unpredictable and interesting. In the past the Opeth guys have always seemed to be mindful of this. That is why theirlast album was so great; they didn't just change back-and-forth between two extremes, they changed from one unique thing to the next.

That isn't to say that this album is complete garbage, but progressive it is not, and originall it is not. What it is, in fact, is an above-par extreme Metal album that floors most people who are hearing it because the majority of those people are strictly Metal fans. Looking at Watershed from that perspective, I can clearly see the appeal, but my 'Progressivly-inclined' ears (like that? I made it up) can tell pretty well by this point when a band is truly trying to be original and when they just go into the studio and lay down more of the same, and the latter happened with this entry, in my opinion.

Hell, even then musical complexity and technical prowess seems almost completely absent for long stints in this record. Power chords galore, anyone? I'm not saying that simplicity is bad at all, but this is Opeth. They don't do simple, at least not very well, if this album is any example. This record relies on alot of sound effects and half the time, the tracks are drawn out way too long, meaning that the substance wanes a bit thin after the same boring riff has been repeated for the tenth time and there are still a good five minutes to go.

So, is Watershed a good album? I suppose, but it's not hiugh on my list of favorite Opeth records. I appreciatre bands being different wioth each release, but I really didn't feel like the guys were all that conerned about freshness this time around. It was more about getting out of a slump. If releasing a new record that sounds like it's made up of throw-away tracks from the last one is what they needed, then I will look at this as a necessary evil and hope for the next masterpiece to emerge in a couple of years.

Two stars, and even that is a little too much credit.