WATERSHED

After being underwhelmed by the both critically and commercially acclaimed Ghost Reveries I began doubting that Opeth would be able to comeback to the magnificent sound of their past. Then came The Roundhouse Tapes with its new take on many of the band's earlier compositions that got my hopes up for the next studio release! Unfortunately Watershed was yet another disappointment.

After the departure of the two long time collaborators Martin Lopez and Peter Lindgren the band was now in complete hands of Mikael Åkerfeldt, that is not to say that this was not the case to begin with although this time it must have been even more challenging for him since Mikael had to not only write the material but also coach the two new members into the Opeth way of life. I'm sure that most people found this album enjoyable but that's because the band is trying to please a wide audience that they acquired with their previous album. Meaning that they have just become another one of the generic bands that currently exist in the Roadrunner Records roster. I'm not sure how that label manages to time and time again strip the talented band's that they sign from every bit of originality that was there but that's nonetheless what has now happened to Opeth.

Watershed shows me a band that struggles to hold their ground while still trying bits and pieces of sound that already exist within the label's roster and ultimately falling short at both of these attempts. This is also the first Opeth record that features a real single in the shape and form of Porcelain Heart. To me it sounds like a complete parody of the band's sound with the worst transitions that I've ever heard. When I heard this single for the first time I honestly thought that it was good Opeth knock-off but I was shocked when I actually saw the video and realized that it was in fact an Opeth composition! Seeing Mikael perform this mess is truly a painful experience and the lengthy cuts between the video sections completely slaughters the experience.

Heir Apparent is the only piece that remotely constitutes for an Opeth composition that offers a complete experience but seeing that it's the only shred that maintains the bridge between the band I liked and their current state doesn't make me want to run out and purchase any more of their future recordings. Watershed gives me everything I disliked about Ghost Reveries but now with no truly noteworthy compositions meaning that this is almost a complete disaster. I'm most definitely going to be more careful before purchasing any new Opeth releases in the near future.

**** star songs: Heir Apparent (8:50)

*** star songs: Coil (3:10) The Lotus Eater (8:50) Burden (7:41) Hessian Peel (11:25) Hex Omega (7:00)

** star songs: Porcelain Heart (8:00)