Opeth - Suddenly it clicked and now I can't stop listening to them

[100423]

The ordering for me (today):

1) Ghost Reveries - For me all the different elements all came together on this one.
2) Blackwater Park
3) Still Life
4) Watershed
5) Damnation
6) Deliverance
7) My Arms Your Hearse
8) Heritage
9) Morningrise
10) Orchid

[Progatron]

The Roundhouse Tapes is a good live representation of the band during the Ghost Reveries tour, but the songs don't really alter that much from their studio counterparts. Still, you get to hear a killer rendition of Under The Weeping Moon - it's on the debut Orchid album, but the version by the GR lineup is much beefier, especially Ax's drumming.

I never bothered with the reissue of Blackwater Park as I gather there were problems with the cd and dvd.

Very true - "Under The Weeping Moon" on The Roundhouse Tapes is fantastic. As for the Blackwater Park reissue, I don't understand why they went with a 5.0 mix... I also wasn't crazy about them altering the artwork, which is my favourite of theirs.

It's not a popular opinion, but I absolutely love Heritage. Nice crunchy guitars and rocking riffs.

I really like it too. "Famine", "The Lines In My Hand" and "Folklore" make for a tremendous closing to the album (I know there's technically one more track). Also the two tracks they left off are excellent.

I guess if I had to pick only 1 Opeth album, it would be Deliverance.

It's excellent but I've never really liked "Wreath" so my version of the album is a bit shorter.

[Alexander]

As for Katatonia, next week sees the release of their new album Dethroned And Uncrowned, a proggier reworking of last year's Dead End Kings. Supposed to be quite the album from what I'm told.

It is excellent!!! I LOVE it!
Can't stop listening to it!

[Progatron]

It is excellent!!! I LOVE it!
Can't stop listening to it!

I'll have to check that out. I've never heard much Katatonia really but I thought Dead End Kings was really good (I think one of the PROG magazine CDs featured a track which got me interested), and I already was familiar with Jonas from the Ayreon album he was on and liked his voice. But what I'm most familiar with is the Wisdom Of Crowds CD he did this year with Bruce Soord which I bought immediately after hearing the track "Frozen North". He has a unique voice that I quite like. I may have to check out older, heavier Katatonia.

[MoonK9]

The coda in the song Deliverance gets me every time.

[Wisdomview]

^word!!

[100423]

The coda in the song Deliverance gets me every time.

I saw Opeth in a small bar on the Deliverance tour. I came out of a daze from that and I found myself standing in the middle of the mosh pit, slacked jawed and googley-eyed, but amazing no one slammed into me.

[gpeccary]

Glad you came into them. It took me a while as well, now one of my top five faves. They are NOT to be missed live. These guys show up to play, they're tight as hell, and Akerfeldt is flat out hilarious. I love everything they've done. Heritage was great, I know, I'm one of twelve people that thinks so. The Blackwater Park anniversary show blew my mind.

[Just Eric]

Duncan growled:
Opeth is THE gateway drug - er, band - to some of the heavier, most progressively intriguing music available today.

He's not kidding. But, a wonderful gateway band to an even more glorious genre, er genres.

Duncan joked about Car_Bomb and their ilk, but believe me, if you develop a serious taste for extreme music it won't be long before you are head banging to Grindcore! Just ask Adewolf, wideopenears and many others here.

PE has no shortage of Metal fans that will help guide you if needed, so fire away with any questions or requests for recommendations! We're here to help.

[ProgPariah77]

Opeth is THE gateway drug - er, band - to some of the heavier, most progressively intriguing music available today.

Boy, that was certainly the case for ME. Now here I am, listening to all kinds of growly prog-metal, djent, etc. Tried to sneak some "cookie monster" vocals onto the upcoming Supernal Endgame album, but got busted at mixtime. I think the guys are planning some kind of an intervention ...

[ProgPariah77]

... and BTW, THIS:

[profusion]

The ordering for me (today):

1) Ghost Reveries - For me all the different elements all came together on this one.
2) Blackwater Park
3) Still Life
4) Watershed
5) Damnation
6) Deliverance
7) My Arms Your Hearse
8) Heritage
9) Morningrise
10) Orchid

That's my exact order, as well. Some days, I might put Still Life over Blackwater Park, but they're basically equals to me.

[digestif]

I know them for years, but so far none of their albums have clicked with me. Or, I just haven't invested the right time for it, and I wasn't in the right state of mind for this band.

It took me some time too. I had Blackwater Park first and didn't like how dismal it was, but after a while I started to hear a kind of beauty in the sound.

[100423]

That's my exact order, as well. Some days, I might put Still Life over Blackwater Park, but they're basically equals to me.

Yeah, those two could swap places depending on the day for me too.

[LighthouseKeeper]

Since others are throwing out other bands ... Picked this up the other day. New from Dan Swano's new band Witherscape - The Inheritance. Good mix of clean vocals and growls.

[chalkpie]

The Funeral Portrait.

[Just Eric]

Lighthouse said:
Since others are throwing out other bands ... Picked this up the other day. New from Dan Swano's new band Witherscape - The Inheritance. Good mix of clean vocals and growls.

Ran across this last week and I'm very impressed with what I have heard. Goes on the list.

[Magic Mountain]

My list would be:

1) Blackwater Park
2) Deliverance
3) Watershed
4) Heritage
5) Still Life
6) My Arms Your Hearse
7) Morningrise
8) Ghost Reveries
9) Damnation
10) Orchid

[Progbear]

I like Damnation all right. Better than any of the Porcupine Tree albums I’ve heard.

Apart from that...sorry! I don’t care how much prog they reference, no one can make death metal listenable to me.

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

‘“What blow, Goblin?” said Corinius.’ --E. R. Eddison

N.P.:“Heroica”-Zingale/Peace

[Progatron]

I like Damnation all right. Better than any of the Porcupine Tree albums I’ve heard.

Apart from that...sorry! I don’t care how much prog they reference, no one can make death metal listenable to me.

Well that's fair enough. But you can expand beyond Damnation all the same. First of all, there's the entire Heritage album (not death metal). There are also the following songs throughout their catalogue that have no death metal vocals at all:

To Bid You Farewell
Credence
Benighted (spot the Camel ripoff )
The Face Of Melinda
Patterns In The Ivy II
Harvest
Still Day Beneath The Sun
A Fair Judgment
Atonement
Hours Of Wealth
Isolation Years
Hex Omega
Coil
Burden
Porcelain Heart
The Throat Of Winter
Face In The Snow
Pyre
Bridge Of Sighs (Robin Trower cover)
Soldier Of Fortune (Deep Purple cover)
Would? (Alice In Chains cover)
Den Ständiga Resan (Marie Fredriksson cover)

[Progatron]

Coil

BTW, anyone get a huge early Genesis vibe from the guitar on this piece?

[nosebone]

I listened to Heritage twice in the car today.

Very nice album with a sparse clear production, great guitar tones, excellent drumming which doesn't overwhelm the mix, tasty Hammond, Whirly, & mellotron tracks, and a vocalist who sings the melody without any cheesy histrionics.

Pretty good tunes also, with lots of dynamics.

[sergio]

I think Lopez was a more versatile drummer, but I like Akesson on guitars over Lindgren. Everything since (and including) Blackwater Park is awesome. That magic Wilson's touch.

[E()]

Listened to Blackwater Park for the first time in years. I had forgotten how good that album is - and I am NOT a death growl fan. However, the musicianship and arrangements make me ignore that. I have some other stuff on vinyl and plan to give them a spin. Damnation up next.

[chalkpie]