All the new Opeth fans

[BRI]

It's very clear how well RR have promoted Opeth since they signed on, and I do think it's great that Opeth are getting new fans. I'm not one of those people who thinks that their favourite band should be "my special thing that nobody else can enjoy", but it is getting very annoying the amount of people who've gone and bought / downloaded Ghost Reveries and now believe they are hardcore Opeth fans, or even that they are now into extreme music (lol). I shouldn't feel this way but I do, maybe because I cherish Opeth so.

 

[Ermz]

Same thing happened with BWP. I was part of that wave. Give the kids a chance, I'm sure they'll find the time to browse through Opeth's back-catalogue eventually.

 

[Forest-of-October]

I feel the exact same actually. Except I am that way about somethings. I showed my friend a song from Ghost Reveries, ( because he happens to think Lamb of God is the best metal band ever ) and now he thinks hes a hardcore Opeth fan. And it really quite pisses me off, because now hes gone and downloaded a bunch of albums and he always acts like he knows everything about Opeth. He never really even "listens" to there music either is what gets me. I consider myself a big fan also because I appreciate the music as a whole where as his favorite song is Masters Apprentices because its got heavy metal riffs, and fast drumming behind roaring vocals. The second it reaches that mellow interlude hes done with the song. He doesnt care at all about the music, just that its heavy and depressing (he dresses like a goth ) but he still calls himself a bigger fan then I am and that really annoys me.

My appologies if I cant put that into better words. But thats the best I can do. Im sure others feel this way too.

 

[ViCyniC]

I'm pretty sure 40% of the current Opeth "fans" are bandwagoners. I don't really give a shit, cause Opeth doesn't cater to them.

 

[Lightbulbsun]

why does anybody really care...except for forest of october...if you introduced your friends, then it's really lame that he would consider himself a bigger fan.

 

[AlexGuinness]

Same thing happened with BWP. I was part of that wave. Give the kids a chance, I'm sure they'll find the time to browse through Opeth's back-catalogue eventually.

I think the biggest occurence was with Still Life.

It is cool that people get into things at different times, but there will always be elitism. The competitive streak usually comes from the less seasoned or experienced person. I simple fact of human nature, really. Most of the critics of recent exposure I have noticed have not actually been into the band too long themselves.

I for one am pleased that they have been able to reach out to more people. It used to be frustrating when there was no-one that you could talk to that understood about such a favourite band. There was only one other person apart from me I knew with one of their tops years ago, he had been given it when he played a gig with them.

Things have changed for the better. They have succeeded and retained their integrity.

 

[Manbient]

I think the biggest occurence was with Still Life.

I don't really think so... They were hardly a blip on the radar until BWP's release, and from there it seems to have taken off nearly exponentially with each release. I first heard Opeth around the release of Still Life (which i guess supports your point in a way...), but for a couple years until the release of BWP there was still next to no one to talk to about them (including on the internet). From BWP on, it seemed like they just grew. It's funny to think i used to get so monumentally excited to find another Opeth fan, when now, people who don't even listen to metal have heard the name.

 

[Benighted Joe]

It's weak to believe you're a hardcore Opeth fan just because one has downloaded Ghost Reveries.
To all you people who like the album BUY it and hey, btw, try the other records on for size!

TOP 5 SONGS OF OPETH
1. Reverie/Harlequin forest
2. Godhead's lament
3. Master's apprentices
4. The leper affinity
5. To bid you farewell

 

[Ermz]

Uh, is this a 'post your favourite songs' thread in disguise?


...... orrrr are we just flexing our egos?

 

[Loeben]

Um, all Ghost Reveries did was put Opeth on the map for me. Yeah, I've never heard them until GR, but all I've pretty much listened to is Opeth Opeth Opeth for the past few months.

I have all their albums now and know all their lyrics by heart.

If I don't classify as hardcore.... They are pretty much the best thing that has happened to music for me since I heard Tool.

Hell, I think GR is one of the weakest albums in Opeth's catalogue. Kind of makes me pissed off that it took 10 years for me to discover them...

 

[affinityband]

Forest-of-October because now hes gone and downloaded a bunch of albums and he always acts like he knows everything about Opeth. He never really even "listens" to there music either is what gets me.

My obsession with Opeth is Geeky. Your probably better off socially not liking them like i do!

 

[Korlich]

^ Exactly it was the same for me when I discovered BWP two and a half years ago. I don´t really think you´re more a "trOO" Opeth fan just because you where lucky enough to discover them when they released Still life or Orchid for that matter.

I look at things this way, Opeth will change a lot music tastes for the better.

 

[BRI]

Uh, is this a 'post your favourite songs' thread in disguise?


...... orrrr are we just flexing our egos?

All my favourite Opeth songs are from Orchid because I rule.

 

[opeth_353]

Hmm i'm up for new fans and i was one of the people defending the n00b fans.. but now it's actually starting to annoy me.. just seeing how many emo kids on Myspace are now claiming Opeth are their favourite band after Aiden or Hawthorne Heights etc.. I know there are a lot of genuine new fans, i've met a lot of them in my own school, but i've already started noticing the ones who are just latching onto the fad.

 

[[KOTNO]Narrot]

who wants french cries???!!! this thread needs french cries!!!

man, you guys cry and cry and cry over your precious Opeth. Who gives a fuck if there is new fans and they havent listened as much as you. Do you still like the band? DO you enjoy their music? Then that's all you need.. quit bitching.

i suggest that you hit the 'logout'-button and never visit ultimatemetal.com again.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Same thing happened with BWP. I was part of that wave. Give the kids a chance, I'm sure they'll find the time to browse through Opeth's back-catalogue eventually.

ditto.

 

[AlexGuinness]

I don't really think so... They were hardly a blip on the radar until BWP's release, and from there it seems to have taken off nearly exponentially with each release. I first heard Opeth around the release of Still Life (which i guess supports your point in a way...), but for a couple years until the release of BWP there was still next to no one to talk to about them (including on the internet). From BWP on, it seemed like they just grew. It's funny to think i used to get so monumentally excited to find another Opeth fan, when now, people who don't even listen to metal have heard the name.

I completely agree with your point, all I am saying is that the progression started earlier. I noticed a huge increase in popularity at the time SL was released (although yes, there were still not loads of people locally to talk to about them, there were some for the first time, other than those I had introduced to the band, or had played gigs with the band). This was in no small part down to the shift from Candlelight (Lee did a fantastic job) to Peaceville and the increased exposure that brought.

The same thing has happened with each release and label change since.

I suppose some of what I am saying may be less clear to people in the US, as the release dates and labels differed. To understand my point from my perspective (I have not looked into when each album was licensed elsewhere in the world, or if there was another license apart from Koch), the albums were released as below:

Ochid (1995, Candlelight)
Morningrise (1996, Candlelight)
MAYH (1998, Candlelight)
SL (1999, Peaceville)
BWP (2001, MFN)
D1 (2002, MFN)
D2 (2003, MFN)
GR (2005, RR)

The increase in profile was mainly with each label change, I suppose with the exception of Damnation (for obvious reasons).

Still Life was the first album that I was able to buy locally and in person on the day of release, the others had to be ordered from Underground Mail Order places prior to that.

I am just glad that Lee signed them and started the process going... With the output, promise and potential of the band, none of us can predict where they will end up. I cannot understand those people that begrudge them the success they (to me) so clearly deserve and have earned.

 

[Eric Paradox]

Last night I stood behind some kid with tight white girl jeans and an Atreyu hoodie and poufed-out scenester hair for an hour of Opeth's set.. and I had to just remind myself, "Roadrunner, Eric, Roadrunner..."

Kid got the perfect spot right up front and in the middle, and he just sat there with a bummed look on his face and arms crossed. (really, who pays 30 bucks to sit there and look bored?)

For the record, I became an Opeth fan at Blackwater Park as well.

 

[Reclusive Strike]

^ Exactly it was the same for me when I discovered BWP two and a half years ago. I don´t really think you´re more a "trOO" Opeth fan just because you where lucky enough to discover them when they released Still life or Orchid for that matter.

I look at things this way, Opeth will change a lot music tastes for the better.

I got into Opeth with BWP too It happens to be my least favorite album, although it's still awesome in its own right.

 

[Jude]

It's very clear how well RR have promoted Opeth since they signed on, and I do think it's great that Opeth are getting new fans. I'm not one of those people who thinks that their favourite band should be "my special thing that nobody else can enjoy", but it is getting very annoying the amount of people who've gone and bought / downloaded Ghost Reveries and now believe they are hardcore Opeth fans, or even that they are now into extreme music (lol). I shouldn't feel this way but I do, maybe because I cherish Opeth so.

*Shrugs* I'm a new Opeth fan. First album I got was Damnation, that was before I could get into the heavy stuff, but then someone on Musicianforums.com uploaded GR and it grew on me. Now I have all their stuff and like it all. I don't go around saying I'm a hardcore Opeth fan and a bigger one than everyone else and I'm not into extreme music (I'm not even a metal fan). I'm also (mostly) not an elitist about music...I try to spread the word about bands I like instead of hating on new fans of them. And nothing gets on my nerves more than people who have been Opeth fans since 1995 and think that makes them better human beings than me.

BTW, it wasn't because of RR that a lot of people have gotten into Opeth. Musicianforums.com, which I mentioned earlier, has almost as much elitism as this forum, but people are always turning each other onto new bands, and that's how I got into lots of music, including Opeth.

Anyway, I don't get what the hell death metal fans think. They always moan and groan about how they hate mainstream music and how much it sucks...you'd think they would want to spread their 'better' music to other people, but no, the second one of their bands is heard by someone who isn't a regular metalhead, they're bitching and moaning about how everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, just listening to the band to be trendy, etc.

I mean, I don't like it too much that it became all trendy in the past couple years to wear classic rock T-shirts and that every pop-punk kid started wearing Beatles shirts, and I've been listening to the Beatles literally since the cradle...but instead of being a dick about it, I tried to welcome new fans into the world of good music, even if most of them just went onto the next trend. There's no need to be elitist.