Amusing review!

[Schism]

Done by - Blues matters - Darren Howells

After the previous two albums and browsing over the track titles to on this one ('To Rid The Disease'), I wasn't looking forward to this one. But god-damn! They've gone and changed on me! From devil worshipping psycho killers to Michael Jackson lulling some of his 'child friends' to sleep. As soon as the album opens you sense they've had a re-think, it's not a slight change of direction or a case of incorporating some extra influences to their musical palette but a complete overhaul to what sounds like a different group altogether! Gentle strumming leads us into vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt's, now gentle, soft voice (maybe he was a getting a sore throat?) Great landscapes of songs, each a mini epic with undoubted thematic qualities, broken up with some breathtaking guitar solos (I guess that's where the Blues comparisons came in). The songs almost ooze with an operatic quality and conjure up comparisons to the likes of Pink Floyd or even Yes. To call this a Blues album would be stupid. There are no 'Blues songs' as such, without a doubt there are influences and moments within the album you could say 'there's Blues in there' but that would be clutching at straws (the Blues is in every form of music to some extent anyway, isn't it?) I can see why this is being called a Bluesy direction for the band, the change from previous outings is profound and the calmer, more subtle sound is a vast improvement, so if the Blues was an inspiration to this fine and beautifully put-together collection then great, but more a modern Prog-rock record taking it's influences from many Classic Rock bands. If your looking for something outside the genre I would say this would from a worthy addition to your collection. An interesting and amusing moment (bare with me, I'm easily pleased), 'Hope Leaves' has an uncanny resemblance to Fleetwood Mac's 'I'm So Afraid', but buy then the Mac had gone pop so no Blues there sorry folks......

Review by Blues Matters - Darren Howells

I found this on the official site under album reviews for Damnation

 

[Firedwarf]

Done by - Blues matters - Darren Howells

After the previous two albums and browsing over the track titles to on this one ('To Rid The Disease'), I wasn't looking forward to this one. But god-damn! They've gone and changed on me! From devil worshipping psycho killers to Michael Jackson lulling some of his 'child friends' to sleep. As soon as the album opens you sense they've had a re-think, it's not a slight change of direction or a case of incorporating some extra influences to their musical palette but a complete overhaul to what sounds like a different group altogether! Gentle strumming leads us into vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt's, now gentle, soft voice (maybe he was a getting a sore throat?) Great landscapes of songs, each a mini epic with undoubted thematic qualities, broken up with some breathtaking guitar solos (I guess that's where the Blues comparisons came in). The songs almost ooze with an operatic quality and conjure up comparisons to the likes of Pink Floyd or even Yes. To call this a Blues album would be stupid. There are no 'Blues songs' as such, without a doubt there are influences and moments within the album you could say 'there's Blues in there' but that would be clutching at straws (the Blues is in every form of music to some extent anyway, isn't it?) I can see why this is being called a Bluesy direction for the band, the change from previous outings is profound and the calmer, more subtle sound is a vast improvement, so if the Blues was an inspiration to this fine and beautifully put-together collection then great, but more a modern Prog-rock record taking it's influences from many Classic Rock bands. If your looking for something outside the genre I would say this would from a worthy addition to your collection. An interesting and amusing moment (bare with me, I'm easily pleased), 'Hope Leaves' has an uncanny resemblance to Fleetwood Mac's 'I'm So Afraid', but buy then the Mac had gone pop so no Blues there sorry folks......

Review by Blues Matters - Darren Howells

I found this on the official site under album reviews for Damnation

baka. >_<

 

[no country for old wainds]

devil worshipping psycho killers, indeed.

 

[BrandonS]

Some people should atleast know the band before writing a review

 

[phon1c]

Rooaaar.

 

[IanDork107]

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!!!!!!!!!


MEEE WAAAANT COOOOKIEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kushantaiidan]

oh dear..

BUT.. A blues reviewer reviewing opeth?!

THIS IS A GOOD THING

Opeth are spreading their wings, and the world is noticing!

 

[Kushantaiidan]

Also.. i think the only thing wrong with that review is his lack of knowledge of metal...

His review on the actual music in the album, though very short and concise, is reasonably accurate...

 

[Static]

He didn't even know that Mikael sings clean all the time in previous albums...

Thats a sure sign of someone blindly labelling Opeth...people do it all the time...

 

[yourdeadgroom]

Jesus, someone from outside the metal scene writes a review of an album and people can't wait to fucking point out his flaws Why does this happen every time?

He makes reference to their previous 2 albums, so I think he's familiar enough with the band. So Brandon, I'm quite sure he knows their music, Static if he's heard the last 2 albums then I'm sure he knows the vocal styles, it's just the growling is in the majority on past albums and this is quite a drastic change in vocal approach, and Kush, I haven't the slightest idea where you're getting the "he lacks a knowlege of metal" from.

I know we all like to be 'underground' and that people outside the scene really really shouldn't comment on our music because they're not underground enough and can't be taken seriously unless they compare an album with atleast 6 other metal albums just to show they have an indepth knowledge of the genre, but come on........

 

[Nefilim]

Jesus, someone from outside the metal scene writes a review of an album and people can't wait to fucking point out his flaws Why does this happen every time?

He makes reference to their previous 2 albums, so I think he's familiar enough with the band. So Brandon, I'm quite sure he knows their music, Static if he's heard the last 2 albums then I'm sure he knows the vocal styles, it's just the growling is in the majority on past albums and this is quite a drastic change in vocal approach, and Kush, I haven't the slightest idea where you're getting the "he lacks a knowlege of metal" from.

I know we all like to be 'underground' and that people outside the scene really really shouldn't comment on our music because they're not underground enough and can't be taken seriously unless they compare an album with atleast 6 other metal albums just to show they have an indepth knowledge of the genre, but come on........

Well said. This post should be made sticky so everyone can read it before posting narrowminded "i'm-better-than-everyone-else"-posts... not referring to this post in particular though. The blues reviewer was a bit off by calling them psycho killers... he can't have listened that closely to their previous material or he would have known that they have nothing in common with true satan worshipping psycho killers such as Burzum etc.

 

[Children of Flames]

Jesus, someone from outside the metal scene writes a review of an album and people can't wait to fucking point out his flaws Why does this happen every time?

He makes reference to their previous 2 albums, so I think he's familiar enough with the band. So Brandon, I'm quite sure he knows their music, Static if he's heard the last 2 albums then I'm sure he knows the vocal styles, it's just the growling is in the majority on past albums and this is quite a drastic change in vocal approach, and Kush, I haven't the slightest idea where you're getting the "he lacks a knowlege of metal" from.

I know we all like to be 'underground' and that people outside the scene really really shouldn't comment on our music because they're not underground enough and can't be taken seriously unless they compare an album with atleast 6 other metal albums just to show they have an indepth knowledge of the genre, but come on........

yeah, but "devil worshipping psycho killers"
Isn't that very ignorant? He doesn't know what Opeth is all about, and I'm pretty sure he isn't familiar with the metal genre at all.

 

[estimate]

.. .. :d ..

 

[ChrisEmerson]

im gonna have to agree with children of flames. calling them satanists is very ignorant, and it seems to me hes just using a sterotype of metal in the first place, hence him not seeming to know much about the genre.

 

[yourdeadgroom]

yeah, but "devil worshipping psycho killers"
Isn't that very ignorant? He doesn't know what Opeth is all about, and I'm pretty sure he isn't familiar with the metal genre at all.

So you don't think that just maybe the "devil worshipping psycho killers" bit was a joke? I mean, the 2nd part he followed it up with, "Michael Jackson lulling some of his 'child friends' to sleep" is hardly accurate either, but I guess that's not a cliche so you don't take offence to it. Come on man, don't take it all so seriously. It's actually not a bad comparison, in terms of the change in style, he's just illustrating the point they've gone from a rather brutal sound to a very soft sound (not that Opeth are brutal, but they have rather impressive growls ).
And it is completely false for you to say "He doesn't know what Opeth is all about", as I pointed out before, he makes reference to their previous 2 albums, so I think he has a fair enough idea. You're only saying that because of the 'devil worship' line that you don't like, so you're effectively doing what you accuse him of (forming an opinion without reading the whole thing, just as you think he's forming an opinion without knowing their history).

People need to stop taking metal so seriously