Are Opeth a death metal band?
- Thread starter Slaydon
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Nasty-Fire
Discursion
Ninfix
Gamer of life
yeah but
progressive death metal != death metal
and the op did not say progressive.
this is why genre names are so trivial
progressive death metal != death metal
and the op did not say progressive.
this is why genre names are so trivial
opeth is not a death metal band, eos. very few songs in their discography come close to even having any characteristics of death metal, save for growling and double bass. in fact, the only ones I could really think of are wreath, heir apparent, and demon of the fall.
just in the same way that cynic or atheist are not death metal bands, due to the fact that they lean more towards the progressive/fusion side of the spectrum - opeth are in the same ilk (without the influential capacity of the aforementioned bands.) they are not a death metal band, plain and simple.
mikael can say whatever he wants, but if the artist is always right, then are trivium or lamb of god thrash bands? is disturbed a metal band? is limp bizkit a metal band? all of the aforementioned artists have claimed their genre, however none of them are that genre. see what I'm saying here? and obviously mike's going to call them a death metal band, what else would he call them? a progressive rock band, or a doom metal band? ftlog.
just in the same way that cynic or atheist are not death metal bands, due to the fact that they lean more towards the progressive/fusion side of the spectrum - opeth are in the same ilk (without the influential capacity of the aforementioned bands.) they are not a death metal band, plain and simple.
mikael can say whatever he wants, but if the artist is always right, then are trivium or lamb of god thrash bands? is disturbed a metal band? is limp bizkit a metal band? all of the aforementioned artists have claimed their genre, however none of them are that genre. see what I'm saying here? and obviously mike's going to call them a death metal band, what else would he call them? a progressive rock band, or a doom metal band? ftlog.
Nasty-Fire
Discursion
progressive death metal != death metal
progressive death metal = progressive metal + death metal
therefore, opeth is partially death metal. damn! why am i even saying that!? it's too obvious and simple. opeth is death metal basically, dot.
progressive death metal = progressive metal + death metal
therefore, opeth is partially death metal. damn! why am i even saying that!? it's too obvious and simple. opeth is death metal basically, dot.
please tell me what about opeth makes them death metal, other than the double bass and growls. I'd love to see it.
Nasty-Fire
Discursion
I would like to, but I need your description of death metal, since it seems to vary a lot from one to another. I think the "death metal" genre includes so many different things (Opeth being progressive death metal). What are the typical death metal elements, my friend? Oh and please don't be arrogant with sentences like "I'd love to see it", like if it wasn't possible.
Otherwise, I could simply ask you to tell me if you agree with the terms "progressive death metal" for Opeth. If you don't, then what is Opeth? Only progressive? Aren't songs like Wreath mainly death metal? What I say is that Opeth includes too many death metal elements to ignore the fact that IT IS death metal, partially. And yeah, growls and double bass drum are part of it, now tell me what more there COULD be to make them more death metal..
I wouldn't give Opeth the label of a genre. Because those labels say "hey, this band sounds like this group of bands," and, at least from Still Life and on, no band has ever sounded like Opeth to a really significant extent.
And NicholasDWolfwood I totally agree with you but personally I don't think even Wreath or Demon of the Fall sounds like death metal, maybe Heir Apparent does a bit more; death metal is just way faster than Opeth stuff and the drumming is way different, besides the fact that Opeth at least uses double bass.
People try to put a label on Opeth way too often because of some single element of their music. Some people say Orchid is black metal because of the high pitched vocals, which is about as intelligent as saying the Jonas Brothers are metal if they ever turn on a distortion pedal.
And NicholasDWolfwood I totally agree with you but personally I don't think even Wreath or Demon of the Fall sounds like death metal, maybe Heir Apparent does a bit more; death metal is just way faster than Opeth stuff and the drumming is way different, besides the fact that Opeth at least uses double bass.
People try to put a label on Opeth way too often because of some single element of their music. Some people say Orchid is black metal because of the high pitched vocals, which is about as intelligent as saying the Jonas Brothers are metal if they ever turn on a distortion pedal.
tbh wreath sounds more like death metal than a song like, say, the moor or something of that ilk. same thing with a song like masters apprentices, save for that acoustic bit smack in the middle. the chords and note choices are more of a death metal ilk - something that, say, a "blackwater park" or "the drapery falls" don't have.
opeth aren't death metal because they don't play death metal, eos. listen to something like suffocation's "pierced from within" or nile's "in their darkened shrines" or death's "leprosy" or morbid angel's "covenant". opeth don't share any similarities with those records, and those are generally hailed as some of the landmarks of the death metal genre. listen to an opeth song and compare it to a morbid angel song, or a suffocation song, or a quo vadis song, or a song off of "none so vile" etc etc etc. they sound nothing alike, other than the vocals and occasionally the drumming (double bass being the main similarity in the drum department.)
opeth aren't death metal because they don't play death metal, eos. listen to something like suffocation's "pierced from within" or nile's "in their darkened shrines" or death's "leprosy" or morbid angel's "covenant". opeth don't share any similarities with those records, and those are generally hailed as some of the landmarks of the death metal genre. listen to an opeth song and compare it to a morbid angel song, or a suffocation song, or a quo vadis song, or a song off of "none so vile" etc etc etc. they sound nothing alike, other than the vocals and occasionally the drumming (double bass being the main similarity in the drum department.)
Hox
Superiorly grim and kvlt
Obviously it depends on your musical background. If you listen to a lot of death metal, then you're able to spot things that other 'death metal' bands have in common with each other that Opeth don't. If Opeth is the only music you listen to with growls, say, then you'll be more inclined to label it death metal. And since there doesn't seem to be a universal definition of any genre, you can't really say one is right and one is wrong.
And that's why genre-classification sucks ass. Seriously, who actually gives a shit? What difference does it make, other than trying to look cool by showing music on your itunes to your friends that comes up as 'unclassifiable'?
And that's why genre-classification sucks ass. Seriously, who actually gives a shit? What difference does it make, other than trying to look cool by showing music on your itunes to your friends that comes up as 'unclassifiable'?
One can best put it like this: Opeth were a death metal band, with prog influences. Now they are a progressive metal band which uses death metal vocals. Everybody happy&satisfied?
Chinese Whispers
Member
- Jan 6, 2009
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I think it depends on what you would label as 'death metal'. Some people call Cynic's Focus death metal, and it is certainly no more DM than Opeth (and probably even less). But in saying that I can also see why someone wouldn't class it as DM - especially in the strictest sense. They certainly have some elements, but probably not enough to be just DM. Truth is though, plenty of the boundaries between the sub-genres have eroded - and have been for some time - to the point where simply being 'extreme metal' is almost common.
Personally, there isn't much point to the numerous sub-genres unless you are trying to articulate to someone who hasn't heard X band before, and even then you could probably wax lyrical, but at the end of the day I see it as only a very rough guideline.
Personally, there isn't much point to the numerous sub-genres unless you are trying to articulate to someone who hasn't heard X band before, and even then you could probably wax lyrical, but at the end of the day I see it as only a very rough guideline.
If the amount of death metal in Opeth is enough to call them a death metal band, then the amount of folk elements in Opeth is also enough to call them a folk prog group or something. But they're not either.
Nasty-Fire
Discursion
I'd simply say that Opeth made their own Death Metal (including the progressive stuffs). Sure, they don't need to be labeled, but that's what people do, and you cannot change it, so let's talk about it. Would be too vague to say "How is Opeth?" "Well, Opeth is... like Opeth"... no, "Opeth is death progressive metal", there, you know at least what to expect. These classifiction are not meant to be totally clear about the content.
And please, Nicholas, don't ask me to check out other "death metal" bands, that just means nothing. Are they more "death metal"? Yeah? Alright, why? You are talking about bands that are known to be "death metal", but you doesn't explain why Opeth aren't, you just want me to compare with other bands that are (necesserly) different. The only (weak) argument is "Opeth are death metal because they don't play death metal." Be clear and consistent.
I don't say that Opeth are a pure death metal band, but they use many of the elements from death metal, and we couldn't neither call them progressive metal, but they also take many elements from progressive stuff. (To the post above, I could add "folk" but I don't think folk's place is large enough to be included in the categorization)
And please, Nicholas, don't ask me to check out other "death metal" bands, that just means nothing. Are they more "death metal"? Yeah? Alright, why? You are talking about bands that are known to be "death metal", but you doesn't explain why Opeth aren't, you just want me to compare with other bands that are (necesserly) different. The only (weak) argument is "Opeth are death metal because they don't play death metal." Be clear and consistent.
I don't say that Opeth are a pure death metal band, but they use many of the elements from death metal, and we couldn't neither call them progressive metal, but they also take many elements from progressive stuff. (To the post above, I could add "folk" but I don't think folk's place is large enough to be included in the categorization)
It's clearly death metal, how can you not find it? Not only the growls, but also SO many riffs, and songs... it's hard to believe some people are so ignorant about that.
I would agree with this. Another thing that should be noted is that yes opeth is death metal and YES opeth is progressive. so while opeth is progressive death metal, its just a variation on death metal. in the same way that technical death metal, melodic death metal, brutal death metal, whatever death metal are all variation on death metal.
