Are Opeth really that good??

[MetalManCPA]

Originally posted by Opet
There's a passion in there!

...Wooooooooooe! You better watch where you point that thing (comment) mister.

"She laughing and weeping at once: "take me away"."

Hey - emotion gets the better of me

 

[Lakestream]

sadistik > that was what I was trying to say (in some odd kind of way). To write music like that, they HAVE to be masters at their intruments...really understand how to produce emotions with their instruments. Over-indulgence of fast/hard solos everywhere is just plain cheesy...it's like saying:

"We didn't come with anything good to play here, so instead of playing something useful, we're gonna shock you with how fat our guitarist is!"

 

[Lakestream]

umm...I seriously meant fast...not fat....well, except in Fear Factory's case, that is.....

 

[MetalManCPA]

Originally posted by Lakestream
sadistik > that was what I was trying to say (in some odd kind of way). To write music like that, they HAVE to be masters at their intruments...really understand how to produce emotions with their instruments. Over-indulgence of fast/hard solos everywhere is just plain cheesy...it's like saying:

"We didn't come with anything good to play here, so instead of playing something useful, we're gonna shock you with how fat our guitarist is!"

Question: can you be a master of an instrument without being a technical genious? As I said previously, I don't "think" individually they are the best at their instruments compared to others, but it's collectively where they shine. I think more than 50% of the emotion comes from the composition - and you do need to be able to play with emotion, but playing with emotion doesn't necessarily equate to technical genious - does it?

 

[Useful Idiot]

Originally posted by metalmancpa
playing with emotion doesn't necessarily equate to technical genious - does it?

Definitely not. Emotional music and technically advanced music are often very hard to find in the same place. I think that Opeth combines a very healthy mix of the two, and that may be one of the reasons they are so enchanting to us.

 

[Belial]

For some reason, I found that hillarious!

 

[Lakestream]

the depends on your definition of technicality

I've never heard Mikael play anything wrong on any of the live songs I've d/l'd (or at the show I personally was at). He always carries crystal-clear notes, and he's neat at bending, sliding and handling. I don't think he's the fastest guitarist their is, but speed hasn't got much to do with your proficiency in an instument.

 

[SentencedToBurn]

it doesnt always have to do with speed and technicality even though thats a big part of the package for me. i want musicians that know how to play their insterments. not players that have been playing for a year and then think they can be in a band. thats just dumb.
But how opeth puts their music together is great. The emotion in it is awesome. Parts are just downright beautiful. Very few bands can do what they do.

 

[musicholic]

The arrangements are what set them apart, how they flow from one part to another. I think they are holding back a bit from "showing off". There are bits on "Orchid" where the guitars shred a bit and the loping bass parts on Morningrise kind of stand out. But they seem to stay away from things like that on the newer albums. I think they want us to pay attention to the total music and not wankie solos.

 

[Misanthrope]

Question: can you be a master of an instrument without being a technical genious? As I said previously, I don't "think" individually they are the best at their instruments compared to others, but it's collectively where they shine. I think more than 50% of the emotion comes from the composition - and you do need to be able to play with emotion, but playing with emotion doesn't necessarily equate to technical genious - does it?

You cannot Master your instrument without being a technical genious. You can master MUSIC withot being a technical genious but there is a difference between master and just good. Opeth master Music and are Good at their instruments that is why they have alot of emotion but overall, that emotion cames mostly from their composition it just has a good technicque ( not mastered ) to respald it.

I've never heard Mikael play anything wrong on any of the live songs I've d/l'd (or at the show I personally was at). He always carries crystal-clear notes, and he's neat at bending, sliding and handling. I don't think he's the fastest guitarist their is, but speed hasn't got much to do with your proficiency in an instument.

I think he makes a mistake in the Demon of the fall bootleg video, he is not perfect no one can be cristal clear all the time, is silly to think that because you will never get the same sound live that you get on studio, you just gotta take advantace of the stuff you have live and work with that, and Opeth does great in that aspect from the live bootlegs i heard. Speed has got to do a good part with proficency, this does not means it is all that counts is just a factor, but every riff you can think off becomes harder as you increase the speed, opeth just chooses not to be frenetical fast in their songs.

 

[requiem]

I'm not sure we can completely comment on the proficiancy of the members due mainly to the style of music they play.

I don't think a blistering guitar solo or insane drum break would do anything positive for their songs on a whole.

But from what we hear on their albums I don't think anyone would accuse them of being sloppy...

 

[Culture_AK47]

personally i feel that Opeth are masters of their instruments. they understand them very well, so well in fact that they use them to total perfection to create those emotional masterpieces that we are all so very fond of. it is the blend of the instruments within the band as a whole that i feel no others can even come close to matching.

amazing guitar solo's would not work within Opeth's structure. because of the length of the songs a solo would not have the same stand out effect in an Opeth song. that does not mean that they can't do them.

but i agree with the post above me, they are certainly not sloppy, what they play they play to perfection.

 

[MacMoney]

I know one person who combines great songwriting, great emotions and great guitar skills. But he passed away last thursday...

 

[Misanthrope]

Indeed, and he was an example of technical mastery based on musical mastery, i mean here you have this person who never took a guitar lesson and learned all by himself, and as he stated in interviews he never practiced he just writed albums and practiced to master the things he couldnt play in guitar until he took it to the level of being considered one of the best Metal guitar players of all times. Something he never intended by studing in a musical institute or things like that this is why the fact that Opeth are better at writting music could ultimately make them technical gods.

 

[The_Wanderer]

I think they are taht good but together. Together as one entity that creates great music.
There are lots of better guitarists, drummers, bassists, but there are few (if not none) better groups. Opeth Rules and that's it.

 

[YaYo]

great replies people, i knew we'd get the people who were to afraid to criticise their favorite band so found another compliment to give. But amongst them their were quite a few people who answered the question i asked, which was solely about the technicallity of their playing, nothing else.

and just a side note, the best mikael solo ive ever heard is on that Sorskogen track Mordet I Grotten, so those that suggested that they can play a lot better than they do may just have a point.

and nobody get me wrong, i also think opeth are in a league of their own when it comes to songs/albums/band type things.

I dont think opeth are the best musicians in the world but i think they are good enough to not be limited by their ability, and thats the important thing.

 

[Useful Idiot]

Originally posted by YaYoGakk

I dont think opeth are the best musicians in the world but i think they are good enough to not be limited by their ability, and thats the important thing.

Very nicely put. It's quite simple. The style of music Opeth plays doesn't require them to be the best musicians in the world. The music is sheer genius, though not because of its technicality.

 

[Spotted Owl]

I saw opeth live recently, and i'm wondering if Mikael's clean voice is usually a bit "unstable" when they perform live? I noticed it mainly on the parts of the songs where he sings with a clean voice over distorted guitar riffs...I know that its fooking hard because you can't hear yourself too well.
Any comments on this by ppl who have seen them live as well?

On the CD's the music and chords sound pretty complicated to me, but seeing how they play it live, it didn't look particularly difficult or technical. I did notice how Peter played one of the faster solo-ish bits with very much ease, it actually surprised me (but he must have played it hundreds of times already )

I guess on the albums they have more then 2 layers of guitar parts very often and there is the element of production, which all adds to the emotion and also to the sense of "this is complicated", but live, u only get to choose 2 guitar parts (the 2 that are most representative for the song). Still, it sounded very cool

Like many people before said: they are excellent songwriters, and "just good" musicians as far as technical playing skill is concerned

Which is just fine by me, it is better then the other way around (steve vai...gawd, the cheeziness)