Calling all Opeth homos

[Mort Divine]

Primordial's music is of a completely different creed though, and as such their riff repetition is actually effective.

 

[challenge_everything]

Well it bores me to tears.

 

[Lord Kur]

why you always gotta challenge everything?

 

[Mort Divine]

Well it bores me to tears.

WTB: Attention span

 

[Zhou Tai 04]

I think this song is rather good.

 

[naboo]

Basically, this:



I'm not hearing the underlying logic that's supposed to unify all the elements within their songs together. It just sounds like musical masturbation to me. The method seems to be "let's put this dark sounding riff here because it sounds cool, now let's put this other part after it because I think this part sounds cool too, now let's throw in a clean riff for good measure, now a totally badass solo because people need to know that I'm learning how to shred these days, now let's repeat that one riff we played earlier so we can have some justification for calling this a song, etc., etc."

This is true, yet their individual parts are among the best riffs I've ever heard. Also, I haven't seen a metal band write a truly musically streamlined song (aside from Summoning haha). People may argue that black metal does that, but a lot of black metal music could have easily been made by retards. Like someone said before it's "metal in a nutshell;" Opeth just take it to a higher level heh.

 

[challenge_everything]

WTB: Attention span

If there's a paradigm case of predictability, it's Primordial. Every album I own (the last three) sounds exactly the same. Opens with a killer song, they rape that riff for all it's worth, and then each subsequent song is the same riff but progressively more inferior. Nemtheanga uses the same vocal delivery, with the same semi-spoken pronunciation and emphasis.

 

[King Richard]

The reason people don't like Opeth is because they're so goddamn predictable. Every album has the same excact formula and the songs on ablums aren't even connected that well. Opeth is good, but they fail in many categories

Edit: Every album consists of one acoustic song and the others are combinations of soft parts and distorted parts. Often a soft melodic alt distortion part as well

Certainly you have to see the retardation and down right self-righteousness in this post. Name me one band you listen to that doesn't do something every album and every song that you didn't already know was coming.

Opeth also have a tendency to draw out passages past the point of interest and I also hate songs that only have one passage I like, if the rest of most of the others fail then I won't listen to the song. THis is a big risk they take. I feel like they've learned to put in the softer parts well now though.

Give some examples.

MAYH is their best

Wrong.

I accept the criticism that most of their songs are simply a random collection of riffs, with some fairly awkward transitions at times, but that doesn't change the fact that most of their riffs are so epic and expressive and can evoke emotion like few others in metal. THe contrasts are, for the main, part of the attraction.

And given I can listen to many DM albums, particularly the more technical ones, and not really notice when one song ends and another begins, one can hardly criticise them for all their songs sounding the same. Opeth generates about 10 riffs per 10 minute song that would each have the strength to be the main 'theme' riff in any verse-chorus-verse DM band or in any 'repeat the same riff over and over to be epic' band like Primordial.

I agree mostly with this except for the awkward transitions. I've found that their music and lyrics go hand in hand almost to a T. Generally I read most of the lyrics while I listen to the songs for the first time so you tend to understand where the songs going etc. But that's just me. Honestly though, Mike has admitted a 8259825 times that he despises predictability in music which is why most of their transitions seem awkward or misplaced.

 

[King Richard]

If there's a paradigm case of predictability, it's Primordial. Every album I own (the last three) sounds exactly the same. Opens with a killer song, they rape that riff for all it's worth, and then each subsequent song is the same riff but progressively more inferior. Nemtheanga uses the same vocal delivery, with the same semi-spoken pronunciation and emphasis.

You want to talk about predictability? Three words: Pain of Salvation. Their cds are best used as coasters. (sorry I had to mort =P)

 

[Mort Divine]

PoS are not predictable.

 

[Mort Divine]

If there's a paradigm case of predictability, it's Primordial. Every album I own (the last three) sounds exactly the same. Opens with a killer song, they rape that riff for all it's worth, and then each subsequent song is the same riff but progressively more inferior. Nemtheanga uses the same vocal delivery, with the same semi-spoken pronunciation and emphasis.

The nature of their music allows for that approach to work though

 

[Manic Ferocity]

Opeth is the antithesis of a cut and paste band

I do like Opeth to a degree but he's got a point.

 

[Life Sucks]

It's a typical (retarded) Life Sucks post.

Shut up you ugly four eyed geek. I'm sick of you and your condescending attitude. Get cancer.

Note to mods: I only flame when I'm flamed first.

 

[challenge_everything]

The nature of their music allows for that approach to work though

My problem is not so much with the approach as with the execution. Repetition only works if you are skilled at building the atmosphere and I'm not feeling it.

You know, I remember hearing the first song on Nameless Dead and thinking "my god, a chorus!" It was a nice change in that Nemtheanga actually put some force into his vocals. But after that, there's little effort into constructing what comes out of his mouth.

Anyway, back to Opeth...

 

[Belligerent]

I actually thought it was Jonas from Katatonia jamming out in the background the first minute of the Opeth video...then I realized it was Per. Good shit, I CANNOT wait til June now.

 

[NinjaGeek]

Haven't really become an Opeth fan but the predictability argument is silly. Do you listen to a death metal album and say "Oh they're playing death metal again, how predictable." Mixing in acoustic or soft sections doesn't make it predictable it's just their style.

 

[Alteredmindeath]

Id rather wait for the album than ruin it with shit bootlegs.

 

[Mort Divine]

My problem is not so much with the approach as with the execution. Repetition only works if you are skilled at building the atmosphere and I'm not feeling it.

You know, I remember hearing the first song on Nameless Dead and thinking "my god, a chorus!" It was a nice change in that Nemtheanga actually put some force into his vocals. But after that, there's little effort into constructing what comes out of his mouth.

Anyway, back to Opeth...

Fair enough.

 

[Vamos]

Opeth can't decide if they want to be metal or acoustic/soft rock.

They do not go either one way or the other, they do both and have been doing so since their first release. Why do you assume that because of this they are somehow undecided on what style they want to play? That is like saying that Primordial can't decide if they want to use clean vocals or screams in their music because they do both.

As far as predictability goes, yeah they have their own signature style and carry it over from album to album. But guess what, so do a plethora of great artists in every other medium. Artists normally like expressing themselves in whatever medium they work on in a particular way. You have to keep in mind that Mikael has been the brain behind Opeth from the start, so one should not be surprised to see similar elements in all their albums.

But still, while they maintain their signature style, they have been improving upon and expanding it with each release. If you listen to Orchid and to Ghost Reveries and compare them, you'll notice how much broader and eclectic they have become in their sound.

 

[Vamos]

Id rather wait for the album than ruin it with shit bootlegs.

Me too, I am not listening to it. June is so far...bah.