Confessions of an Opeth Fan...Ghost Reveries and Faceculture interview...

[Stormwatch]

I will not mention anything about taste or your devotion to the earlier stuff we've done, but for me it's clear some of you guys simply are not on the same wavelength as us in the band and me in particular writing the songs, and you need to move on. "Hours of wealth" is a song I was particulary proud of and it is actually not the fruit of many hours of rehearsals (that comment that we shouldn't rehearse was bordering to stupid, sorry!) but was actually done in the studio. The vocals done in one take and I have a certain connection with this song and if you don't get "it" I won't even bother trying to hype it. We're a phase of "your" musical evolution but maybe your journey ends here and you need to move into new territories?

Don't take it personal Mikael! As I've said, Deliverance is my favourite album, and it's the one that introduced me to the band. The fact I, and some others, think GR isn't as good as previous Opeth albums doesn't mean we suddenly stop being fans. Everyone on here I'm sure loves the band, and everyone on here also likes different albums for differing reasons - there is no one Opeth album that fans generally love more than any other. They're ALL loved by the fans, GR is no exception.
If people didn't love the band, they wouldn't feel the need to comment on the new albums, they'd be apathetic.

 

[vampyrouss]

Keep AC/DC out of it, please. AC/DC are legends for a reason. Anyway, apart from Damnation, Opeth albums DO all follow pretty similar structures. The only difference is, GR is slightly less heavy and has keyboards (rather more commercial if you like).
AC/DC stuck to their guns and play the same rock and roll year in year out, without bowing to trends. Can all bands say that?

You say adding keyboards and making it mellower adds to commercial appeal, but how about making the same album over and over because you know it will sell well instead of being creative and trying new things?

 

[Stormwatch]

You say adding keyboards and making it mellower adds to commercial appeal, but how about making the same album over and over because you know it will sell well instead of being creative and trying new things?

Fly On The Wall didn't sell well. Neither did Flick, Blow Up Your Video or Powerage.
I understand bands like to progress, but one of my favourite bands is Def Leppard, and they try to stay "trendy", and it results in sub-par albums. Some bands can do it well, like Jethro Tull, who reinvented themself with practically every album - some are best sticking to what they're good at.
AC/DC, Vader etc do what they're good at and the fans appreciate it.

I don't really see Opeth doing much different on GR, compared to previous albums, apart from adding keyboards and getting a little mellower. The blueprint is still pretty much the same as it was on Still Life...

BTW Don't mistake me - I do like and enjoy very much GR, I just don't enjoy it as much as their previous albums.

 

[vampyrouss]

Yeah, just pointing out that most people think Selling out = changing, when staying the same just to sell more records is more worthy of the title selling out than doing what the artist wants which just happens to sound mellower or whatever. Not aimed at you specifically, but to me Opeth becoming mainstream on Roadrunner wouldn't sound like GR. It would be a straight forwards verse chorus verse chorus heavy album probably, with some cliche clean parts for every chorus... like most roadrunner bands!

I think they did the opposite of becoming commercial even though its a mellower album than any of the old stuff. I just think your average roadrunner listener would be more into the simple heavy stuff.

 

[Valerie]

AC/DC stuck to their guns and play the same rock and roll year in year out, without bowing to trends.

AC/DC is (perhaps was) the trend.

 

[Zivilyn]

"Hours of wealth" is a song I was particulary proud of and it is actually not the fruit of many hours of rehearsals (that comment that we shouldn't rehearse was bordering to stupid, sorry!) but was actually done in the studio. The vocals done in one take and I have a certain connection with this song and if you don't get "it" I won't even bother trying to hype it.

Hours of Wealth is a KICKASS song, and I'm glad that you wrote it. Opinions are opinions, that guy's entitled to his, but it's still cool that you can rip into him like that .

Of course, you're probably not gonna see this 5 pages into it (I always miss the good stuff ), but oh well. Hope to see you up on a stage really soon.

 

[Mikael Åkerfeldt]

Well I pretty much check this forum as often as I can and it's highly entertaining most of the time. The slagging biz is something I'm very used to as well and I too slag bands and people off ALL the time. As time pass I will not be affected by negative comments about this album. But right now, "Ghost reveries" is quite new to me, I'm proud over it, and a bit more sensitive about it, is all.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Braighs]

COOL

I never see you in the member's list, but I don't blame you for hiding.

If I made an album as great as Ghost Reveries and someone took a piss on it, i'd hire a hitman.

 

[Liquid Diamonds]

You're right Mike, we all slag bands every once in a while. And we all get worked up when we're the ones on the receiving end, especially if its something we're proud of.
I agree with you about Ghost reveries though, its awesome.

 

[in limbow]

Well I pretty much check this forum as often as I can and it's highly entertaining most of the time. The slagging biz is something I'm very used to as well and I too slag bands and people off ALL the time. As time pass I will not be affected by negative comments about this album. But right now, "Ghost reveries" is quite new to me, I'm proud over it, and a bit more sensitive about it, is all.

Cheers
Mike

Though obviously everyone's entitled to their own opinion, the threadstarter didn't need to make a thread about this. Even if he doesn't like Ghost Reveries, he should show a little respect... I can tell you and the band really put a lot of work into the new album.

 

[Stormwatch]

AC/DC is (perhaps was) the trend.

What? Please explain what you mean. I don't get it.

 

[Stormwatch]

Well I pretty much check this forum as often as I can and it's highly entertaining most of the time. The slagging biz is something I'm very used to as well and I too slag bands and people off ALL the time. As time pass I will not be affected by negative comments about this album. But right now, "Ghost reveries" is quite new to me, I'm proud over it, and a bit more sensitive about it, is all.

Cheers
Mike

You do realise, opinions on GR will be VERY different after a couple of years... Of course you do, WTF do I know! Thanks for taking the time to reply to the fans BTW.

 

[Stormwatch]

Though obviously everyone's entitled to their own opinion, the threadstarter didn't need to make a thread about this. Even if he doesn't like Ghost Reveries, he should show a little respect... I can tell you and the band really put a lot of work into the new album.

I don't think he's being dis-respectful at all. He's giving his honest opinion. What would you prefer - that he kisses everyones arse and says GR is great when he doesn't really think so? Come on, the guy's entitled to his opinion surely?
From his post it's clear he's a big Opeth fan, it's just his opinion that the new album isn't as good as the older ones. No-one is doubting the work put into GR!

 

[in limbow]

I don't think he's being dis-respectful at all. He's giving his honest opinion. What would you prefer - that he kisses everyones arse and says GR is great when he doesn't really think so? Come on, the guy's entitled to his opinion surely?
From his post it's clear he's a big Opeth fan, it's just his opinion that the new album isn't as good as the older ones. No-one is doubting the work put into GR!

The way he said some things was just rude. Like, "please- no rehearsals next time!", as if is the king and every band he likes has to be 100% perfect for his tastes all the time. Plus, there's been about 102814389 threads about this already, the dude should've either bumped another one or not posted at all.. obviously he was trying to stir up some trouble, he hasn't even posted again since.

 

[Braighs]

I don't think he's being dis-respectful at all. He's giving his honest opinion. What would you prefer - that he kisses everyones arse and says GR is great when he doesn't really think so? Come on, the guy's entitled to his opinion surely?
From his post it's clear he's a big Opeth fan, it's just his opinion that the new album isn't as good as the older ones. No-one is doubting the work put into GR!

personally, I don't see how someone can love an Opeth album and hate another. (except Damnation.) All albums are different, but they are related. He obviously did not apreciate GR like previous albums, but his comments just sounded too harsh.

ex. And then theres Hours of Wealth!. What on earth is going on here?

 

[Stormwatch]

personally, I don't see how someone can love an Opeth album and hate another. (except Damnation.) .

Er, right then....

 

[Stormwatch]

The way he said some things was just rude. Like, "please- no rehearsals next time!", as if is the king and every band he likes has to be 100% perfect for his tastes all the time. .

Well isn't that the way we all feel? If you hear an album a band you like do you not have opinions on it? Do you just accept it, whether you enjoy it or not? Of course not. I thought he made good points - not saying he was right, but FFS he was just voicing his opinion.

 

[Black Session]

amazing how much power mikael has on some people

anyway, I just read this post now for the first time, and I would like to reply by saying that I for one love HoW and Isolation Years, since those two songs can cause shivers and almost put tears in my eyes when I listen to it in the dark alone at night ... they are amazing songs, and in my personal opinion even way better than every song on damnation (wich I'm actually rediscovering now ).
I'm not a big fan of the song atonement, but it's great to hear an opeth perspective on this kind of music. I'm very curious wich way opeth will develop further, and I hope I'll keep on discovering great music through theirs.

and it's only now that I start to form a real opinion about GR, since it has to grow, you have to listen it so many times, like every opeth album ... I'm not saying it's my "favourite", but I started listening to it objectively, as I always to with every band's new release, and I appreciate it very much.
I said it before: it would be amazing to have a new album with the means they have now that is in the style of older albums, but I can say this about a lot of bands, without really meaning it ... good bands evolve, sometimes it hurts to see your favourite band evolve to something you don't like (I have felt this "pain" also with other bands ) but there's no way you can start bashing that band for it (except when they become greedy sell-outs of course ).

voila, my opinion
I can't wait to see in the coming years what more will come, and I'll cherish every album they've maid so far, I hope I'll be able to cherrish the forthcoming ones also .. I'll see ..

 

[Braighs]

Er, right then....

err...ok. What's your point?
My point was: If you think BWP is pure genious, you can't say GR is crap.

 

[in limbow]

Well isn't that the way we all feel? If you hear an album a band you like do you not have opinions on it? Do you just accept it, whether you enjoy it or not? Of course not. I thought he made good points - not saying he was right, but FFS he was just voicing his opinion.

Of course I have opinions, I'm just saying that the manner in which the threadstarter stated his was kind of rude, and this thread is not necessary- as I said there's already been countless ones like this.