Again, spoilers like mad, so don't read this if you don't wanna know about the album. It'll be up on www.death8699.com within a week or so as well.
Opeth Damnation (2003/Koch Music for Nations)
This has been the most anticipated album for me since I read of Opeths idea to release dually a mellow record and a heavy one. When Deliverance came out in November 2002, but Damnation was pushed back to April 2003, I was dismayed. Damnation, the mellow record, was something so much more enticing to me. And the fact that they hyped it as being in the vein of 70s progressive rock greats like King Crimson and Camel had me drooling all the more. Now, tonight, I got an advance copy of Damnation, and after just three or four listens I can safely say that this is not only the best album of 2003, not only the best album since the year 2000, but the best album Ive ever heard. Im almost blown away to speechlessness.
Based on all the comparisons, I hadnt a clue what to expect from this record. Would it sound at all like Opeth? Would it be completely obscure sounding 70s progressive? Damnation is very clearly an Opeth album, and while comparisons can be made, itd be a complete injustice to say that this music is anything but a collection of original and mind-blowing songs. From start to finish, I cant complain about a thing. The production is top notch; the music is a perfect blend of ethereal 70s prog rock and folk, spiced up with Opeths signature sound.
Track by track it goes something like this: Windowpane starts off really slow and jazzy, much like parts of Face of Melinda, then gets a tad slower for the verse where the mellotron that you become so well accustomed to by the end is introduced. After a solo and some more ethereal instrumentation, the amazing middle section comes in at about 3:50 and with groovy bass and more mellotron carrying the Anekdoten or King Crimson like tune. The end of the song returns to the same theme as the beginning but its clearly the climax, featuring a choir of angels effect in the background. Next is In My Time of Need, in which the Porcupine Tree influence really shows through. The beginning vocal line is slightly choppy and rhythmic, leading into a darkly uplifting verse and chorus. The rest of the song continues in a similar direction, alternating between the opening guitar part and the darker chorus. This song is by far the most standard in structure, and the simplicity really adds to its beauty. Death Whispered a Lullaby begins with a short pessimistic acoustic guitar part and Mikael soon begins singing, sounding ever so tortured and bleak. I think this song is more clearly Opeth than any of the others. All the parts seem as though they could easily have been translated into a heavier song, but I feel that theyre at their best in the mellow setting. In the mid section and towards the end, there are some trippy guitar effects used, likely created by e-bow, but they seem like something Steven Wilson played rather than Mikael. The fourth song is my favorite by a long shot at the moment. Closure spends its first minute in a mellow, almost Middle Eastern tinged introduction, and then it seamlessly transitions into the oddest and most impressive guitar lick on the album. Its even a bit aggressive, certainly as heavy as this album gets, and it stays very upbeat until the end, similar in tone to The Funeral Portrait off of Blackwater Park. Hope Leaves is one of the most subtle songs on Damnation, calm from start to finish, one of the most beautiful Opeth songs ever, especially Mikaels singing. To Rid the Disease has some of the darkest moments on the album, but borrows its chorus from the Sorskogen song Mordet I Groten. At about the 4 minute mark it goes into something totally uncharacteristic of Opeth: a strange piano backed by dark bass, clearly an idea of Steven Wilson. Ending Credits, a slightly brief instrumental, is very reminiscent of Moonmadness era Camel. Its short and to the point, a nice pleasant break from the more serious songs. Weakness is the most subtle Opeth song ever, nothing showy, just flanged and clean guitar and some keyboard tones, topped by Mikaels vocals; a brilliant and suitable end to a perfect album.
This album has made my day, week, month, year, or whatever other increment of time youd like to throw in there. Its just perfection, hands down. Opeth have now proven themselves masters of not only dark and aggressive epic metal, but of pure melancholy emotion. Opeth have done it again. After six perfect heavy metal albums, their seventh is a perfect record of mellow goodness. Im truly convinced theres nothing these guys cant do. They could release a hip hop album and it would be perfect. But for now, Im glad theyve done exactly what they have.
Rate: 15/10 .oh hell, 20/10, fuck it, ∞/10
By: Ian (IanDork107@hotmail.com)
Opeth Damnation (2003/Koch Music for Nations)
This has been the most anticipated album for me since I read of Opeths idea to release dually a mellow record and a heavy one. When Deliverance came out in November 2002, but Damnation was pushed back to April 2003, I was dismayed. Damnation, the mellow record, was something so much more enticing to me. And the fact that they hyped it as being in the vein of 70s progressive rock greats like King Crimson and Camel had me drooling all the more. Now, tonight, I got an advance copy of Damnation, and after just three or four listens I can safely say that this is not only the best album of 2003, not only the best album since the year 2000, but the best album Ive ever heard. Im almost blown away to speechlessness.
Based on all the comparisons, I hadnt a clue what to expect from this record. Would it sound at all like Opeth? Would it be completely obscure sounding 70s progressive? Damnation is very clearly an Opeth album, and while comparisons can be made, itd be a complete injustice to say that this music is anything but a collection of original and mind-blowing songs. From start to finish, I cant complain about a thing. The production is top notch; the music is a perfect blend of ethereal 70s prog rock and folk, spiced up with Opeths signature sound.
Track by track it goes something like this: Windowpane starts off really slow and jazzy, much like parts of Face of Melinda, then gets a tad slower for the verse where the mellotron that you become so well accustomed to by the end is introduced. After a solo and some more ethereal instrumentation, the amazing middle section comes in at about 3:50 and with groovy bass and more mellotron carrying the Anekdoten or King Crimson like tune. The end of the song returns to the same theme as the beginning but its clearly the climax, featuring a choir of angels effect in the background. Next is In My Time of Need, in which the Porcupine Tree influence really shows through. The beginning vocal line is slightly choppy and rhythmic, leading into a darkly uplifting verse and chorus. The rest of the song continues in a similar direction, alternating between the opening guitar part and the darker chorus. This song is by far the most standard in structure, and the simplicity really adds to its beauty. Death Whispered a Lullaby begins with a short pessimistic acoustic guitar part and Mikael soon begins singing, sounding ever so tortured and bleak. I think this song is more clearly Opeth than any of the others. All the parts seem as though they could easily have been translated into a heavier song, but I feel that theyre at their best in the mellow setting. In the mid section and towards the end, there are some trippy guitar effects used, likely created by e-bow, but they seem like something Steven Wilson played rather than Mikael. The fourth song is my favorite by a long shot at the moment. Closure spends its first minute in a mellow, almost Middle Eastern tinged introduction, and then it seamlessly transitions into the oddest and most impressive guitar lick on the album. Its even a bit aggressive, certainly as heavy as this album gets, and it stays very upbeat until the end, similar in tone to The Funeral Portrait off of Blackwater Park. Hope Leaves is one of the most subtle songs on Damnation, calm from start to finish, one of the most beautiful Opeth songs ever, especially Mikaels singing. To Rid the Disease has some of the darkest moments on the album, but borrows its chorus from the Sorskogen song Mordet I Groten. At about the 4 minute mark it goes into something totally uncharacteristic of Opeth: a strange piano backed by dark bass, clearly an idea of Steven Wilson. Ending Credits, a slightly brief instrumental, is very reminiscent of Moonmadness era Camel. Its short and to the point, a nice pleasant break from the more serious songs. Weakness is the most subtle Opeth song ever, nothing showy, just flanged and clean guitar and some keyboard tones, topped by Mikaels vocals; a brilliant and suitable end to a perfect album.
This album has made my day, week, month, year, or whatever other increment of time youd like to throw in there. Its just perfection, hands down. Opeth have now proven themselves masters of not only dark and aggressive epic metal, but of pure melancholy emotion. Opeth have done it again. After six perfect heavy metal albums, their seventh is a perfect record of mellow goodness. Im truly convinced theres nothing these guys cant do. They could release a hip hop album and it would be perfect. But for now, Im glad theyve done exactly what they have.
Rate: 15/10 .oh hell, 20/10, fuck it, ∞/10
By: Ian (IanDork107@hotmail.com)
