For those who are not happy with Opeth's recent direction.....

[Hypnos]

I have to say that MAYH is still my favourite Opeth album. While the new stuff is still very good, it doesn't have the same intensity as the earlier stuff. And although there is still plenty of technical brilliance, the Orchid style for me is far more emotionally involving, and enthralling through to the end. The more recent albums seem to slump in the second half, and I know looking at my playcounts that I barely listen to the closing tracks off any of the past four albums. I'm pleased for them that they are still evolving, it means that every album stands alone and sounds very different to every other. But I'm also pleased because it means that maybe they'll move around to a style that I can get more involved in listening to in a couple of albums' time.

word. i'd add thet imho MAYH is the only no-skip-track Opeth album. all the other ones have let-down track which i always skip like Apostle, parts of BRI, Face Of Melinda, Leper Affinity, For Absent Friends, Weakness or Hours Of Wealth. GR is by no means a bad album but it lacks something...there are phantastic songs like GoP, Baying, Harlequin but on the other hand a few really boring ones like Hours or Atonement. still a good album though and i'm really curious how they will evolve in the future

 

[Ermz]

Hi back at you

I got tired of SOT/SOT2. I came back to what brought me to Ultimate Metal - Opeth and music.

I'm kinda glad for that. Even though I recall having starkly contrasted opinions to your own a lot of times back in the day, I'm glad there's an ol' timer here to sort the kiddies out

Anyway, not to derail the thread... please, chat on.

 

[DirgeForNovember]

Every Opeth album has something differnet and unique. I'd rank Still Life, My Arms, Your Hearse and Ghost Reveries as my favourite Opeth albums, but the other ones are just a milimeter after them. With every release Opeth matured and developed into a slightly different direction. But they did it with their hearts and souls behind it, it was always the music they wanted to make. A perfect example for a band developing over the years the right way. Only a few bands can release album after album, develop their style and stay true to themselves while maintaing the quality. Opeth is one of them.

Sorry, I didn't want to sound that praising.

 

[Nitronium Blood]

word. i'd add thet imho MAYH is the only no-skip-track Opeth album. all the other ones have let-down track which i always skip like Apostle, parts of BRI, Face Of Melinda, Leper Affinity, For Absent Friends, Weakness or Hours Of Wealth. GR is by no means a bad album but it lacks something...there are phantastic songs like GoP, Baying, Harlequin but on the other hand a few really boring ones like Hours or Atonement. still a good album though and i'm really curious how they will evolve in the future

You *skip* Opeth songs??????????????!!!!!!!!!!!

Infidel!

 

[theonecynic]

You *skip* Opeth songs??????????????!!!!!!!!!!!

Infidel!

Personally, I don't skip any.

I just create playlists without them...

 

[shark22]

...and I NOT being one who feels that way:

Are you at the point where you don't care if Opeth comes out with another album? Or, after hearing Ghost Reveries, are you already hoping for their next release to be something you've been waiting for from them?

I'll reiterate my position on Opeth (my opinion only) - I feel they have matured over the years, and have done what they've wanted to do. For the naysayers, I believe BWP was the beginning of the end for the love of Opeth. One of the reasons was the much improved production of BWP, well, improved from my standpoint anyways. It seems to me that those who hold onto the "older" Opeth feel there was some sort of rawness to SL, MAYH, Orchid that their more recent works have left behind.

I love all of the Opeth albums. BWP is my favorite. Deliverance/Damnation was not their best albums, and Ghost Reveries is now my second favorite Opeth album. But, with ALL of Opeth's albums, I hear the beauty and talent of Opeth. I don't feel they've lost anything. And, in my personal rankings of Opeth albums, the difference between my favorite and least favorite album isn't much of a margin.

I am one of those fans who prefers the older rawer sound. But I do agree with you that thier most musically mature album is BWP with still life close behind, BWP just a bit more complex/mature. That said, there is something about the rawness that makes albums like MAYH more appealing and straight up over the latter works.

 

[shark22]

^ Word brotha...

Even now I await their next release with anxiety! For me, they're certainly evolving in a wonderful direction... Their first two albums, although badly produced (sorry Morningrise-wankers but that's a fact...) were quite good musically... But then each new album was better and better IMO... I know I may be the only one here but Deliverance was for me as good as BP, I couldn't decide which is my favorite... Now, since GR was released, I don't have that problem luckily You don't think so - fine with me...

One thing though... Where's the 'rawness' on Still Life?? I don't hear any...

The Moor-sound drop outs.

 

[Towelie]

Am I the only one that feels that this is the darkest Opeth CD? I hear lots of people saying its so much of a softer Opeth, but to me I can't disagree more. I think this is a freaking rocking dark brutal album with some magical haunting beautiful accoustic passages and more clean vocals than normal. This is the only album that approaches MAYH in my Opeth catalogue... Still Life comes close too. I love BP and D&D... but Reveries was def. a breath of fresh air that stood my hair up on end like the first time I put MAYH in the CD player.

 

[The Evil Toucan]

Am I the only one that feels that this is the darkest Opeth CD? QUOTE]

Yes. I think almost everyone would agree that MAYH, not GR, is the darkest Opeth CD.

 

[Jude]

word. i'd add thet imho MAYH is the only no-skip-track Opeth album. all the other ones have let-down track which i always skip like Apostle, parts of BRI, Face Of Melinda, Leper Affinity, For Absent Friends, Weakness or Hours Of Wealth. GR is by no means a bad album but it lacks something...there are phantastic songs like GoP, Baying, Harlequin but on the other hand a few really boring ones like Hours or Atonement. still a good album though and i'm really curious how they will evolve in the future

You skip Face of Melinda and Leper Affinity? What are you smoking?

 

[buchkoba00]

They've changed, that's for sure.

But I really feel they have "lost the magic".

What music they make now is not metal anymore, it's a prog-fusion of some kind. But not metal.

Their new work has nothing dark about it, and lyrically it's gone to crap. Any poetic beauty about their work is gone.

Good luck to them, they're doing well and they DO deserve it for all their hard work, but it's not the direction myself (and probably other older fans, I could be wrong) are looking for.

In my opinion, with GR, things which once made Opeth unique is what they have not included into the album.

Since you won't answer me in the other thread I'll try here:

"Since when is metal more intelligent or complex than prog? Now obviously they are apples and oranges, and *I'm* not saying one is better than the other, but how can you claim metal is more complex than prog? Do you even know what progressive rock is? (seriously)"

Do you really think Still Life is that much heavier than the new one?

 

[MetalManCPA]

Am I the only one that feels that this is the darkest Opeth CD? I hear lots of people saying its so much of a softer Opeth, but to me I can't disagree more. I think this is a freaking rocking dark brutal album with some magical haunting beautiful accoustic passages and more clean vocals than normal. This is the only album that approaches MAYH in my Opeth catalogue... Still Life comes close too. I love BP and D&D... but Reveries was def. a breath of fresh air that stood my hair up on end like the first time I put MAYH in the CD player.

To me, regardless of how you categorize Ghost Reveries (dark, haunting, etc), I emphatically agree that this album, mind you the bands EIGHTH release, is totally a breath of fresh air in the album release world.

0% stale, 100% mesmerizing, 10 years of continued musical brilliance (and to my ears I mean brilliance) : couldn't ask for anything more.

 

[The Evil Toucan]

To me, regardless of how you categorize Ghost Reveries (dark, haunting, etc), I emphatically agree that this album, mind you the bands EIGHTH release, is totally a breath of fresh air in the album release world.

0% stale, 100% mesmerizing, 10 years of continued musical brilliance (and to my ears I mean brilliance) : couldn't ask for anything more.

Are you a CPA? How hard is the CPA exam?

 

[Kenneth R.]

.original post.

i completely agree.

 

[Abysmo]

Speaking of Ghost Reveries, I'd say it's a decent album , if not excellent, I'd give him 8.5 out of 10 pts (at this moment, it is subject to some alterations in the future, probably). One could say- Ok, it's a great rating , the album is stunning etc., but Opeth accustomed us for absolutely hi-rated LP's... IMO, GR lacks fluency, of course, it comprises a few brilliant songs (e.q. GOP, BTMire or Reverie/Harlequin Forest), on the other hand some tracks seem to be crafted by force..obviously, it's a matter of taste, I'm not going to complain about it constantly, it's great they have recorded another album, instead of splitting up for instance...so, let's entertain !!

anyway, my Opeth's Top albums as follows (so far) :
1. STILL LIFE (TILL DEATH ;-)
2. BLACKWATER PARK
3. MAYH
4. DAMNATION, DELIVERANCE, GHOST REVERIES ex aequo
5. MORNINGRISE
6. ORCHID

 

[MetalAges]

I'll come at this from a different perspective. I was a late comer to the world of Opeth. I heard Still Life and was pretty blown away by it. Blackwater Park was pretty cool, not as "WOW" as with Still Life for me but still good. With me not even being a long time fan I could see the Opeth backlash start simply because they started getting more popular, seems to happen a lot with bands. D&D was "ok" for me. Now, I don't really download many MP3s any more because I felt it started ruining the whole music experience for me, but that's another discussion...

With that said, I hadn't heard anything from the new Opeth until I saw their video on Headbanger's Ball. I was blown away by that tune (The Grand Conjuration)! You are right that it is a refreshing sound they have worked up, if this one tune is any indication, this album will be killer (I have it ordered and on the way). I just love Mikael's guitar playing. So...emotional, soul felt (that a word?), just excellent and it really sets Opeth apart from the type of bands that just have some smoking shredder guy running up and down scales.

On a side note, glad to see you here MetalMan! \m/

 

[MetalManCPA]

.... On a side note, glad to see you here MetalMan! \m/

Glad to be back.

 

[MetalManCPA]

Are you a CPA? How hard is the CPA exam?

Yeah, I'm a real CPA. The exam has changed since I took it in the dark ages. My memories of the exam (one which it took my 5 tries to pass) was it was two and a half days of brain cramping hell.

Hard? Hope you're a good studier, because that why it took me so many tries before I succeeded - I always sucked at studying, and never really had to in college. My "graduated with honors" is pretty much a joke. The CPA title on the other hand was well earned and worth extra coin in the pocket.

 

[MetalAges]

My cousin who is smarter than beyond words (and an avid horror/metal fan) is trying for CPA as well, and he has failed it like three times. I knew after that it was not merely a test that was easy to pass and you get three letters added to your title!

 

[The Evil Toucan]

Yeah, I'm a real CPA. The exam has changed since I took it in the dark ages. My memories of the exam (one which it took my 5 tries to pass) was it was two and a half days of brain cramping hell.

Hard? Hope you're a good studier, because that why it took me so many tries before I succeeded - I always sucked at studying, and never really had to in college. My "graduated with honors" is pretty much a joke. The CPA title on the other hand was well earned and worth extra coin in the pocket.

I'm an excellent studier and there has only been a handful of tests that I haven't made A's on in business school. I've aced all accounting exams except one. My aunt is a CPA and says she has never met anyone from my school that didn't pass it on their first try. I am getting my undergrad degree right now but I gotta get my masters before I can sit for it, and I also want to possibly get an internship with Deloitte or one of the other big ones....any advice on the pros/cons of your job?

Sorry to be off-topic.

Opeth fucking rocks! Except the new album.