Honest opinions on Watershed

[wut wut]

After hearing about Mike's old girlfriend committing suicide, most of lyrics fell into place for me conceptually. I can link every song to that easily...

Except for "Heir Apparent." The language used is way too strong for it to be about how Mike 'got anger' over the breakup. A couple of things just don't make sense, if it is about Mike's anger.

The best way I can reconcile "Heir Apparent" with the concept (which may or may not exist, but I'm betting that it does since all the other songs so easily match up):

Long days, slow waste

Obviously, the woman's depression.

His touch soiling what used to be clean
His gaze burning on the edge of our dreams
No more

Long days. Long days.

And again he rides in
It's September and he covets the gullible
Skeletal wish, hunter
A thousand lies cast from the throne of secrecy

A man comes into her life, a guy who preys on broken women. He makes her condition worse. The rest of the lyrics fall into place once this is established.


Two things make this possibly a stretch: "Our dreams" and "Rid us of your judgement," implies that the subject of the song affects a large group of people.

On the other hand, it could also imply that through her suicide, this bastard influenced the people who knew her.

 

[hexwind]

If we think about the old girlfriend of Mike who commited suicide as he mentioned in faceculture interview, my theory of songs and what they are about is this:

Girls lies Mike ( overall lyrics have lots of lie references, in lotus, coil, hex omega, heir apparent ) and they break up. The song Coil is about this and they are talking about that.

Heir Apparent is about Mike who got anger after they broke up. Song might be about his personal struggle to keep up with the fact that their relationship is no more. That's why song is so brutal.

Lotus Eater is when Mike hears the news of her death. The song is chaotic because he is surprised, shocked. Not that sad maybe at the first time he hears it. He is completely shocked thats why the song has very strange changes and melodies and feels bizarre even.

Burden is when he truly feels sad about her death. He thinks about the times they had etc and gets sad I guess.

PH is the song that I cant give a meaning.

Hessian Peel is the song that he feels sad for her children maybe. His grief for her death continues.

Hex Omega same with above but the overall emotion is regret atm. Regret about their relationship in past and sadness.


These are all my theories though.

If you what you are saying is correct, then Anna Akerfeldt will ripp off his fucking balls dude !!!!

 

[Dammnare]

If you what you are saying is correct, then Anna Akerfeldt will ripp off his fucking balls dude !!!!

Well I don't think her ripping balls would matter. She is dead anyway and this is a sad thing not something to get angry imo . They are mature persons they would understand.

 

[Dammnare]

After hearing about Mike's old girlfriend committing suicide, most of lyrics fell into place for me conceptually. I can link every song to that easily...

Except for "Heir Apparent." The language used is way too strong for it to be about how Mike 'got anger' over the breakup. A couple of things just don't make sense, if it is about Mike's anger.

The best way I can reconcile "Heir Apparent" with the concept (which may or may not exist, but I'm betting that it does since all the other songs so easily match up):



Obviously, the woman's depression.



A man comes into her life, a guy who preys on broken women. He makes her condition worse. The rest of the lyrics fall into place once this is established.


Two things make this possibly a stretch: "Our dreams" and "Rid us of your judgement," implies that the subject of the song affects a large group of people.

On the other hand, it could also imply that through her suicide, this bastard influenced the people who knew her.

I think you're right.

This explains why Watershed is not brutal. It is meant to fit with the concept and theme of the album.

 

[Nasty-Fire]

To complete, I'd say that Porcelain Heart is about the way he left her alone, how he couldn't help her.


He "wrote down a name" (like to say he wanted to send her a message, but he wasn't able to complete it, didn't know what to say)

He "sais that [he] loved" (when they were together, but even with that "promess", he didn't help. He feels like a coward, maybe)

He "went far away" (he totally abandonned her in her sadness)


The only thing that bothers me is "I lost all I had that April day". Maybe it could turn out in another perspective, where to girl is actually the one talking. I don't know.

 

[Sandman5]

I really like the album, plenty of great moments, nice atmosphere (I do like the autumny sound more though) I think it could do with at least one 'straight up heavy Opeth' track, which I think all the albums (bar Damnation) should have.
Coil is a great song too, at first I wasn't so sure about it but it has grown on me It adds another layer to the many layers of Opeth which is great.

Heir Apparent

 

[hexwind]

Well I don't think her ripping balls would matter. She is dead anyway and this is a sad thing not something to get angry imo . They are mature persons they would understand.

I mean she would kick his ass cz he's still mourning over the fact that she is dead and somebody took her from him years ago
and guys, remember Mike said that he wrote the lyrics from her perspective, not his !

 

[The Black Canvas]

Opeth fan for years, bought Watershed thinking "IT has to be good, its Opeth!!!" But soon after i was very disappointed in the album, not nearly as good as any other Opeth album! DEFinately their worst album to date, definately. Wish i didnt buy it, and i love Opeth!!!

 

[Nocturnus_Draconis]

Opeth fan for years, bought Watershed thinking "IT has to be good, its Opeth!!!" But soon after i was very disappointed in the album, not nearly as good as any other Opeth album! DEFinately their worst album to date, definately. Wish i didnt buy it, and i love Opeth!!!

I wasn't thinking "It has to be good" so I liked a lot then I listened it!!!
I think you don't have to wait for something in new album, specialy wait something from old albums what you liked.
It's happens always...everybody thinks what old works are always better, a lot of times coz of this...
I think Watershed is the best album! \m/

 

[wankerness]

Haven't listened to it since the week it came out. Have listened to every other album of theirs' at least once in the same time period.

 

[Burden]

The only thing that bothers me is "I lost all I had that April day". Maybe it could turn out in another perspective, where to girl is actually the one talking. I don't know.

Well, we don't know the reasons why they broke up. From time to time there are relationships in which both parties love each other to death, but recognize that their relationship has no future. Or maybe she has cheated on him and so he left her -> he lost all he had.

You get my point? Maybe Mike switched into another perspective, but I don't think so, it wouldn't fit into the song's lyrical flow.

 

[wut wut]

You get my point? Maybe Mike switched into another perspective, but I don't think so, it wouldn't fit into the song's lyrical flow.

Mike has gone on record saying that a few times he talks from her perspective in the lyrics.

 

[Burden]

Mike has gone on record saying that a few times he talks from her perspective in the lyrics.

Link please

 

[davegrohl]

this cd is fucking amazing.

i´ll be epic in 4 or 5 years..

 

[wut wut]

Link please

If I come across it again I'll remember to put it up here. It was a video interview, and those are harder to track down when you want something specific.

Sorry. Thought it would be better than leaving you hanging, though.

 

[Nasty-Fire]

^ Well I've seen it too, and I aprove.

 

[StarChild_]

one of the best album's imo

 

[headbanger24]

great fucking album, Mike doesn't know how to do wrong

 

[hexwind]

Link please

Check this out or the related videos.

 

[Burden]

thank you. 8)