mexicola
Member
It's a move in the right direction. Why would you want a band to stay the same album after album?
Honest opinions on Watershed
- Thread starter OrchidForest
- Start date
Nasty-Fire
Discursion
Actually I didn't say there was a lack of consistency in atmosphere. I think there is a strange atmosphere that's pretty nice, though different. As for the other post below about emotions.. well yes, the story itself and the reasons for the lyrics are very, very deep. That girl who died... but seriously, I often felt like cryiing after reading Still Life or My Arms, Your Hearse. To me Watershed isn't so deep, it's more like an album that shows another face of Opeth, with the new line-up and which is not essentially dark (though that's what Mikael said). I take this album as a transition to something bigger.
One other factor that makes me say there's less feelings is the atmosphere (again). I don't know what you guys think about it but I always felt some confusion in it, a dizzy feeling within the songs. Think about The Lotus Eater, or Derelict Herds. To me, Opeth lost most of their "deepness" after the Damnation album. Generally, and not only for Opeth, I tend to believe that older stuff are deeper, but I don't know if it's only personnal or if it is a trend in the musical industry. Anything else to share?
Are you sure? Really, I don't believe so. Think about almost any album from Opeth. Deliverance, pure rage. Blackwater Park, with death, violence and sadness. Still Life and MYAH with love.. and death. And think about quality, not quantity
.
Nasty-Fire
Discursion
^ I always thought (well.. since it was released) that Ghost Reveries should be part of that "list". But big classics are those, in fact.
Korlich
So Judah fucked it up
I never know with Opeth this is a good album, but so diff. than even GR. I love TLE and HA but the flow of the album is somewhat missing, thats one thing I hope will change on the next opus
Iki-ilkkuja
Member
An average Opeth album. Clearly a transistional work and thus one of their most important ones so far, no matter what one thinks. Some of the songs are future classics, Heir Apparent, The Lotus Eater and even Hex Omega, but otherwise the album is pretty average. Skillfull songwriting with good dynamics, awesome performance by everyone. Good mix except the vocals. 8/10 I say.
CadenZ
Son of Crom
I know, I wasn't referring to your reply but the one above it. Hence the double ^^
gonna have to agree here ttytt, except the "still prty good" part. not a big fan of coil, ph, hex omega, or burden so to me it's not really "still prty good"
Anesthetize
Member
I agree with the whole "transitional album". For a band like Opeth, major lineup changes make a big difference. I think when it comes time for the next opus, the band will have had enough time together to really be able to... do better. I see Watershed as the new lineup gettin' their shit together and figuring out what works and what doesn't, and when you look at it this way, you see that for what it is, Watershed is exemplary. I believe when they've gotten their footing solid, the results will be astounding. Best line-up IMHO.
but here's the funny part: mikael has always written a good majority (if not all) of the material since orchid/mr. he could have had sessions guys playing on watershed and it wouldn't have turned out much different, other than solos and some bass/drum fills.
To rid you disease
Member
- Jul 5, 2008
- 592
- 0
- 16
in the dvd to damnation and deliverance lopez said he writes/composes/comes up with like 90% of the drumming o.0 as for the bass i doubt mendez does more than 5% lol.
Nasty-Fire
Discursion
Sad Madrigal
Happy
- Mar 22, 2008
- 785
- 0
- 16
Yes, I am sure. Watershed has everything you mentioned all in one album. I'm not saying it's my favorite Opeth album.Are you sure? Really, I don't believe so. Think about almost any album from Opeth. Deliverance, pure rage. Blackwater Park, with death, violence and sadness. Still Life and MYAH with love.. and death. And think about quality, not quantity
Ghost Reveries is a perfect mix of Watershed and BWP, MAYH and SL. While Watershed is the unbalanced one, the balance moving into the prog rock part of the band. This is what makes some fans like the album, but not really see it as a true Opeth album.
Annihilat0r
TRINITY WATCH IN AMAZING!
I see it as a true Opeth album by virtue of the fact that not another band could compose such good songs
BwA Ethereal
Member
Actually I didn't say there was a lack of consistency in atmosphere. I think there is a strange atmosphere that's pretty nice, though different. As for the other post below about emotions.. well yes, the story itself and the reasons for the lyrics are very, very deep. That girl who died... but seriously, I often felt like cryiing after reading Still Life or My Arms, Your Hearse. To me Watershed isn't so deep, it's more like an album that shows another face of Opeth, with the new line-up and which is not essentially dark (though that's what Mikael said). I take this album as a transition to something bigger.
One other factor that makes me say there's less feelings is the atmosphere (again). I don't know what you guys think about it but I always felt some confusion in it, a dizzy feeling within the songs. Think about The Lotus Eater, or Derelict Herds. To me, Opeth lost most of their "deepness" after the Damnation album. Generally, and not only for Opeth, I tend to believe that older stuff are deeper, but I don't know if it's only personnal or if it is a trend in the musical industry. Anything else to share?
I agree with Nasty. Its hard to explain. I think GR and WS are great CDs but something is a little less interesting about those efforts. I still think Ghost of Perdition is probably one of their best songs ever and Heir Apparent is factually brutal and I love it, but I dont listen to these CDs anywhere near as often as MAYH, BWP, or SL. The songs off of those two albums would make up any other bands masterpeice album but to Opeth's standards they are a little less interesting.
Well noone said that the songs are bad. They are very nice songs to listen to but you know, it feels too different than what Opeth did so far. They resemble Ghost Reveries among all the albums, but it lacks the brutality in GR that balanced the two ends that make this band what it is ( the contrast and balance between brutality and beauty ). Watershed is beautiful but is it brutal? I think not.
Same conclusion can be also drawn for Deliverance. Is it beautiful ? Not really. It is a lot more brutal actually and a lot less complete-feeling album than Watershed. But it was part of a project that shared the mellow songs with Damnation, so you can't think the same way you did for Watershed. Damnation is something pretty unique so I don't get into that.
Taenim
New Metal Member
- Jan 10, 2009
- 9
- 0
- 1
Yah know, it's weird. Modern metal fans have been so afraid of general shifts in musical style since the early to mid-00's. And, sure, mainstreamization is a real danger for some genres of metal (very recent melodeath releases come to mind). I feel like a few bad cases of mainstreamization have conditioned some people to frown upon change.
But Opeth has always defined itself with a very clear tendency to embrace musical experimentation. Opeth IS change. I mean, hell, when a band combines death metal with progressive metal and jazz (just to name a few, as I'm sure you're all aware!), it becomes hard for that band to claim membership to any specific genre to begin with! It's been said so many times, but I'll say it again because it merits repeating:
Opeth is and has always been its own genre.
So when people complain about Watershed, the only thing they can ever say is something along the lines of "it just doesn't sound like Opeth anymore!" But which Opeth? The Still Life Opeth? The Morningrise Opeth? How about the Ghost Reveries Opeth? You mean to tell me that Watershed doesn't sound like Opeth, but Deliverance and Damnation both do?
I'm sorry, I just don't buy it. If you dislike Watershed, it may be too progressive for your tastes. Maybe it isn't heavy enough across the board. And that's totally fine. But, honestly, I get a little confused when people blame it on how much their sound has changed. I feel like if there's anything we, as fans of Opeth, should be comfortable with, it's musical experimentation.
But Opeth has always defined itself with a very clear tendency to embrace musical experimentation. Opeth IS change. I mean, hell, when a band combines death metal with progressive metal and jazz (just to name a few, as I'm sure you're all aware!), it becomes hard for that band to claim membership to any specific genre to begin with! It's been said so many times, but I'll say it again because it merits repeating:
Opeth is and has always been its own genre.
So when people complain about Watershed, the only thing they can ever say is something along the lines of "it just doesn't sound like Opeth anymore!" But which Opeth? The Still Life Opeth? The Morningrise Opeth? How about the Ghost Reveries Opeth? You mean to tell me that Watershed doesn't sound like Opeth, but Deliverance and Damnation both do?
I'm sorry, I just don't buy it. If you dislike Watershed, it may be too progressive for your tastes. Maybe it isn't heavy enough across the board. And that's totally fine. But, honestly, I get a little confused when people blame it on how much their sound has changed. I feel like if there's anything we, as fans of Opeth, should be comfortable with, it's musical experimentation.
Agreed. They change and evolve. That's a good thing.
Watershed sounds like nothing else anywhere I can find. It has lots of atmosphere, plain and simple. What it doesn't have is the brutality that is expected from a "death metal" act.
The album is freakin great. I love it. It has it's own mood. Very, very dynamic. Has a big sound that I like.
Opeth!
