Less "death" vocals

[KingoftheKill]

...but do they?

if they are already using death vocals and downtuned guitars and the other things that go with death metal, i would assume that they would. im sure they would rather be called death/prog rather than just prog. its one of the things that makes them so unique, and i dont think they should lose it.
they havent disappointed me so far though

 

[SerenityNow!]

I don't know, I really can't call them anything but Opeth. They are definitely progressive with death metal influences. But they also have '70s prog, folk, and jazz influences. Hell, their first two albums had some black metal in them, and Damnation had absolutely nothing to do with any kind of metal. To simply call them death-prog doesn't do them justice. Prog is a very loose term these days anyway, and IMO death is way too restrictive. Their progressive nature leads them to whatever musical direction comes next. It's not about the genre, it's simply about the music and where it takes them/us.

That's one problem I've been noticing lately (maybe not really a problem, but...)...for fans of Opeth, there are a lot of conservatives on this forum.

Death-prog or proggy-death means absolutely nothing. Just my 3.5 cents...

 

[Flal]

was it a conscious decision to make watershed with less death vocals. it's almost 80% clean vocals, although Heir Apparent is about the heaviest song Opeth has ever done.

Or is it just the way it came out for Mike..?

I don't think Opeth is headed for mellower territory, because for this round of tours they're playing their heaviest material...

I just want some insight into what Mike was thinking when he penned the new music...

And here's to hoping the next album after watershed will be 80% heavy and 20% mellow...

Heir apparent is only one song on a whole album.....don't judge it from that song. It's as if you judged the whole deliverance album by listening to "A Fair Judgment"

 

[Ben_jamin]

The band can do whatever the hell they want. I wouldn't mind, or care.

 

[EternalDamnation06]

watershed is the 2nd lightest album they've put out (damnation being the lightest), i think mike has improved his clean vocals, and i absolutely love Heir Apparent and Hessian Peel, but i was hoping for a brutally heavy album. I'm hoping that they take everyone by surprise and give us heavier than Deliverance next time around

Agreed. I like everything the band has done ,but I was really expecting/hoping for something much heavier.

 

[My Arms, Your Purse]

Watershed is about their heaviest album.

watershed is the 2nd lightest album they've put out (damnation being the lightest)

 

[ronenklo]

I think the chick they use in ---- was a mistake. She is very low-level compared to the majority of metal vocal chicks out there. The chick from "sins of thy beloved" would have been a far better choice if they could have gotten that to happen

I love all the chicks...

 

[Kristopher]

Agreed. I like everything the band has done ,but I was really expecting/hoping for something much heavier.

Well if that's what your looking for then Opeth isn't the right band for you.Bloodbath would fit that bill perfectly!

 

[Diabolius]

I think the reason is: Since Mike participates in Bloodbath again, he saves his soft side for Opeth.

For me, this is absolutely tragic. Since my favourite Opeth song's are those like Master's Apprentices, The Funeral Portrait, Serenity Painted Death..

And YES, I am still one of those metalheads who like to headbang to their music. So stop flaming.

 

[Necromantic-Hiko]

I think the reason is: Since Mike participates in Bloodbath again, he saves his soft side for Opeth.

For me, this is absolutely tragic. Since my favourite Opeth song's are those like Master's Apprentices, The Funeral Portrait, Serenity Painted Death..

And YES, I am still one of those metalheads who like to headbang to their music. So stop flaming.

the new songs arent exactly what id call mikes 'softer side'. theres a fair bit of heavy stuff (some of there heaviest/darkest in some peoples opinions)....

just because someone isnt growling the entire song doesnt mean it isnt headbang worthy.



although, in all honesty, that keyboard section in the lotus eater feels very dancey to me rather than headbang....y....which is funny since i think mike has said before that he doesnt like dancy music (or at least, not much) or maybe he just meant dance music...as alot of music can be dancy without be made to dance to.

just to clarify, i love that keyboard section.

 

[Flal]

I though the majority were fucking brutal! I dunno what you guys are talking about.....

 

[Diabolius]

And YES, I am still one of those metalheads who like to headbang to their music. So stop flaming.

I though the majority were fucking brutal! I dunno what you guys are talking about.....

...

just to clarify, i love that keyboard section.

Sounds like Super Mario \m/




And I still can't believe you guys don't miss songs like "The Leper Affinity", "Blackwater Park", "Wreath"

Do they mean nothing to you?

 

[SerenityNow!]

...




Sounds like Super Mario m/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLVm3i_xMvM


And I still can't believe you guys don't miss songs like "The Leper Affinity", "Blackwater Park", "Wreath"

Do they mean nothing to you?

Dude, seriously...:zombie:

 

[Eternalnow]

Cookie Monster vocals or not, Opeth still own pretty much every other metal band on the planet.

 

[SerenityNow!]

^Amen!

Opeth owns Cookie Monster, as well!

 

[daimonion]

I think Watershed might be their best one yet. Yes - ofcourse it is softer than at least most prevous albums - but the quality is undeniable. At least i can't deny it...

I assume that a lot of people will start loving it once they get over the "but i wanted something more badaaass and brutaal..."-fase.

 

[flemflames]

===






Watershed is more of an atmospheric prog experimental album, and a masterpiece at that!

People need to take their head out of their arse, respect, and possibly even enjoy what Mike and Opeth have made out of Watershed.






===

 

[in_my_time_of_disease]

Without discussing the leak, whether it was conscious or not, to have more clean or death, how much better could he get at death vocals? He pretty has reached a level that is about as good as death vocals can get, so it makes sense in order to keep progressing and experimenting, that he expand and improve his clean vocal range. Not to say he was ever bad, but there wasn't really much room for improvement or a hell of a lot more he could achieve as a death vocalist. But as a clean one, thats something else, and he most certainly achieves. GR was a very impressive album especially in terms of vocals, but they have once again out done themselves and pushed the boundaries.

 

[Frosties]

Without discussing the leak, whether it was conscious or not, to have more clean or death, how much better could he get at death vocals? He pretty has reached a level that is about as good as death vocals can get, so it makes sense in order to keep progressing and experimenting, that he expand and improve his clean vocal range. Not to say he was ever bad, but there wasn't really much room for improvement or a hell of a lot more he could achieve as a death vocalist. But as a clean one, thats something else, and he most certainly achieves. GR was a very impressive album especially in terms of vocals, but they have once again out done themselves and pushed the boundaries.

Well, when I heard Blackwater Park or Deliverance, I didn't think his growl could get better, but then he shows up on GR kicking fucking ass!
Also, not everything has to be a progression - I mean, look at Mikaels guitar playing. It hasn't increased dramatically (not that it's at all bad). Just like you don't expect him to pick up the violin in the name of progression, doesn't mean he has to growl less.

All of this is being said, while I haven't heard a note of Watershed, so I don't know whether I'll like the apparent "softness" of the album or not.

 

[Uaarkson]

WS isn't even close to being their heaviest album, but Heir Aparrent is definitely one of their heaviest songs.

Overall, the album is heavier than GR when it's heavier, and about as soft when it's soft.