as for shelf life, I've been spinning Kayo Dot for months now and constantly find new aspects to appreciate. Greg doesn't waste time shredding just for shred's sake, each aspect of the music has a purpose...I'm finding like someone said above, the music moves with a purpose towards a goal, building the tension until it explodes in a cacophonic fury. The last three songs feature violin which adds an interesting spin.
The motW stuff is clearly a precursor, and more "metal"...but if you follow My Fruit to Bath/Body Map (two separately issued discs but one single project, same artwork with different colors), and then to Kayo Dot (which in terms of the creative forces is is essence the same people) you can see the organic process of development.
If you asked me over a year ago and described this to me I would not have been intrigued at all...I generally shy away from anything which some call avante garde or experimental, but this is surprisingly accessible. Definitely a band which defies preconceptions. I can see how some are automatically not going to like this, and that's cool, but if a part of you goes for something with a little more adventure, then try it.
I found my copy in Virgin under Dot, Kayo, as if it were a person
Someone else on the KD board said the same thing. The motW discs I had to order; Body Map was still at Dark Symphonies but the other two I had to hunt for and located them finally at metaldisc.
It's kind of nice to listen to lyrics which aren't about how daddy and mommy were mean to me and I hate the world and all women are bitches and ho's but hot and satan rules and christians suck.
I do not see the comparisons to Opeth at all, other than some of the quieter opeth passages, and a willingness to try new things.
