Mike, please don't pull a Swano

[Kristopher]

Less screaming doesn't mean it's going to be worse. It just means
we've got to appreciate what we do get a bit more.

It is not called screaming.Screaming is what you get in the emo and metalcore genres,growling is a different kettle of fish altogether,and Mike does it superbly and am sure he will continue in that vain.And no,from what very little I've heard from Watershed there is certainly no evidence that Mike is heading in the direction where is going to stop his infamous growls!

 

[Iki-ilkkuja]

Has there ever been a doubt that Mikael WOULD actually stop using death vocals? Damnation, maybe, but we know him.

 

[dew]

Mikael should do whatever the hell he feels like doing. If he doesn't want to do growls, why should he? The music won't be as good if he's writing music he doesn't want to write rather than something he'd be interested in. Just like how Swano's interests aren't heavily in death metal anymore, would you really want to hear him throw out half-assed grunts and generic riffs he doesn't want to write just to cash in with the death metal fans?

 

[EternalDamnation06]

The new album is really kind of bland to me honestly. I love both sides of Opeth ,but I really dont care for the direction they are heading with. Its almost like the band doesnt put both elements together very much anymore. Ever since they stripped down to either heavy/mellow for Deliverance and Damnation....it just hasnt been as exciting. A few good tracks ,but not really as Epic as past offerings.

 

[nizzon]

Has there ever been a doubt that Mikael WOULD actually stop using death vocals? Damnation, maybe, but we know him.

GR and Watershed (according to some) have less growls than the earlier albums (Damnation aside).
So i can see why people who loves his growl is a bit worried.

Can people please stop defending Mike like someone is telling him what to do, hes not a baby. He will keep doing whatever he feels like doing, people are just saying they love his growl and they encourage it. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Carta's]

I, for one, don't think that more growl = better. His clean voice is becoming better and better, and I think that few, more powerful growls can kick constant growling's ass anyday. That being said, I don't want Mike to drop growling completely, absolutely not! Just, I don't think less growls is a bad thing.

 

[Lachybob]

GR and the songs ive heard off of Watershed (porcelain heart, the lotus eater, heir apparent live video) didnt indicate to me that Mike would stop growling at all. If someones clean singing had improved as much as his has then why not use it more often? Plus if he was trying to phase out the growls then why would he growl a whole song like he does in heir apparent?

 

[EternalDamnation06]

GR and the songs ive heard off of Watershed (porcelain heart, the lotus eater, heir apparent live video) didnt indicate to me that Mike would stop growling at all. If someones clean singing had improved as much as his has then why not use it more often? Plus if he was trying to phase out the growls then why would he growl a whole song like he does in heir apparent?

The balance isnt there on the rest of the tracks. "Heir Apparent" and "The Lotus Eater" seem to use a decent amount of growls... Good luck on the rest of the album.

It just seems like they are seperating the styles now instead of blending them together.

 

[Hedon-]

his growl is too amazing if he ever stops using it id throw myself straight out of the window:zombie:

 

[Slynt]

Four short comments:

1. Anathema ruled on Crestfallen, Serenades and The Silent Enigma. After that? Sleeping pills.

2. I read or heard somewhere that Dan Swanö often just whisper-growled on his records. It's still awesome to listen to of course. Edge of Sanity's one of my favorite bands.

3. Yes, so the growl/clean is out of balance on Watershed; but it fits the record, and I think that's why, not necessarily because Mikael's "pulling a Swanø". I miss his more desperate rasps from the first three records more.

4. Nothing we can do about it.

 

[dew]

GR and the songs ive heard off of Watershed (porcelain heart, the lotus eater, heir apparent live video) didnt indicate to me that Mike would stop growling at all. If someones clean singing had improved as much as his has then why not use it more often? Plus if he was trying to phase out the growls then why would he growl a whole song like he does in heir apparent?

From what I've read, only 2 1/2 songs on Watershed have growls (Heir Apparent, The Lotus Eater, and the second half of Hessian Peel).

 

[Lachybob]

^ if thats the case then judging from the track lengths that have been posted earlier, thatd split the sing/growl ratio close to about 40/60, growls to clean. Very interesting, but still no real cause for alarm, i mean they hadnt done an album thats prodominently clean singing that also has growls in it. Plus it sounds like its thrown a few people off, and in the long run isnt that what draws some people to opeth, not knowing what to expect next?

 

[Holocaust on the Moon]

Swanö hasn't quit growling because he can't, he just hasn't done it as much since it messes up his clean singing for Nightingale.

He's still fucking brutal and just finished growling on the entire Obliterhate album that hopefully comes out soon.

Yeah, doesn't Dan growl from the throat while Mike doesn't? I don't see why Mike's growl technique would mess with his clean vocals. Mike just wants to do what he wants to do.

 

[nizzon]

I, for one, don't think that more growl = better. His clean voice is becoming better and better, and I think that few, more powerful growls can kick constant growling's ass anyday. That being said, I don't want Mike to drop growling completely, absolutely not! Just, I don't think less growls is a bad thing.

I dont think more growls automaticly equals better music either.
But after hearing Porcelain Heart I was left kinda empty. There were places in that song where I was about to burst with energy and just waited for the growl to take it to next level, but it never came.

 

[Sad Madrigal]

Four short comments:

1. Anathema ruled on Crestfallen, Serenades and The Silent Enigma. After that? Sleeping pills.

+1

But I have to disagree with you. Eternity wasn't a sleeping pill

 

[AlexGuinness]

Dan is a genius, Mike is a genius heading towards his peak. Anathema were brilliant innovators who have developed into a much better band.

People are never happy.

What I want... a constant stream of new albums from all of the above-mentioned, AND:

Mike Åkerfeldt & Friends album - collaborations with people he wants to work with (including a re-recording of Mordet I Grottan), one with Steve Wilson, some with his early influences. Mike and Dan should definitely work together again, it is always pure magic.

 

[EternalDamnation06]

I dont think more growls automaticly equals better music either.
But after hearing Porcelain Heart I was left kinda empty. There were places in that song where I was about to burst with energy and just waited for the growl to take it to next level, but it never came.

Opeth was primarly death metal based originally. I figured Porcelin Heart would be their "mellow" track for the album. Turns out there were a few more. I like both styles ,but I think by stripping down the sound they are starting to sound less "original". If this is the case I hope they rebound after this one. They obviously still have the talent in the band to do so.

I guess we were spoiled with the "My Arms, Your Hearse", "Still Life" ,and "Blackwater park" combo in the 90's.

 

[Slynt]

Opeth was primarly death metal based originally. I figured Porcelin Heart would be their "mellow" track for the album. Turns out there were a few more. I like both styles ,but I think by stripping down the sound they are starting to sound less "original". If this is the case I hope they rebound after this one. They obviously still have the talent in the band to do so.

I guess we were spoiled with the "My Arms, Your Hearse", "Still Life" ,"Morningrise" and "Orchid" combo in the 90's.

fixed

 

[EternalDamnation06]

haha

Now it's perfect.


: )

 

[The_Yeti]

Don't be surprised if Opeth goes all prog in the next few years. I wouldn't actually be bothered by that, and I feel like that's very possible. The metal parts on Watershed are always good, but I feel that the band is really beginning to shine in their softer, proggier moments. That's just my opinion though. You just can't look to Opeth as only being a metal band.

And yeah, second comment says a lot. Mikael can probably do whatever he wants and it'll end up sounding pretty good no matter what.