My Arms, Your Hearse - Better than SL and BWP?

[VeN-ny]

the order of the cd release dates is the same as they order of greatness dawg no joke. "the twilight is my robe" prolly be my favrit song on der but really 1 2 and 5 are probably equally good. check it out, late

 

[billydheyhey]

I disagree.

 

[Chinese Whispers]

I actually wouldn't mind seeing Opeth play 'My Arms, Your Hearse' in it's entirety, although I'm not sure if that is possible (I know they have said that they can't play some of the songs on 'Still Life' live because they are too difficult, maybe it is the same here). I don't think it'd happen though.

 

[Lateralus14]

MAYH is nowhere near as hard to play as Still Life. Fact.

I am kinda surprised that they find Moonlapse Vertigo harder than The Moor to be honest. I guess as a single guitarist I don't understand what "hard" means to bands but riffs in The Moor are harder and they've played that and will play it again.

 

[Discursion]

Why isn't Blackwater Park considered (on this forum) to be their greatest album? Anyone who wanna start a shit-thread about this?

What I think, is that Still Life is a "regular" album, in the sense that it doesn't take any "risks" for the songs. Every song has a good length (only benighted is shorter). Also, the riffs' quality is pretty much equal on every song. There's not a "crazy song" and many "ok songs". There's only good songs (if not very good, or brillant).

My Arms, Your Hearse, is different, because it is way more irregulate. We have some transitionnal stuff, like Prologue, Madrigal, and Epilogue (this song is far away from the rest of the album, though it's so fucking good). So when I think about the album, it's more vague because I know it's not "always this good through all the album". I seriously think that only 3 or 4 songs are big hits, big songs from Opeth, while Still Life easily has 5.

I wanted to check out Blackwater Park. I know it's about taste, but I never understood why BWP wasn't to most loved album here. There are a lots of songs (including the bonuses, mostly Patterns in the Ivy II), and they're pretty much all fantastic. But again, there's something "irregular" (it's not something easy to explain, guess some will get it) with the album, but more music wise this time. I don't know. When I think of each song, individually, it's like "that's a very good song", or "that's a classic". I really believe BWP is their central album, Opeth at its peak (insanity at its peak!!). That's why what came after is more questionable, because they had to take a new direction for their music, like if before this album, they wanted to make something like BWP but couldn't achieve it. Anyways, just thoughts and speculation.

I actually wouldn't mind seeing Opeth play 'My Arms, Your Hearse' in it's entirety, although I'm not sure if that is possible (I know they have said that they can't play some of the songs on 'Still Life' live because they are too difficult, maybe it is the same here). I don't think it'd happen though.

I think Moonlapse Vertigo wasn't played because it would lose all its atmosphere when played live. I believe Mikael said something similar about it. But if they are too hard, I don't think so. They've played the harder songs live already.

 

[Jester-Race]

Sigh. Still Life is still the best album. /thread.

 

[batmura]

I've been meaning to address this topic for some time now. For as long as I've been a member here, I've called Still Life their best album. Every time we do a poll, Still Life wins. It has even been my avatar for almost 5 years. However, after considerable at-home and on-the-road research, I am forced to conclude that MAYH is a better album.

The problem I was having with this decision is that Still Life has, for the most part, better songs. Each one stands as an amazing Opeth recording, imo. Even Benighted, which doesn't get much love around here, is a great song. But, the flow of the record is nowhere near that of MAYH. The transition from Prologue into April Ethereal and When is unparalleled. The middle of the album from Madrigal, to The Amen Corner (which is very under-rated) into the epic Demon of the Fall maintains this theme. Finally, the conclusion, which took me the longest to warm to, closes the record in a beautiful, yet occasionally brutal (see Karma) fashion.

The result is a record that has an incredible flow from start to finish, even though it may not have the best individual songs. So, if I may be permitted one sports analogy, I see Still Life as an All-Star team that has the greatest players, but very little team chemistry. MAYH is the best all-around team.

Either way, they are both fantastic records and clearly Opeth's best.

Agree completely about MAYH being their most "complete" album. Even the lyric sheet in the booklet contends this.

 

[Koi]

different answers in every post ... you see, there is no right or wrong in music.
you'll just need to have a taste to see if it's your cup of tea.

 

[Iki-ilkkuja]

This album does not get enough attention imho in this forum. Everyone is SL fanboy.

Still Life is simply perfect. Every song fits well and the songwriting is innovative.

 

[Dammnare]

Still Life is simply perfect. Every song fits well and the songwriting is innovative.

MAYH is much of a complete album than SL.

 

[Iki-ilkkuja]

MAYH is much of a complete album than SL.

Personal opinions. I think that there's songs that don't fit MAYH, like Madrigal and The Amen Corner, whereas SL is a complete epic with the lyrics supporting the music seamlessly and completely all the time.

 

[FRUGiHOYi]

I think Watershed is the worst album, followed by Orchid or MAYH.

 

[Dammnare]

Personal opinions.

Exactly. I do not agree with you but you are free to talk about your own opinions.

 

[Kataklysmyk]

MAYH is an excellent album, from start to finish, but better thatn SL or BWP, well...I couldn't decide, I love all their albums!

 

[Discursion]

different answers in every post ... you see, there is no right or wrong in music.
you'll just need to have a taste to see if it's your cup of tea.

That's it.

 

[Ninfix]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that most of the time, the most favorized album is either of the three albums in discussion. MAYH surprised me, and now I love it. I haven't even read the lyrics yet, so I am looking forward to it... alot.

MAYH is a rough diamond, while Still Life is the best fucking polished diamond in Death Metal history. Using this comparison, I would name BWP a very well polished emerald, placed in blackwater mud for a hundred years, just for making it look cool 8)

 

[Akahn]

I've given up trying to decide which is the best. Just when I figure out what order they go in, I notice a facet to one of them that I'd never noticed or appreciated before and have to start all over again.

It's very annoying!

 

[Discursion]

No more analogy PLEASE!

 

[reapz]

I love Still Life.
I love My Arms, Your Hearse.
I love Ghost Reveries.
I love Blackwater Park.
I love Damnation.
I love Deliverance.
I love Watershed.
I love Morningrise.
I love Orchid.

Yes, I love all of Opeth equally, my love for them is spread evenly like a healthy amount of Vegemite on toast.

But seriously, depends on what mood I'm in, to me each album has a different feel, some more than others. I will admit I listen to Orchid, Morningrise and Watershed less than the others.

 

[in limbow]

I think MAYH is absolutely Opeth's best album; I haven't been listening to Opeth much at all recently but I just revisited MAYH and it blew me away all over again. A true masterpiece, its atmosphere and emotion is just unrivaled.