I wrote this last year for music class.....
When I listen to music, I have very high expectations of what I want to hear. And the music I truly love meets, and at times, surpasses these expectations. One of the bands that constantly surpasses these expectations is Opeth. Their latest album, entitled Still Life is a large musical journey, with over an hour of wonderful music that tells a single story of a man who had been banished from his town because of religious beliefs. Years later, he has returned, with an intent to find the love of his life who had been living there all those years. The return of this man is where the epic tale begins, in the form of the song entitled "The Moor".
I absolutely adore this song (as well as the rest of the album) because of the amazingly enjoyable sounds that this band pulls off. They are by no means conventional, perhaps being even comparable to experimental composers, who stray from the "normal" idea of making music. They utilize many varied musical techniques, including extreme dynamics with sudden "surprise" contrasts. There is a heavy usage of dissonant chords to establish feelings of the character portrayed in the story. All the keys used in the song are minor, which conveys the dark message and feelings perfectly. Another interesting note is the way they wield keys like battleaxes they have trained with for years. Opeth blends seemingly unrelated keys together seamlessly. If you are not totally focused on the music, you wouldn't notice the odd changes or their use of unconventional chord progressions. From the key of Em-Am-Gm-Dm, and to chord progressions such as Am-Fm-Am-C#m, we have a musical experience that is a daunting one to the average listener to say the least. Many people enjoy repetition in music, and something predictable, but Opeth is neither. And that is what I like. Creativity, originality, brilliant imagery from the music and lyrics, and most of all, enjoyable music. But if you take the plunge, and analyze what is going on, not only will you be taken away by an emotional and captivating song, but you will also be amazed at the talent and creativity, and the sheer genius required to compose this magnificent masterpiece.
As you may be able to tell, I am a musician of a number of years, and am thoroughly impressed by the technical musical aspects of the song. However, what pushes this song, and album so far ahead of others is the fact that when I listen to it, I am no longer a listener. I am actually involved in the music. I believe I am the character in the story. I hear his thoughts, and the music lets me feel them. I watch his steps in the story, and I am taken away with him on his journey to find the one he loves. It is not easy to appreciate at first, but upon multiple listens, it begins to make sense, and eventually you see exactly everything as it happens, both in the lyrics and the music. It is perhaps the closest to an altered reality we can ever come to, and without drugs or dreams, to have an almost "out-of-body" experience is something that most people can only wish for. But this song works every time. To show you what I mean, I'd like to give a quick analysis of the sections of music and what they mean to me.
A)The song starts off with a mysterious, dreamlike, confused, clean jazzy guitar mixed with a lightly distorted guitar. There is no specific rhythm or timing to this section, is repetitive, almost a rocking, hypnotic motion, and immediately induces you in to another world, preparing the mood for what is too come. The extremely unusual melody is a combination of two clean electric guitars, and two distorted electrics playing independent melodies, that are seemingly of no particular key. But even from the beginning, we have some musical genius and mind trickery going on. The section is arranged in such a way, that each time it repeats, it sounds as though it moves a step higher, though in actuality, it stays exactly the some. It tricks the mind, and you are never quite sure if you are crazy or not, thinking the section is constantly moving up a step, but never quite sure. With nearly two minutes of this uneasiness, you are thoroughly prepared for the intense ride that is about to come.
B)Next, a mellow, acoustic interlude with three acoustic guitars and a bass effortlessly jump into the fray, leaving the uneasy confusion behind. When I hear this section, I am extremely relieved, and embrace this new section with extreme eagerness. The rest of the world becomes obsolete to me at this point, and I am entirely captivated, a slave to the music. The music itself is a single arpeggiated acoustic rhythm mixed with a wonderful leading melody, reassuring a mood of something resembling sadness.
C) Next, all hell breaks loose, as distorted, multi-layered guitars kick in with drums and bass, playing off the rhythm established by the acoustic interlude of section B. This mid paced aggressive polyphonic rhythm uses some single note melodic rhythms on the guitar, with bass backing them up.
D)Then there is a quick transition and the pace picks up using a variety of intense drum work, and odd dissonant chords in an almost atonal melody, inducing a mood of pure hatred. I hear the chords, and my teeth clench at the almost horrid sounding crunch the produce. Yet somehow, it is still quite beautiful, and human sounding. Close interval notes and tritones play off each other viciously, seeming evil, powerful, and hate-filled all in one. It perfectly establishes the frame of mind the song's character (which I have become by this point in the song) is in.
E)Next, the fury continues, with another strange, start-stop guitar rhythm, with dissonant ascending chromatic chords, as well as angered vocals, which are contrasted by lightly soaring melody lines flowing over the top of the chaos.
F)Now, wildly rolling, arpeggiated guitar lines are introduced, with beautiful, soaring, harmonized male vocals pushing forth messages of despair, only to be followed by a confused lead full of odd passing tones that add to the chaos. The vocals sing "Pale touch, writhing in the embers. Damp mud, burning In my eyes. All the faces turned away, and all would sneer at my demise". I am the character, and I feel the sorrow, the despair, and the utter hate and rage toward those who have cast me out.
G,H)Suddenly, all is quiet, save for a lone acoustic guitar, solemnly playing it's unconventional, ringing chords. The beauty of this section is that it leaves you feeling the inner emotions of sadness, and sorrow, loneliness. Yet you feel something isn't right about these feelings. The strange mix of minor chords playing off each other just don't sound like music most people are accustomed to. Something isn't right.....Then you realize why. The multilayered instruments and drums kick in again, indicating a sudden change, a change from calm confusion back to fury.....The character has serious issues, and is in a blinding rage. Though inside you feel sorrowed, the emotions bursting on the outside cannot be contained. And we have the rage, the fury, the outburst! It is so wonderfully developed, that it must be heard to be believed.
I)Then The segue into a state of hopeless frustration. Things slow down, with several interloping guitar lines melodically twisting you into the characters unusual mind, only to fade out, some simple acoustic guitars playing the same lines. By now you feel almost exhausted, having been on such a wild rollercoaster of emotions, and things stay quite calm for a while. It stays this way as you dig deeper inside of the character.
J) Another seamless section change, and in come sorrow filled vocals crying "there is no forgiveness in these eyes for any of you but one. Dispel the mist for now. Melinda is the reason why I've come". The passion and imagery in this section is possibly the most captivating I have ever heard in any song. Not even films have come close to capturing an image and a feeling so well. It is absolutely beautiful.
K,L,M) There is an intricate and beautiful acoustic interlude again, with graceful harmonized vocals that are mimicked by the guitar, with another different melody over the top, though no words are sung. It progresses through two more modulating sections of intricate acoustic guitar work, and ends up back at a section from an earlier part in the song.
G again) We have the solemn acoustic part again, which this time has soft, but irregular breathing over the top of it. You can feel tension building, and your adrenaline builds up. And again, we are suddenly hit by the contrasting multi-layered guitar, bass, and drum onslaught that brings back the fury and rage from before.
H) This section is repeated again, and reminds you of all that has happened before in the song. However, this time, the section just stops suddenly, and unexpectedly, leaving you hanging, craving more, and full of suspense. The next track kicks off in the same key, with a slightly different section, and the rest of the album progresses from there.
So after this in depth look at the song, it is clear how powerful the song is to me. I enjoy the wonderful tempo changes, the odd chord structures, and the unconventional chord progressions. The polyphonic guitar lines add ethereal dreamlike qualities to many parts of the song, and the emotion conveyed through the instruments are uncanny. But most of all, I enjoy the fact that when I hear this piece of music, I am no longer listening to the song, but I am actually in it. I can say no more to describe how I feel about this, it is simply an experience that can never be fully put into words, but I hope you will listen to it, and will be touched by it on the same level I have.
Just thought I'd share
When I listen to music, I have very high expectations of what I want to hear. And the music I truly love meets, and at times, surpasses these expectations. One of the bands that constantly surpasses these expectations is Opeth. Their latest album, entitled Still Life is a large musical journey, with over an hour of wonderful music that tells a single story of a man who had been banished from his town because of religious beliefs. Years later, he has returned, with an intent to find the love of his life who had been living there all those years. The return of this man is where the epic tale begins, in the form of the song entitled "The Moor".
I absolutely adore this song (as well as the rest of the album) because of the amazingly enjoyable sounds that this band pulls off. They are by no means conventional, perhaps being even comparable to experimental composers, who stray from the "normal" idea of making music. They utilize many varied musical techniques, including extreme dynamics with sudden "surprise" contrasts. There is a heavy usage of dissonant chords to establish feelings of the character portrayed in the story. All the keys used in the song are minor, which conveys the dark message and feelings perfectly. Another interesting note is the way they wield keys like battleaxes they have trained with for years. Opeth blends seemingly unrelated keys together seamlessly. If you are not totally focused on the music, you wouldn't notice the odd changes or their use of unconventional chord progressions. From the key of Em-Am-Gm-Dm, and to chord progressions such as Am-Fm-Am-C#m, we have a musical experience that is a daunting one to the average listener to say the least. Many people enjoy repetition in music, and something predictable, but Opeth is neither. And that is what I like. Creativity, originality, brilliant imagery from the music and lyrics, and most of all, enjoyable music. But if you take the plunge, and analyze what is going on, not only will you be taken away by an emotional and captivating song, but you will also be amazed at the talent and creativity, and the sheer genius required to compose this magnificent masterpiece.
As you may be able to tell, I am a musician of a number of years, and am thoroughly impressed by the technical musical aspects of the song. However, what pushes this song, and album so far ahead of others is the fact that when I listen to it, I am no longer a listener. I am actually involved in the music. I believe I am the character in the story. I hear his thoughts, and the music lets me feel them. I watch his steps in the story, and I am taken away with him on his journey to find the one he loves. It is not easy to appreciate at first, but upon multiple listens, it begins to make sense, and eventually you see exactly everything as it happens, both in the lyrics and the music. It is perhaps the closest to an altered reality we can ever come to, and without drugs or dreams, to have an almost "out-of-body" experience is something that most people can only wish for. But this song works every time. To show you what I mean, I'd like to give a quick analysis of the sections of music and what they mean to me.
A)The song starts off with a mysterious, dreamlike, confused, clean jazzy guitar mixed with a lightly distorted guitar. There is no specific rhythm or timing to this section, is repetitive, almost a rocking, hypnotic motion, and immediately induces you in to another world, preparing the mood for what is too come. The extremely unusual melody is a combination of two clean electric guitars, and two distorted electrics playing independent melodies, that are seemingly of no particular key. But even from the beginning, we have some musical genius and mind trickery going on. The section is arranged in such a way, that each time it repeats, it sounds as though it moves a step higher, though in actuality, it stays exactly the some. It tricks the mind, and you are never quite sure if you are crazy or not, thinking the section is constantly moving up a step, but never quite sure. With nearly two minutes of this uneasiness, you are thoroughly prepared for the intense ride that is about to come.
B)Next, a mellow, acoustic interlude with three acoustic guitars and a bass effortlessly jump into the fray, leaving the uneasy confusion behind. When I hear this section, I am extremely relieved, and embrace this new section with extreme eagerness. The rest of the world becomes obsolete to me at this point, and I am entirely captivated, a slave to the music. The music itself is a single arpeggiated acoustic rhythm mixed with a wonderful leading melody, reassuring a mood of something resembling sadness.
C) Next, all hell breaks loose, as distorted, multi-layered guitars kick in with drums and bass, playing off the rhythm established by the acoustic interlude of section B. This mid paced aggressive polyphonic rhythm uses some single note melodic rhythms on the guitar, with bass backing them up.
D)Then there is a quick transition and the pace picks up using a variety of intense drum work, and odd dissonant chords in an almost atonal melody, inducing a mood of pure hatred. I hear the chords, and my teeth clench at the almost horrid sounding crunch the produce. Yet somehow, it is still quite beautiful, and human sounding. Close interval notes and tritones play off each other viciously, seeming evil, powerful, and hate-filled all in one. It perfectly establishes the frame of mind the song's character (which I have become by this point in the song) is in.
E)Next, the fury continues, with another strange, start-stop guitar rhythm, with dissonant ascending chromatic chords, as well as angered vocals, which are contrasted by lightly soaring melody lines flowing over the top of the chaos.
F)Now, wildly rolling, arpeggiated guitar lines are introduced, with beautiful, soaring, harmonized male vocals pushing forth messages of despair, only to be followed by a confused lead full of odd passing tones that add to the chaos. The vocals sing "Pale touch, writhing in the embers. Damp mud, burning In my eyes. All the faces turned away, and all would sneer at my demise". I am the character, and I feel the sorrow, the despair, and the utter hate and rage toward those who have cast me out.
G,H)Suddenly, all is quiet, save for a lone acoustic guitar, solemnly playing it's unconventional, ringing chords. The beauty of this section is that it leaves you feeling the inner emotions of sadness, and sorrow, loneliness. Yet you feel something isn't right about these feelings. The strange mix of minor chords playing off each other just don't sound like music most people are accustomed to. Something isn't right.....Then you realize why. The multilayered instruments and drums kick in again, indicating a sudden change, a change from calm confusion back to fury.....The character has serious issues, and is in a blinding rage. Though inside you feel sorrowed, the emotions bursting on the outside cannot be contained. And we have the rage, the fury, the outburst! It is so wonderfully developed, that it must be heard to be believed.
I)Then The segue into a state of hopeless frustration. Things slow down, with several interloping guitar lines melodically twisting you into the characters unusual mind, only to fade out, some simple acoustic guitars playing the same lines. By now you feel almost exhausted, having been on such a wild rollercoaster of emotions, and things stay quite calm for a while. It stays this way as you dig deeper inside of the character.
J) Another seamless section change, and in come sorrow filled vocals crying "there is no forgiveness in these eyes for any of you but one. Dispel the mist for now. Melinda is the reason why I've come". The passion and imagery in this section is possibly the most captivating I have ever heard in any song. Not even films have come close to capturing an image and a feeling so well. It is absolutely beautiful.
K,L,M) There is an intricate and beautiful acoustic interlude again, with graceful harmonized vocals that are mimicked by the guitar, with another different melody over the top, though no words are sung. It progresses through two more modulating sections of intricate acoustic guitar work, and ends up back at a section from an earlier part in the song.
G again) We have the solemn acoustic part again, which this time has soft, but irregular breathing over the top of it. You can feel tension building, and your adrenaline builds up. And again, we are suddenly hit by the contrasting multi-layered guitar, bass, and drum onslaught that brings back the fury and rage from before.
H) This section is repeated again, and reminds you of all that has happened before in the song. However, this time, the section just stops suddenly, and unexpectedly, leaving you hanging, craving more, and full of suspense. The next track kicks off in the same key, with a slightly different section, and the rest of the album progresses from there.
So after this in depth look at the song, it is clear how powerful the song is to me. I enjoy the wonderful tempo changes, the odd chord structures, and the unconventional chord progressions. The polyphonic guitar lines add ethereal dreamlike qualities to many parts of the song, and the emotion conveyed through the instruments are uncanny. But most of all, I enjoy the fact that when I hear this piece of music, I am no longer listening to the song, but I am actually in it. I can say no more to describe how I feel about this, it is simply an experience that can never be fully put into words, but I hope you will listen to it, and will be touched by it on the same level I have.
Just thought I'd share
or "The drums are great, but the guitar is so boring." or vise versa. It's hard to find music that impresses me now, but I guess it'll be that much more satisfying when I do now.
