"Nobody really cared for OPETH until we did Blackwater Park"

Lee_B said:
If he's talking about the mainstream rock press then he's right. Candlelight was a small label at the time and it was a real stuggle to get any of the releases even reviewed, let alone get features for the bands, etc. Magazines like Kerrang and Metal Hammer just weren't interested.

It's the same story for most bands on smaller labels. It's only when they get signed to a bigger company (in Opeth's case MFN) that 80% of the press seem to want to know. Sad but true.
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This is so true. From one of the few people that really knows what they are talking about.

Luckily it does only apply to some of the media. After hearing Opeth on the Candlelight Compilation CD, I saw that the feldgling Terrorizer Magazine was giving away copies of Orchid with annual subscriptions to the mag.

To track down Morningrise at the time I had to scower the mail order ads in the underground press. In the end I bought from Supernal, on the odd occasion I still buy from them, Alex Kurtagic always mentions that I was one of his first customers (and I cannot think of an earlier time I bought from him). I had to track down a shirt from Tanglade.

In the early days the only other people that I ever saw wearing an Opeth shirt were a couple of local musicians... on of which played one of the early gigs with Opeth. The band were generally considered Musician's music, in the same way that Dream Theatre are regarded.

I have said it before many times on here, each album that is released I see many people say on the 'net that they have sold out, that X or Y album is better... The people that I know were into them early on are still raving about them and specifically about the quality of the new album.

It seems to be fashionable to slag off the latest work and latest label, but for fuck's sake, give praise where praise is due. After 8 consecutive albums there are more and more people liking them with each... Would you prefer it any other way.

The media do control far too much of what we hear, but it is easier to hear other things now that ever, but most people are still being spoonfed by the mass media.

Also, do your bit for today's underground bands, check them out and give them your support. There is no better place to start than with Lee's own latest band, To-Mera. They have their forum on here, excellent quality progressive UK metal. My record collection owes him many debts, as do yours at least one and probably more. None of us may ever have heard Opeth had it not been for him.
 
AlexGuinness said:
I have said it before many times on here, each album that is released I see many people say on the 'net that they have sold out, that X or Y album is better... The people that I know were into them early on are still raving about them and specifically about the quality of the new album.

It seems to be fashionable to slag off the latest work and latest label, but for fuck's sake, give praise where praise is due. After 8 consecutive albums there are more and more people liking them with each... Would you prefer it any other way.

Also, do your bit for today's underground bands, check them out and give them your support. There is no better place to start than with Lee's own latest band, To-Mera. They have their forum on here, excellent quality progressive UK metal. My record collection owes him many debts, as do yours at least one and probably more. None of us may ever have heard Opeth had it not been for him.
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well said :kickass:

and To-Mera is already on my list of things to buy :)
 
Kenneth R. said:
well said :kickass:

and To-Mera is already on my list of things to buy :)
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Yeah I was pleasantly suprised by To-mera they are really good. I gotta get their cd too.
 
All I can say is I've found Opeth thanks to Napster at the time (early 2000) just before BWP was going to be released. First track I downloaded was off Morningrise and I was captured from the very first twin lead riff ;)

I'm not trying to make this a discussion about free music, but thanks to Internet in general I know about bands like Opeth. and here we are, couple years later, owning and enjoying full discography, getting influenced as a musician, etc.

I'd say things are on the upswing for talented bands... and I do believe if your music's quality is above others', eventually that word of mouth will avalanche into something bigger

congrats!
 
Oh shit I just added To-Mera to my friends on MySpace. That is some really good shit. Want to hear something really fucking funny though? My brother (who listens to shitty music) just came in my room while I was listening to To-Mera and informed me that they were ripping off Evanescence :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Thanks to Alex for the big-up! Kind-of embarrassing, but in a good way :)

As far as the Evenescence thing goes, I guess that's par for the course when it comes to metal with a girl singing. We know our influences and they have nothing to do with the Nightwish's and Lacuna Coils of this world, but we also appreciate that if someone has a limited exposure to more underground music that this sort of parallel will be drawn. As long as they're listening it's not a problem :)
 
Lee_B said:
Thanks to Alex for the big-up! Kind-of embarrassing, but in a good way :)

As far as the Evenescence thing goes, I guess that's par for the course when it comes to metal with a girl singing. We know our influences and they have nothing to do with the Nightwish's and Lacuna Coils of this world, but we also appreciate that if someone has a limited exposure to more underground music that this sort of parallel will be drawn. As long as they're listening it's not a problem :)
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True. I wasn't listening to it very loud and he wasn't in my room, but I guess he heard the vocals and thought Evanescence.
 
borknagar_ said:
I like the old era of opeth.. i knew them with orchid and i like it. Morningrise i like more than Orchid... MAYH i like too, even SL is a great album... but BWP ... i don't like it. (deliverance is a great album, but GR for me ... really bad)

I prefer to remember the good times of opeth...when nobody knows them and opeth did really good music with a real feeling and essence without pressure from the labels or the extra big tour to accomplish ... not like GR
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Amen brother.
 
the D's are much more accessable to their respective audiences than Ghost Reveries is to anybody but an Opeth fan...

And for the 2 or so people on this forum who respect my opinion, to-mera is good.
 
Its pointless to wish a past era back. we all know that feeling....but there will be no second orchid ( *cry* ). Its the greatest album of all times and it will always remain that for me.
You cant reproach Mike for that. He is always giving the best he can in the studio to give us something special and so does the rest of the band.
I bet there are other people that dislike Orchid and love Ghost Reveries.....taste is not rational. For example i have to agree with Hours of Wealth....its not just "another song" for me
 
biggsy said:
that doesnt mean they sold out. it merely means they had more exposure. being popular isnt a bad thing.
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i know. it was in response to a gunt piddlesworth joke, which when taken seroiusly, is always full of bigotry and hatefulness.

there is truth in it though. i'm sure that when mike was writing this album, he knew that sellout accusations would ensue.
 
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