Opeth Beginners

[OpethAllenPoe]

So I have two friends who have not heard Opeth, but I want to give them the best impression of the band as possible...

What cd do you think I should start from? What song from that cd and if you're bored enough, why?

Ok, it's been established BWP has been left out of the poll...for that I apologize. I would have voted for it myself but there is still shit to talk about on the subject.

I think I might try BWP from BWP.

 

[bahadur]

Well, I really don't know. I like to listen chronologically. But I advise you not to describe the band as BEST, GENIOUS etc, because they will expect too much and can be dissapointed. Surprise them. Find the balance. Good luck!

 

[tchocky]

You left off Blackwater Park and that's probably the best album to introduce someone to Opeth with. Bleak from BWP is probably the best.

 

[glimt]

Blackwater Park? I would have voted for that.

 

[batmura]

Still Life for sure. If they want a more refined sound, they can go to BWP. If they want a heavier approach, they can go backwards. BWP was Opeth's breakthrough though.

 

[OpethAllenPoe]

Damnit. This whole thread is fucked.

 

[itsmeguys]

Blackwater Park or Ghost Reveries, fer sher

 

[enarchay]

So I have two friends who have not heard Opeth, but I want to give them the best impression of the band as possible...

What cd do you think I should start from? What song from that cd and if you're bored enough, why?

Well, I was never a death metal fan before Opeth, and I still dislike most death metal bands. The first Opeth song I heard was "Windowpane" and at the time I had no idea what-so-ever that Opeth was more or less a death metal band.

I think Opeth's softer songs are great introductions to their harder songs, because most judge an entire song or album based on the death metal vocals alone from the start. For example, it's easy to stop the song "Ghost of Perdition" right at the start out of unfamiliarity with the style of vocals, but miss the beautiful acoustic and vocal interlude that comes soon after.

Honestly, I'd start with the album "Still Life," just because it has so much variety and, in my opinion, represents the core of what Opeth stands for. Also, it's my favorite album

 

[OpethAllenPoe]

Blackwater Park or Ghost Reveries, fer sher

Why Ghost Reveries?

 

[Whisper and Weep]

It all depends on taste

I dont know why anyone would vote Ghost Reveries....

Go with Still Life. The bands most technical album, an extremely strong album throughout that flows beautifully and a concept behind it that ties it all together.

You cant go wrong.

 

[Schism]

BWP got me into 'em...
Drapery and Harvest will sucker people in every time!

 

[serenity_painted_death27]

I'd go MAYH- shorter songs, as well as some of their most recognised songs (most notably When & Demon of the Fall)

 

[Nuuskamuikkunen]

Damnation for people not really into metal. For metallers, well, depends what their tastes are. I, for example, have never liked Blackwater Park as much as Still Life, Deliverance and Morningrise. I got my Australian friend living here into Opeth, as well as a few people over MSN, although I suppose Opeth really take the credit rather than me

Also in response to SPD27 above, I don't even like MAYH, after years of liking Opeth I'm sure I'll get into it sometime, I like When anyway.

 

[Brave.Archangel]

Why Ghost Reveries?

I'd say Ghost Reveries because, IMO, it has the catchiest most accessible Opeth material. It is well refined, diverse, and holds many likable soft and heavy moments. It does depends, however, where your friends are coming from musically.

 

[hibernal_dream]

GR has the accessible production, crowd-pleasing thick bass, softest guitar tone and happiest sounding parts. It's easily their least dark material, even lighter than Damnation which, admittedly, was pretty dark.

 

[Reelo]

Depends on their "usual" musical taste. I voted Still Life though, because I still think it's the perfect blend of everything Opeth has to offer... Probably the second song on the album, or Face of Melinda.

 

[mantaur]

I'd go with Blackwater Park.That album got me into Opeth.It has the brutal side of Opeth (such as Bleak) and the softer side (Harvest).Damnation is a great album but it's the only album where every song is softer,so it doesn't really show what Opeth are all about.

 

[pyr0rrzzz]

Still Life or Blackwater Park

 

[liquidcow]

Where's Blackwater Park? I would have voted for that, but failing that I put Deliverance.

BWP was the first one I got. I made a compilation tape for a friend and what I did was put The Drapery Falls on there so that the first vocals he would hear would be the clean ones, hoping it would make him give them more of a chance. He likes them but he still isn't keen on the death vox. To be honest, when it comes to people who aren't into metal, you just have to accept sometimes that they're not necessarily going to like the same bands as you.

 

[Defluo]

It would depend upon the Opeth-virgin's predispositions.