Opeth - Damnation

[Post_Scriptum]

sell-out? i think youre a little bit off the track

Mikael writes what he wants, he doesnt care about the fans...

sell-out? death metal band whos trying to release a rock album... thats not selling out, thats doing what you want, however you want

 

[MaKaZe]

well first of all, if he wanted to play music he liked, he would form another side-project just like Bloodbath, where he is doing good old death metal... but why did opeth release rock album - simply - if you sell anything under the name of opeth, you will get bunch of money... plus wider non-metal audience... this should never be an opeth release - because this is not opeth, this is not melodic/acoustic death/doom metal, this is just selling-out under the mark of opeth

 

[Anarkissed]

i beg to differ. over the years opeth have developed their sound to different extremes (for example, i for one can only tell that deliverance and orchid are the same band - because i bought the albums.). they are, IMO a very unique band in a sense that they are not afraid to experiment with new sounds, and Damnation is a prime example of their, dare i say it, aspirations to be different.

selling out is changing your music to suit the producers and mainstream listeners' tastes in order to make more money. this is not what opeth does - mikael writes what he wants; not directly for anyone else's benefit.

 

[Tanith]

This would be a brilliant album, but by jettisoning the heavier sections in favour of the more progressive, acoustic led sections, I think Opeth have also removed the most important aspect of their sound, that being the ability to seamlessly mix Melody and Heaviness. When listening to an Opeth album like, say, Blackwater Park or Still Life, the sections where the bleak, progressive sound crosses into full on heads down metal was always the best part of their sound, and while the other sections are still outstanding in their musicianship, it doesn't have quite the same effect on me. In the same way, if Opeth were to release an album which removed the melodious sections, in favour of a full on death metal sound, it wouldn't have nearly the same effect.

Still, this album is still an excellent display of Opeth's undeniable music skill, and is worth checking out. I give it a 6.5/10

 

[Yeah]

This album is an interesting work on its own, but ultimately should not represent Opeth at all by being released under their name. It's a passive, easy listening venture, but it lacks dynamics in any interpretation whatsoever. And let's not jump to conclusions, I was highly anticipating an accoustic album, so it's not the concept itself that dooms the album, but its failure to have any possible reinterpretation of the band's rife history of dynamic songwriting. There's simply no jazzy spirit as in Benighted, nor something upbeat like Harvest, just a collection of somber and moody tunes that never bother to explore any emotional depth outside of depression, although they at least do fairly well in their expression of said sentiments.

As it's own entity (not an Opeth album), it is a somewhat worthwhile album. I couldn't call it terrible with any conviction, but at the same time, I'd avoid any sheepish "like omg album of the yeer!!!!1" rantings simply because this is a metal artist playing non-metal music (an easy card to play).

 

[Thelema60]

opeth have lost a bit of inspiration with "deliverance", while "damnation" is a bit... um... sell-out? lol (kill me, but thats my opinion)

O.k. Just gimme Yr. address and a pic

If they had released this in the 70s, they had become superstars; ok, it's soft (mellow), but it's definitive Opeth; and, by the way, A Fair Judgement is THE perfect Rocksong (metal, if You want) for me

 

[BloodSword]

Excellent Review. "Damnation" is simply a Godly masterpiece.

 

[Thelema60]

Excellent Review. "Damnation" is simply a Godly masterpiece.

Yesss! I fully agree!

Some remark to MaKaZe: I find it essentiell to see the difference between commercialism and beauty. And without doubt Damnation is the perfect example for beauty in music. And i can say that I usually don't look for sheer beauty without depth, cause I listen mostly to free jazz, psychedelic and extreme metal. I think, for a feeling and thinking musician it's an aim to create depth in music and lyrics, to reflect all kinds of reality. Beauty is something we all long for, from time to time. What's wrong about creating beauty?

Peace

 

[camo_barker]

Damnation is a wicked album, respect to them for taking a punt...and winning. Damnation and Deliverance are like sister albums arnt they?

 

[Melkor66]

"Damnation" just shows how accomplished Opeth are as musicians if they can reach out and embrace new types of music. Fucking amazing album.

 

[Edias]

Yeah, it's a good album and I'm actually listening to it now. The main flaw, in my opinion, is that the album seems a bit "same-eee" after a while. That, in itself, is not really a big flaw... It only turns a "great" album into a great "every now and then" album. So, perhaps it's not their best work but it's a damn fine album all the same.

If they ever decide to produce a similarly themed album then I would implore them to explore a wider scale of emotion and sound.