Opeth - Heavy? Soft? Or In Between?

MetalManCPA

Papa Opeth
May 19, 2001
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In my opinion:

Overall, comparing their music to all other metal in the world (or that which I know), I tend to think they are a softer based band with harder edges.

Opeth is melodic, with many clean vocals - the growling isn't overwhelming - they don't concentrate on a sonic chest pounding sound - they don't play for speed: to me, this "sounds" soft-based with the hard edges.

And they kick-ass the best!!
 
trying to describe opeth's music is like trying to describe color to a blind person

That's one phrase I'll have to start using. I don't think of Opeth as soft, because I don't think anything with growling vocals can be soft. There are definitely loads of heavier bands around, so I wont call them heavy. That leaves in-between, so I s'pose that's what they are. But more than anything else, they're Opeth.
 
that's a tough one. when i listen to opeth i don't hear heavy, soft, or one set barrrier inbetween. i don't want to call them heavy because that would mean that they hit you with headbanger-friendly riffs. but calling them soft would mean that they were...well, soft, and we know that's not true. but its not really inbetween either, you can't tag it with one set dynamic, it switches so much. i'd just say they fully utilize the emotion that dynamic contrast can convey.