Opeth Inspired Original Music

[Amaran9th]

As a musician, I draw a huge amount of inspiration from Opeth. I would like to share some moments in the Opeth discography that have inspired me musically and how they translated into original tracks. I'd also love to hear what parts moved other musicians to compose Opeth inspired riffs/melodies/passages/songs.

One of my favorite acoustic/vocal passages is in the Leper Affinity (Lost are days of spring), that vocal line is very haunting and the acoustic work underneath is very ominous yet somehow calming. Some acoustic work I've been working on lately has been heavily inspired by that mood, it has different chords but relies on an aggressively alternate picked acoustic passage with a moving bass line.

I'd have to say that the ending to Moonlapse Vertigo and Serenity Painted Death, with they're anthemic vocal outros filled with such power and backed by great harmonies have inspired two of my own compositions. They similarly have interesting chord movements accompanied by a strong vocal line (arrogant prick) that seems to cry out and gives closure to track that seems not to want to end.

These are just a few ideas I've grabbed from Opeth, I'll let others share and see where I should focus my musical attention for more gems of Opeth inspiration. Thanks for reading.

 

[Ümlaut]

As a mediocre-trying-to-learn-but-only-knows-4-chords guitarist, I find myself trying to play acoustically like Opeth. So I guess they influence me that way.

Do you have any samples of your work that you could share?

 

[Amaran9th]

One of the refreshing things about Opeth's songs are that they translate well to acoustic guitar, even the distorted riffs and progressions have the kind of drive you get if you were just strumming away at an acoustic. I really like the riffs where there is dissonance created by notes ringing out over others that are a minor 2nd or a tritone away, like the riff in Master's Apprentices right before the "I hold my breath in wait" riff. Ghost of Perdition contains a little of that in the opening riff as well as the Baying of the Hounds right after the "Lined up verses" part. I really dig that disharmonic element when used in a riff as it brings new layers to the sound.

In the Rehearsal Tapes DVD, you see Mikael show that g# octave where he uses the open A string for the disharmonic element. That overall sound is very inspiring to me, using disharmony to let the guitar speak in a different language so to speak.

 

[Crepuscularia]

I think Mike writes all his music on an acoustic, doesn't he? I think that's a wise choice; when your sound is drenched in distortion you usually can't hear any interval other than a fifth clearly, hence all the power chords in metal. I love the way Opeth backs off on the distortion a bit and lets those other intervals ring out.

The don't think the intervals Mike uses are THAT dissonant though, its not like he's writing tone clusters or anything. But maybe I just feel that way because I listen to a ton of late romantic/20th century classical music which is often FAR more dissonant than anything Opeth has done. Still, because of Opeth I can hardly stand to write music with 'normal' triads now. Take out the 3rd, add a minor 11th, now we're in the ballpark!

 

[Amaran9th]

I definately agree that writing heavier music on an acoustic opens your ears to new sounds not possible running through gobs of distortion.

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you just moving the 3rd an octave higher if you use a minor 11th? D (root) A (fifth) F# (minor 11th). And an 11th is considered a perfect interval right so it'd be dim. not minor? Sorry for the theory talk, I'm still trying to incorporate it all into my thinking.

 

[Arjen W.]

I haven't been inspired by particular parts I guess, just Opeth as a whole. They're really the band that have opened my eyes and got me seriously interested in songwriting. The main things that have inspired me are the non-standard song structures/riffs/arrangements and the heavy/soft dynamics within songs, along with some more concrete ideas like disharmonic chords and octave chords.

I also write all my stuff on my acoustic guitars, but I'm not sure if this is because of Opeth. It's just natural, I think.

 

[Crepuscularia]

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you just moving the 3rd an octave higher if you use a minor 11th? D (root) A (fifth) F# (minor 11th). And an 11th is considered a perfect interval right so it'd be dim. not minor? Sorry for the theory talk, I'm still trying to incorporate it all into my thinking.

oops you're right, I should have said minor ADD 11. Good catch. I don't want to lose my music theory cred.

 

[Sisyphus's Struggle]

Should i say yes... but not only Opeth, a lot of other things i've heard... i don't even know music theory (which is pretty comical, cause i hear a lot of classical stuff), and mostly the only thing i do is to improvise, i don't like to feel attached to some kind of script/schedule (like the structure of songs)... i also like to compose things for other instruments, but not drums (cause i don't have and don't know how to play... but still manage to "create" something using programs... bullshit)... i play most of the time acoustic guitar (i have an Alhambra), it's more expressive than the electric (i have one too, and sometimes i play it... mostly some metal stuff)... the ADD chords i think that are one of the thinks that i've took from Opeth...

 

[Labyrinth of Blindness]

Opeth has been a huge inspiration for me as a guitar player, especially in structure. I enjoy the dynamic contrasts of slow moving melodies to heavier chord progressions. Mike's writing style is a large aspect of what I like to consider my style. I just love dynamics and playing melodies and chords that are disharmonic and do not sound so damn predictable. Good thread.

 

[BrandonS]

I was influenced by Opeth and then started to move more towards prog rock, like Flower Kings, Transatlantic, Pain of Salvation, and more than I can't think of right now... There's a label called Progrock Records that has sweet bands like Invisigoth and Dial. But I got a bigger influence from these progrock bands, but Opeth still managed to come back after Deliverance and make stuff that sounds similar to my stuff with Ghost Reveries and Watershed, I mean basically incorporating more prog rock. It's a great genre. There's a lot of fantastic prog out there.

 

[Lightbulb Sun]

So are we going to get any samples soon?

 

[Amaran9th]

Great stuff guys. It seems Opeth has inspired us to think beyond the music box, so to speak. Me and one of my buddies are starting a band and are currently recording our fourth full song. Once our website is up we'll have some samples to share that I hope everyone enjoys.

It seems to me that there is music that I enjoy and music that I enjoy AND that inspires me. Opeth is one such musical influence as I both appreciate and am moved by their sound as a listener and inspired as a musician. There are not many other bands that you'll catch me listening to that can capture my musical vision and dream.

 

[DarkGift]

Should i say yes... but not only Opeth, a lot of other things i've heard... i don't even know music theory (which is pretty comical, cause i hear a lot of classical stuff), and mostly the only thing i do is to improvise, i don't like to feel attached to some kind of script/schedule (like the structure of songs)... i also like to compose things for other instruments, but not drums (cause i don't have and don't know how to play... but still manage to "create" something using programs... bullshit)... i play most of the time acoustic guitar (i have an Alhambra), it's more expressive than the electric (i have one too, and sometimes i play it... mostly some metal stuff)... the ADD chords i think that are one of the thinks that i've took from Opeth...

PEAC EOUT


I know a lot of my acoustic playing mainly is inspired by Opeth. Sometimes when I play something I wrote, people go like "what opethsong is that?" haha. Needless to say, I take that as a huge compliment
I have this acoustic passage in a song that is very inspired by how the first part in "Benighted" is played, although it sounds nothing like it.

 

[Mantraschism]

Yes, I'm very inspired by Opeth. They were what influenced me to growl (althuogh I might start moving away from that now), for one thing, and also where I first started to get my ideas about mood and emotion over technicality. Their influence on me is most obvious through my acoustic stuff (in other words, all of my stuff now).

You can listen to some songs of mine on www.myspace.com/thiestrumusic. Fortunately, I think I've developed a style of my own, instead of just being an Opeth rip-off. Also, Katatonia was a huge inspiration, so that also found its way into my sound, too; but I don't think I sound just like them, either. Eh, judge for yourselves, if you feel like it. =P

 

[Sisyphus's Struggle]

·&·%&·!!! wish i could sing like that ^... really beautiful music...

edited: shit, i really wish i had the omnipotent, omniscient, omniwhatever knowledge about every little piece of music done in this universe...

 

[Tangled]

www.myspace.com/thiestrumusic.

Very nice. Dig the vocals.

 

[Carta's]

Yes, I'm very inspired by Opeth. They were what influenced me to growl (althuogh I might start moving away from that now), for one thing, and also where I first started to get my ideas about mood and emotion over technicality. Their influence on me is most obvious through my acoustic stuff (in other words, all of my stuff now).

You can listen to some songs of mine on www.myspace.com/thiestrumusic. Fortunately, I think I've developed a style of my own, instead of just being an Opeth rip-off. Also, Katatonia was a huge inspiration, so that also found its way into my sound, too; but I don't think I sound just like them, either. Eh, judge for yourselves, if you feel like it. =P

Nobody will listen to it if you post it in the "Your own recordings" thread, you got more reply here in a quarter of hour than in the other thread in a week

 

[Mantraschism]

Yeah, I noticed that, haha.

Thanks for the positive feedback, guys! I didn't expect such quick responses. =D

 

[Iki-ilkkuja]

I have a few compositions that are a bit Opethish. I've learned to appreciate disharmony after Mikael's influence.

 

[ever dying]

Mantraschism, Pretty damn nice!


Disharmony is awesome, some people always ask me why my chords are always 'out of tune'.. I tell them to shut up and appreciate disharmony..