Deliverance and Damnation were to be originally released at the same time, but Peaceville nixed that idea simply based on contractual issues.
I think we're saying the same thing; "released at the same time" = “companion piece”.
But again, who says Opeth won't come back with a straight death metal album? We could have all been in fear of them going "soft" because of Damnation, but nobody EVER thought that. Maybe it's because they have done two in a row that are all prog that has "fans" giving up on them.
None of us "know" that. However, given Mikael's influences (which you cited), given the trajectory of their sound, given that Mikael's at an age where many musician's sound grows more melodic and less aggressive, it's a very reasonable assumption.
How is Opeth not metal anymore?
Why don't I let you answer that question....
Opeth is not currently releasing metal music...
There you go. All joking aside, if you want to think of current Opeth as a metal band, feel free. As I’ve said, being "metal" or “not metal” is mostly irrelevant.
Because again the same could have been said after Damnation and nobody said that.
The same could not have been said for Damnation. As
you yourself pointed out, Damnation wasn't intended to be a new direction in sound, it was part of a collection with Deliverance. Every Opeth fan on the planet understood that Damnation was to be a momentary dalliance. And that’s quite difference than the sustained trajectory the band is currently on.
Again, the real problem here is the songwriting. Let's step back from Pale Communion for a second. An argument can
easily be made that Opeth has been on a steep and steady decline for fifteen years. I for one would rate their albums thusly:
Morningrise = MAYH = Still Life > Blackwater Park > Deliverance/Damnation > the four (mostly tedious) albums that followed
I'm certainly far from alone in my view of their discography. And therein lies the real problem. What would make anyone think that Opeth can simply flip that switch anymore? Even if Mikael decided he was going to go back to that golden period between 1996 and 2001, what would make anyone believe he could? How many acts can you think of that drifted from their sound for 15 years only to make a glorious return? Hell... forget drifting from their sound. How many acts ever match the quality of the early output while in their 20th year of making music? Sure, I’m sure we can come up with a few. But the point stands.
You made the statement earlier that Opeth still play metal, ‘or ‘old stuff” as you called it, live. But stop and consider that for a moment; most of those songs are from the
nineties. You remember the nineties… back when Clinton was President, “Friends” was still on the air, and ProgPower had yet to come into being. That’s how far we have to go back. OK… 2001 for BWP. Still, this is a band who hasn’t released great metal in 15 years. If you or anyone else is anticipating a return to form in 2017 (when they release their next record), I would expect to be disappointed.