Opeth latest Pale Communion Streaming in full

[TribunalRecords]

It is funny that a progressive metal band isn't given the liberty to expand it's wings these days. Mikael has always been into prog like Camel and their ilk. People assume this will be their trajectory forever, but I see it as a timed break from essentially making the same album for the last 10 years. At the rate he composes music they could write and record a death metal album next week. It's the record labels that slow him down. Deliverance and Damnation were to be one album he was forced to split them up as an example.

 

[labarum]

After a couple listens, there are a couple parts where I am bobbing my head, but on the whole, it seems like for this release they've gone full-on 70's porn sound. Its not bad, just not like everybody else has said, not traditional Opeth. It's always been a possibility that the 70s prog would win out on Mike; in practically EVERY interview i've ever seen with him he is talking about an obscure 70s-80s prog band... so he lost me on this one.

 

[AngraRULES]

I'm sure you're as cool as AngraRules.

Anyway, those albums are good but modern Opeth / Oporc suits me better.

Now, back to my cold

LOL, you owe me a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label at this point.

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

LOL, you owe me a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label at this point.

How about a nice bottle of Soju?

 

[General Zod]

It is funny that a progressive metal band isn't given the liberty to expand it's wings these days.

For the most part, I think people have been very respectful of Mikael's evolution. As I often say, it's artist's right to evolve, it's a fan's right not to enjoy that evolution. And when an artist "expands" all the way out of the genre, what do you expect? More to the point, this is less about the expansion and more about the songwriting quality. Had they become a good 70s Prog Rock band, I'd happily come along for the ride. Unfortunately, the songs just aren't engaging.

 

[therabbitking]

For the most part, I think people have been very respectful of Mikael's evolution. As I often say, it's artist's right to evolve, it's a fan's right not to enjoy that evolution. And when an artist "expands" all the way out of the genre, what do you expect? More to the point, this is less about the expansion and more about the songwriting quality. Had they become a good 70s Prog Rock band, I'd happily come along for the ride. Unfortunately, the songs just aren't engaging.

As someone who has only recently sunken my teeth into Opeth (BWP, Watershed), I'm disappointed to hear that there's not the kind of variety found on their previous stuff. Though, I am a fan of bands branching out and "evolving" as we say. For example, I absolutely loved Load and Reload from Metallica. Some of James' best lyric writing to date. And songs like Bleeding Me and Outlaw Torn will forever be faves of mine.

But I need to listen to PC anyways. Of what I heard I can say that the mix is great. Drum mix in particular sounds just killer.

 

[Justin G]

For the most part, I think people have been very respectful of Mikael's evolution. As I often say, it's artist's right to evolve, it's a fan's right not to enjoy that evolution. And when an artist "expands" all the way out of the genre, what do you expect? More to the point, this is less about the expansion and more about the songwriting quality. Had they become a good 70s Prog Rock band, I'd happily come along for the ride. Unfortunately, the songs just aren't engaging.

That's more or less my view on Pain of Salvation. I respect Gildenlow's talent and vision, but the place he took POS's music is just not somewhere I wanted to follow.

I'm willing to give Opeth a little more leeway, because hey, it's Opeth.

 

[TribunalRecords]

For the most part, I think people have been very respectful of Mikael's evolution. As I often say, it's artist's right to evolve, it's a fan's right not to enjoy that evolution. And when an artist "expands" all the way out of the genre, what do you expect? More to the point, this is less about the expansion and more about the songwriting quality. Had they become a good 70s Prog Rock band, I'd happily come along for the ride. Unfortunately, the songs just aren't engaging.

so a mellow acoustic-y album didn't expand out of the genre either?

Opeth have been a genre smashing band from the onset. So to the people saying the band should change their name, why? Because they make some albums that don't fit into the mold of what people expect from them? It's still Opeth writing and performing the music, so why change. I won't even go into the industry issues a name changes causes.

I politely disagree I found it to be quite engaging and enjoyed streaming it today. I will be buying CD tonight.

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

Beginning to end it's a fantastic album Potentially their best since Still Life.

 

[Oblivion Ocean]

For the most part, I think people have been very respectful of Mikael's evolution. As I often say, it's artist's right to evolve, it's a fan's right not to enjoy that evolution. And when an artist "expands" all the way out of the genre, what do you expect? More to the point, this is less about the expansion and more about the songwriting quality. Had they become a good 70s Prog Rock band, I'd happily come along for the ride. Unfortunately, the songs just aren't engaging.

Yes, when a band changes/progresses their sound and receives an unfavorable reaction, it is common on prog forums to see the straw man argument "people don't want them to change/people want more of the same".

But as Zod said, I just don't find the music compelling. That has nothing to do with any qualitative element (clean vocals, mellow, less distorted riffs) and has everything to do with song writing. Just like with Hertitage, I put the album on and it just fades into the background and I become bored half way through. To me the music has no urgency.

Someone else mentioned Pain of Salvation, and half of the appeal of that band for me has been their constant evolution. While the Road Salt albums have not been my favorite, I still find a lot of elements in those albums that I enjoy. I cannot say the same thing about the last two Opeth albums.

 

[nomisofsiman]

so a mellow acoustic-y album didn't expand out of the genre either?

Opeth have been a genre smashing band from the onset. So to the people saying the band should change their name, why? Because they make some albums that don't fit into the mold of what people expect from them? It's still Opeth writing and performing the music, so why change. I won't even go into the industry issues a name changes causes.

I politely disagree I found it to be quite engaging and enjoyed streaming it today. I will be buying CD tonight.

I agree Matt. At the end of the day, they are a progressive band, and they are one of the few that actually take that term literally. I admire Mikael for doing what he believes in.

 

[Jasonic]

I agree Matt. At the end of the day, they are a progressive band, and they are one of the few that actually take that term literally. I admire Mikael for doing what he believes in.

This.

I admit that the last new album of theirs I purchased was Ghost Reveries.
After hearing the two songs up on YouTube I may be changing that.

Honestly never expected a new Opeth to be something I would be interested in anymore.

 

[J. Golden]

It is funny that a progressive metal band isn't given the liberty to expand it's wings these days. Mikael has always been into prog like Camel and their ilk. People assume this will be their trajectory forever, but I see it as a timed break from essentially making the same album for the last 10 years. At the rate he composes music they could write and record a death metal album next week. It's the record labels that slow him down. Deliverance and Damnation were to be one album he was forced to split them up as an example.

'these days"?

 

[General Zod]

so a mellow acoustic-y album didn't expand out of the genre either?

Damnation was largely seen as a companion piece to the heavy-as-fuck Deliverance.

Opeth have been a genre smashing band from the onset. So to the people saying the band should change their name, why? Because they make some albums that don't fit into the mold of what people expect from them? It's still Opeth writing and performing the music, so why change. I won't even go into the industry issues a name changes causes.

While I would agree that the name change talk is unrealistic and unnecessary, I would suggest that you can only smash a genre so much until you're no longer part of it. Opeth is no longer a metal band. I say that not as an insult, but merely as an observable reality. And I for one am fine with that. I like plenty of non-metal music. However, I also find it completely understandable if metal fans lose interest in them.

I politely disagree I found it to be quite engaging and enjoyed streaming it today. I will be buying CD tonight.

As always, to each their own.

 

[TribunalRecords]

Damnation was largely seen as a companion piece to the heavy-as-fuck Deliverance.

While I would agree that the name change talk is unrealistic and unnecessary, I would suggest that you can only smash a genre so much until you're no longer part of it. Opeth is no longer a metal band. I say that not as an insult, but merely as an observable reality. And I for one am fine with that. I like plenty of non-metal music. However, I also find it completely understandable if metal fans lose interest in them.

Deliverance and Damnation were to be originally released at the same time, but Peaceville nixed that idea simply based on contractual issues.

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.

How is Opeth not metal anymore? Have they stopped playing the old stuff? Last festival footage I saw there was old stuff mixed in the set. Opeth is not currently releasing metal music, but to say they are no longer metal isn't quite accurate. Because again the same could have been said after Damnation and nobody said that.

 

[Justin G]

It's a solid album. Proggy but accessible. Better than Heritage, but it's always going to be the second to last album I reach for when I need an Opeth fix.

 

[General Zod]

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.

 

[KingsGene]

OPETH MEMBERS DISCUSS PALE COMMUNION ALBUM; NEW VIDEO INTERVIEW POSTED

Italy's SpazioRock recently met up with Mikael Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson from Opeth to discuss their new album, Pale Communion. Watch the video interview below:

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“The best way for me to write is always to just write the stuff that I want to hear myself,” states Åkerfeldt on his vision with Pale Communion. “I’m pretty headstrong, so a few negative reactions to Heritage didn’t push me in any way. That album started something new. Every record feels like part of a chain. We wouldn’t have done Heritage without the previous records and the same is true of Pale Communion. I sat down and wrote the songs like I did for Heritage and the one before that. Heritage rejuvenated the band a little bit and I could see a way to continue doing this band without focusing on what we’re known for. We’d done that for so many records that I was a bit fed up with it. Now we have a future and Pale Communion is the continuation of that.”

“I would have to say that we’re happy band right now and there have been times when we weren’t happy,” Åkerfeldt adds. “Everyone’s pulling their weight and it feels like a collective with the same ideas. We’ve been touring a lot for the Heritage record, so we’re a tight unit. We hang out a lot as friends. We play well and we get along well and we have a mutual understanding of where we want to take this band. And I know the guys can play anything. They’re fantastic musicians. As I was writing the songs, Fredrik [Åkesson, guitar] came down to my studio to lay down some solos. He was really involved in the process and listening to whatever I came up with. It was the first record for Joakim [Svalberg, keyboards] and he’s been really psyched about doing this record. Long before we started recording he was saying that he couldn’t wait to be involved, and he really stepped up to the plate. Axe [drummer Martin Axenrot] and [bassist Martin] Méndez are a tight unit too. Axe went over to Barcelona where Méndez lives to rehearse for a few days and then they put everything down in three or four days in the studio. It was easy. It was easy for everybody.”

 

[TribunalRecords]

“Every record feels like part of a chain. We wouldn’t have done Heritage without the previous records and the same is true of Pale Communion. I sat down and wrote the songs like I did for Heritage and the one before that. Heritage rejuvenated the band a little bit and I could see a way to continue doing this band without focusing on what we’re known for. We’d done that for so many records that I was a bit fed up with it. Now we have a future and Pale Communion is the continuation of that.”

Sounds like a scenario I previously described. Glad to know I was right. haha.

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

Even the guy who growls gets sick of growling (!).