Opeth music style and compositions

Luann

Member
Apr 5, 2008
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Argentina
Since I first heard BWP, it was obvious to me that this band had an unique sound.
At first, the blend of acoustic/electric guitar plus clean voices and growls were very "new" to me.
But everyday I appreciate more and more the songs, the structure of the songs, the riffs, solos, vocal melodies (which are some of the most important things of Opeth in my opinion), the harmony, the drums, bass, just everything.
One of the things that I've always wondered, is how Mikael comes with such awesome ideas. I mean, he knows some theory, but at the same time he doesn't know part of it (remember that video of drapery falls guitar lesson where he didn't knew the name of the A-add9 chord?).
I've analyzed sections of Opeth songs, and there some great things, for example, a lot of the vocal lines are based on the arpeggios of the chords being played, not only he sings the chord tones, but the entire arpeggio a lot of times, sometimes he sings it over a chord, and then the chord from the arpeggio comes later.
Of course, there are a lot of odd meters such as 9/8, 5/8, etc. And 6/8 on heavy songs it's like an opeth signature.
Obviously, he has a really great ear.
The new songs have new ideas, he just never stops being creative, that for me is awesome, it's so hard these days to create something new and he doesn't seem to have problems with that.

This thread may be a little weird, but I just had to express my admiration for Mikael as a composer.
Also, maybe I will post a complete analysis of an Opeth song if I have enough time, maybe somebody would like to do the same?
 
Yea, you described it very well. Thats why theyre my all time favorite band, no question. You can tell so much detail and thought goes into every song, and I just love it ... ok Im a fanboy, but I guess all of us are in some way since we're posting here
 
Mikael was the one who got me right into writing music. Everytime i hear an opeth song it makes me feel like picking up the guitar. His songwriting just blew me away (and still does haha)
 
Mikael was the one who got me right into writing music. Everytime i hear an opeth song it makes me feel like picking up the guitar. His songwriting just blew me away (and still does haha)

Same here! And if I'm having a "low on inspiration" period, I just watch the GR dvd. Allways makes me want to pick up my guitar and write some kind of music! :lol:
 
What truely defines Opeth's compositional style, is that it does indeed require a lot of theory to grasp onto the concept of the music; whether Mikael is aware of this knowledge is both debatable and irrelevant. However, what makes this style original and groundbreaking is that it breaks nearly all the rules (ie. staying in key, tonal centres, song structure), but in order to create and understand this music you have to have a good ear and an understanding of revelance between intervals. Opeth's music revolves around the relationship of minor intervals, thirds in particular, as well as the tritone, in their most evil, creepy sounding sections. Mikael uses the intervalic relationship to create the atmosphere that is Opeth, which sounds so beautiful because it is simply not "right", and is unlikely anything any of us have heard before.
 
On thing that's always fun notin is the *shitload* of minor-add9 chords which are littered in opeth's music. You mentioned the one in the Drapery Falls yourself (there are several of those in the song). It's just a chord, but it's not *that* common, and it's very typical of opeth.
Here's a little list of solos with minor add 9 arps in them, on top of my head:
* Serenity Painted Death solo
* Last and second last solo in Beneath the Mire
* The very first lick in A Fair Judgement

I think it is the only arp that Mikael can play ;).

And there are more, I just forgot them. Among songs that start with a minor add 9 chord are:

* The Drapery Falls
* To Bid you Farewell
* Windowpane
 
What truely defines Opeth's compositional style, is that it does indeed require a lot of theory to grasp onto the concept of the music; whether Mikael is aware of this knowledge is both debatable and irrelevant. However, what makes this style original and groundbreaking is that it breaks nearly all the rules (ie. staying in key, tonal centres, song structure), but in order to create and understand this music you have to have a good ear and an understanding of revelance between intervals. Opeth's music revolves around the relationship of minor intervals, thirds in particular, as well as the tritone, in their most evil, creepy sounding sections. Mikael uses the intervalic relationship to create the atmosphere that is Opeth, which sounds so beautiful because it is simply not "right", and is unlikely anything any of us have heard before.

Other resource that it's very common in opeth is the use of minor chords everywhere, a lot of times the songs use I- bIII- for example.
And -add9 is the most "sad" chord I think.
 
What truely defines Opeth's compositional style, is that it does indeed require a lot of theory to grasp onto the concept of the music; whether Mikael is aware of this knowledge is both debatable and irrelevant. However, what makes this style original and groundbreaking is that it breaks nearly all the rules (ie. staying in key, tonal centres, song structure), but in order to create and understand this music you have to have a good ear and an understanding of revelance between intervals. Opeth's music revolves around the relationship of minor intervals, thirds in particular, as well as the tritone, in their most evil, creepy sounding sections. Mikael uses the intervalic relationship to create the atmosphere that is Opeth, which sounds so beautiful because it is simply not "right", and is unlikely anything any of us have heard before.

However, this is not that evident when talking about Opeth's recent material. Old Opeth songs have (too) many counterpoint progressions that aren't that groundbreaking at all. And the new Opeth material is more about basic chord progressions, which are easier to understand.