Opeth + Strings = ???

[Don Corleone]

i think a single violin or something could work on a mellow acoustic section. something selective and tasteful.

yeah you said it for me. i think strings would be really good on a song like "patterns in the ivy"

 

[Don Corleone]

Opeth are so diverse that they could include flamenco in their songs and it wouldn't feel out of place.

and actually opeth do have a part that sounds very close to flamenco...the beginning of "the apsotle in triumph." almost but not quite.

 

[T-Rat]

eeeeeek! i usually want to vomit when i hear strings in metal or rock, it can sound so schmaltzy, but i suppose some sounds could work for opeth... esp. cello or bass--nice and dark. i especially dislike violin outside of bluegrass or folky dance music stuff. hmmm....

 

[Crimson Indifference]

Yeah i personally would prefer real strings to fake ones but alwell. Whatever they decide to do on this new album I hope its different and not a (as ninefetunderground said) safe opeth album.

 

[the_3_toed_sloth]

Yeah, any strings used must be very restrained - too much, and they can easily sound pretentious or gimmicky (making up words is fun). Other instruments can be used to brilliant effect (Piano in The Leper Affinity), but they shouldn't be used just for the sake of bragging rights that you used them.

 

[a_taylor]

I think strings would almost ruin the great dynamics that Mikael is able to get on his guitar. Stings would most likely take away melody from the guitar and make him resort to a more thrashy rythmic sound. I dont think Mikael's dissonant chord selection would harmonize very well....I wouldn't mind hearing some piano parts in their new stuff though

 

[Demoke]

and actually opeth do have a part that sounds very close to flamenco...the beginning of "the apsotle in triumph." almost but not quite.

I listened to that song yesterday and, honestly, I can't hear any flamenco there. There's more flamenco in Bleak than in TAIT if you ask me, as flamenco has its origins in Arabic music -it was only developed in the time and after the muslims were expelled from Spain-. I say this to hint that something arabic-like would do for me.

By the way, it was a long time ago since I had listened to TAIT, and yesterday that song clicked again. It's one of those Opeth underrated songs, I think. So, thank you!

 

[The Invoking]

the beginning of At The Gates "Swarm" has a pretty cool violin intro that leads into a fast trem picked distorted riff /w the violins still in the background, definitely something to check out if you havent already.

I think Opeth could probably incorporate some stringed instruments into their songs, but again, used sparingly. I'd like to hear something new on the next album, so if they decided to do something with strings I wont complain.

 

[Jon Snow]

I'm all for it as long as they use it tastefully and sparingly.

 

[mot-]

They should get a sitar and collaborate with Ravi Shankar.

 

[FUBAR]

the beginning of At The Gates "Swarm" has a pretty cool violin intro that leads into a fast trem picked distorted riff /w the violins still in the background, definitely something to check out if you havent already.

That song is really cool and that is perfect example of tastefully used strings

 

[Korlich]

Vilolins would be awesome, but not overdone.

 

[a_taylor]

Here's a little bit of info of what Mike thinks about strings from an interview:

Do you think that after the acoustic guitar and the piano you might progress to using strings?

That’d be interesting, but it would pretty much have us unable to perform the songs live unless we had the other musicians with us. We’re such a small band that we couldn’t afford to travel with an orchestra or something, it’s just too expensive. But it would be very interesting to do an album like that. I may do some of that in my little side project where I’ll be able to use instruments I’ve never used before. It’s like an itching I have to create something apart from metal.

http://www.metal-rules.com/interviews/Opeth.htm