Opeth: The Love / Hate Band

[DarkGift]

Out of Orchid and Morningrise (because they have a similar sound) I prefer Morningrise I think both albums have some absolutely stellar riffs and passages, but the songwriting wasn't really there yet imo. Too much "here's one riff, here's another riff" and it feels pretty disjointed at times.

With that said, who can forget stuff like The Twilight is my Robe, Forest of October, The Night and the Silent Water and Black Rose Immortal

 

[einride]

Too much "here's one riff, here's another riff" and it feels pretty disjointed at times

i mean this is accurate, and was and is the traditional criticism against opeth

i think on morningrise the parts are just about good enough on their own that i can forgive that however, and that album has a special feel that none of the others really have

but i wish they had tried harder sometimes. again, i think "the moor" stands out particularly in their discography because it doesn't really have any weird stop/start riff changes, it has a lot of riffs but each one just flows and builds upon the previous in a way i think is very impressive and reminds me of one of the things i like best about metal -- the way you can use sets of riffs and parts to build tension and narrative

 

[SonOfNun]

I still haven't heard "Watershed" or anything after it.

Seeing them on the "Lamentations Over America" tour in 2004 will always be one of my greatest memories. It was my first real concert that I chose to go to. It was also one of my first experiences of just truly doing something fairly independent as an adult(ish). We traveled almost 5 hours to the big city, hung out downtown, met Mikael literally as his tour bus pulled up and he got out, ran down the street to talk to him, and saw him again in a record shop later. They were an incredible live band and played the tracks we really wanted to hear (Master's Apprentices, Deliverance, Demon of the Fall, etc.) Those concert trips back then were special. Seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago at the same time.

I almost thought about going to a recent concert of theirs, but I just don't know if it'd even be worth it. Seemed like a "sitting in a chair, sipping champagne, gently applauding after each offering" kind of affair.

 

[DarkGift]

i mean this is accurate, and was and is the traditional criticism against opeth

i think on morningrise the parts are just about good enough on their own that i can forgive that however, and that album has a special feel that none of the others really have

but i wish they had tried harder sometimes. again, i think "the moor" stands out particularly in their discography because it doesn't really have any weird stop/start riff changes, it has a lot of riffs but each one just flows and builds upon the previous in a way i think is very impressive and reminds me of one of the things i like best about metal -- the way you can use sets of riffs and parts to build tension and narrative

I get what you mean, but I feel they really came into their own from MAYH-GR and wrote some of the best transitions I've ever heard in metal. The title track on Blackwater Park is a testament to this imo.
The Moor is for sure one of their absolute best tracks, no doubt about it!

Sadly, Watershed and Heritage (especially the latter one) really returned more to the Orchid style of writing with very jarring shifts. I'm sure it's on purpose, but not my cup of tea.

 

[J.]

The title track on Blackwater Park is a testament to this imo.

This is the one good thing about BWP. Great song

I like the random riff changes. It's what makes them special. When they become more formulaic, it got boring for me. And again, the funky bass player was special, then it just got standard once he left.

Saw them live once and it was okay. Glad I saw em. But they ruined White Cluster for me, because Mikaels' guitar was waaay out of tune

 

[SonOfNun]

funky jedi bass player

Funky Jedi bass player, named after a pasta, and a current member of the conservative Christian Democrats party in Sweden apparently. Interesting dude.