Opeth's fanbase grows faster than any other band's IMO

[batmura]

One year ago no one talked about this band on every forum I post at. Even the guys at the Testament forum are talking about Opeth now. Many Dream Theater, Shadow Gallery and Fates Warning fans have started to check out Opeth upon constantly hearing how original and progressive Opeth is.

I think soon enough they will no longer be an underground band. When I say "not underground" I don't mean mainstream but more like a band such as Blind Guardian and Iced Earth.

What do you think?

 

[Stinkfist]

I'd say they're bigger than those two bands over here.

 

[batmura]

I'm not sure if they're "bigger" than Dream Theater or Fates Warning, but they're definitely growing rapidly. They get mentioned on all kinds of bands' boards from Savatage to Dream Theater to Blind Guardian to Nevermore, which is amazing.

NP: Pentagram - Bir

 

[GoufCustom]

Yes, they're noteriety is growing rapidly. As a poster at DT.NET MB, I assure you that they get a lot of recognition. And as a fan of Peth, I try to get the word of Opeth to every damn person I can.

 

[Hondo]

A lot of that is from the exposure BWP got, especially from all the top places it took in album of the year lists. Deliverance will probably do as well.

 

[batmura]

Yeah BWP got them a lot of recognition, but I personally feel Still Life was the real point where Opeth became to be more known among metal fans. I remember listening to Morningrise and it was kind of boring. Then I got My Arms, Your Hearse and Still Life and slowly began to get into their music. BWP came along and totally got me converted. It was a long and slow process, and that's how it usually is I guess, and now I love the band. It took me over a whole year to fully understand the band's gift.

My opinion is people like me have been giving Opeth a chance after they picked up BWP and it didn't click with them immediately. It took time. Then as time went by they began to check out other Opeth albums and it all strengthened their love for the band.

NP: Pentagram - Bir

 

[Staffan]

I have no problem with opeth getting bigger... good music is about to be spread

 

[batmura]

I didn't mean it as a bad thing. It's cool that Opeth's music has crashed down boundaries and has spreading around. A year ago no one talked about them on the Dream Theater forum. Today more and more people are willing to check them out. That is cool.

NP: Pentagram - Bir

 

[Infinite Reach]

I have always said that Opeth would be more popular than they are if people just knew about them. But there will always be a limit to their popularity because of the growling vocals - some people are just too narrow minded to ever accept growling vocals, no matter how good the music is. But that doesn't bother me one bit - their loss, my gain.

 

[batmura]

Good point, IR. Agreed.

NP: Pentagram - Bir

 

[thirdeye]

just keep spreadin the word people, thats all i can say, how popular they get lies in our hands...and great music needs to wash over the shit pile that is 98 percent of the worldwide music industry

 

[Demonspell]

With Deliverance, the cult of Opeth will only continue to grow, along with their artistic legacy.

 

[TyrantOfFlames]

I tend to agree. As a listener since the MAYH days, I am curious to see how popular they get.

 

[Furious B]

Originally posted by Infinite Reach
But there will always be a limit to their popularity because of the growling vocals - some people are just too narrow minded to ever accept growling vocals, no matter how good the music is.

and the epic song lengths ...

 

[Opethfan1980]

Yeah, Opeth could very well become one of the more well known underground bands, but my criteria for being mainstream is some form of radio exposure, and that will never happen because of the growling vocals and long song lengths.

 

[Stinkfist]

Opeth are getting quite a lot of exposure in England - Kerrang, our biggest music magazine, which is renowned for covering nu-metal and pop-punk recently had a three-page feature on them. And if you post of the Kerrang message boards, loads of people like Opeth.

 

[Bleakest Harvest]

They hjad a three page feature on them???When was this?

 

[batmura]

What's the link for the Kerrang message boards?

NP: Savatage - Rare & Unreleased

 

[Duvall]

[BLITHER]

I think we'll see a lot of new Opethians (was that the term we coined? Someone did..) marching around in the coming months. Some of the work on Deliverance will open Opeth up to people who would otherwise not have touched it (ie: "not heavy enough"), and Damnation will CERTAINLY bring Opeth's name out to people who might never have walked into the METAL section of a record shop.

I'm not sure what Damnation will be like, but I assume (hope?) that it'll be different and inaccessible enough that only intelligent music-goers will be drawn to it. Might even get some metal fans into different (less heavy?) forms of music. Still talent, still integrity, still ART. That's what matters. I'd like to see some old prog fans join the ranks, maybe even some jazz fans.. though they might not go out, buy Orchid and be found growling the next day.

Opeth has this magical quality about it (which may just be its quality in itself) that draws you in and holds you fast. No one else can create the unique sounds pouring from my speakers right now. I hope no one else ever does.

[/BLITHER]

NP: A Fair Judgement (what a song!!!)

 

[wach0052]

if the poll i did (about your first opeth album) is any indication, their fanbase growth looks exponential, though there's a small bump at morningrise, their first major breakthrough. This is, of course, assuming that people buy the most recent album when they become interested. I think it's safe to say that a majority do this.

My Prediction: less growth with deliverance, but back on par with damnation, given what i've heard about it.

Good or bad? I don't know. Mikael has said repeatedly that he's never going to 'sell out', if that's the issue. If we're too snobby to want to share opeth, that's kinda ridiculous...