Opeth's Last 3 Albums Have Been Fantastic

[DiscipleofTruMetal]

I notice that a lot of people aren't satisfied with opeth's last 3 albums they have released..i myself think they're wonderful, and my favorites out of the opeth catalog. why? I think their songwriting has matured and the production is easier on the ear then lets say orchid or mayh. Not that i don't like those albums. i think opeth being a progressive death metal band, their transitions from song part to song part, which is very important in progressive music, have improved the most on their most recent albums...why is it that some of you think the most recent albums are subpar to their earlier ones? share your thoughts please. all i hear you guys say is that you just don't like them..whats the reasons that you do not like them?

 

[estimate]

I like deliverance. Bigtime.

 

[wankerness]

Let me guess, you heard them first! Even if you didn't, I think that stuff you said about great transitions holds true for blackwater park only. Deliverance is just...INCREDIBLY BORING compared to their other cds, they repeat everything WAY TOO MUCH. Most of the songs would probably be about 3 minutes long if it weren't for repetitions of riffs, especially the outros on deliverance and a fair judgement. BLECH. Also, the riffing just feels dry and stale on that one. As for damnation, WHAT TRANSITIONS FROM HEAVY TO LIGHT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? It's kind of STUCK IN ONE EMOTION, but I think it's quite a bit better than deliverance. Some of the songs have some just plain amazing sections, like for example that epic section in "to rid the disease" before the outro. Overall, though, I think Still Life and My Arms, Your Hearse and Blackwater Park are definitely the best in terms of transitions and emotional content. The first two albums, while great, are just sort of riff collages (with the exception of the song To Bid You Farewell).

 

[Korlich]

You can´t deny that they are all a regression compared to "Still life"

 

[estimate]

Seriously wankerness. Get your ass down to your bed. Lie down. Put Deliverance in your headset. Listen. Don't fucking prejugde the album like you of course will. "This part is so repetetive". I mean. What the fuck? I know some people might think that parts are repetetive, like the start of Masters Appr, and some parts in Wreath, but hey, thats the way the album is. It's like floating. I love the way the album flows. Every brigde, transition and so in, it's very very nice. It's really all about becoming one with the album. (And the drums are fucking incredible! Really sets the mood.)

 

[DiscipleofTruMetal]

i really enjoy the riffs in deliverence, yeah the outros can be long..i like it for some weird reason..haha i think the riffs are very well written as well and "dry and stale"? i love mikaels and peters riffs...especially on blackwater and deliverence...

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

Well, I personally find My Arms Your Hease and Still Life to be much more enjoyable as a whole album because of the concepts, which seems to blend the songs on the album together much better. Also, I just love the consistancy on those albums, it's like they all have one mood, where as Blackwater Park, you go from a heavy badass song like Bleak to fucking Harvest. They are both great songs, but with that transition I just want to puke. Bad track list choice I guess, and Damnation I dont consider as a true Opeth album, even though it really is awesome, and Deliverance I tend to skip songs like AFJ and For Absent Friends, and BTPISIO.

 

[Erich w/ an h]

the end of Deliverence, the song, is fucking amazing. I dont care if its 3 minutes by itself.

Deliverence, the album, is my fave Opeth album. I just like it better, regardless of how different it is from, say, Morningrise. That album was unfuckingbelievable, though.

 

[illbeleavinnow]

I like the earlier ones for their cult feel. The production was crappy but it was a good crappy. In the latest two albums, I feel like the production was more important than the music. Which is good and all, but I'm not getting the raw emotion that their earlier albums gave. By all means Steven Wilson is a great producer, and I like the experimentation with the production, but I think it's time to bring it back to the basics. (yeah black metal album)

Also I find myself listening to certain songs off Deliverance just for one part (the end of Deliverance, some 6 minutes in BTPISIO, intro to MA, etc.), whereas with MAYH and Still Life every song is equally good and each minute is justa s good as the one before it.

 

[The Poona of Peshwa]

I actually really like deliverance, I like the mayh and still life better but that doesn't really take away from the greatness of this one for me.

 

[estimate]

, and Deliverance I tend to skip songs like AFJ and For Absent Friends, and BTPISIO.

I also skip those, except BTPISIO. It's interesting.

 

[iseesmurfs420]

I love A Fair Judement especially for the grand solo. Personally I think MAYH and Still Life are the best.The only album I cant get into is Morningrise. I like TBYF and Blackrose is cool but choppy in some parts. I dont know something about it doesnt capture me. I love Orchid though and it has similar production. I just cant get into MR. I guess ill force myself into it by listening over and ove and over . Personally I think Deliverance is great. Id say for me it goes Still Life, MAYH, Blackwater, Damnation (yes damnation), Orchid, Deliverance, Morningrise. It does constantly change except for Still Life and MAYH will always be close to the top. Still Life is hands down one of the best albums in production or not anymore but its great. So is MAYH maybe the fact thats its a concept. I do really enjoy listening as a whole rather than single tracks. Whatever just my .02

 

[Ermz]

I agree with wankerness almost 100%. He's one of the most reliable Opeth tabbers around, so when it comes to knowing the music itself, you'd be hard pressed to find someone better versed.

I'll just reiterate what he said in my own words, as I have done before. The new albums are generally boring and repetitive compared to the old. The unique thing about Opeth, if you recall was their long songs, their transitions and how they could keep you engaged for such a long time. With Deliverance all we saw was a single riff looped for 2 minutes with different weird overdubs (thanks Steve) played each time. What happened to the harmonized riffs from Still Life? What happened to those amazingly heavy, intricate yet still melodic lines from MAYH? I can understand that Opeth went into D&D ill-prepared, so I am very willing to give them a new chance with an open mind. I just can't stand somebody telling me that those two albums are in any way on par with their older shit, especially Still Life.

I also have a personal liking toward Orchid, but I understand that the band has moved away from that style of writing and are doing new things, but in my opinion their prime compositional era was Still Life, where you could feel the melody, the emotion and the ideas manifest themselves all throughout the album.

 

[Demoke]

I couldn't agree more with Moonlapse.

 

[KevyCanavan]

My personal stance is that still life is indeed the best opeth album as a few ppl have said.

I can be quite harsh in my choice of words when talking about the last three albums at times but i do infact like every opeth release.
In my opinion blackwater park is the most overrated of all of the band's work with masterpieces like still life and mayh always taking a back seat.

I in fact love deliverance, i think the mixing on it is just sublime altough it is repetitive in places it has beautiful atmosphere. Andy Sneap is a fucking genius at the desk, no question.

The problems i have with teh alst 3 releases, is opeth's insistance on dwelling on them (even if it is the whim of the record company). I was hugely dissapointed with both the DVD and the shepards bush show itself. I wouldn't be being honest with myself or any of you if I was to say anything else.

The fact that songs from the first two albums were completely ommitted from the setlist for the msot recent tour imo is a disgrace, especially when they insist on performing 2 songs each from both the most recent releases.

All in all, I am very pleased that the band are doing well for themselves, just as i would be for any of my favourite bands, i just wish sometimes that they would think more of the oldschool fans and not just how to sell more copies of blackwater park.

I dont' think i'm being unfair here.

 

[estimate]

I agree with wankerness almost 100%. He's one of the most reliable Opeth tabbers around, so when it comes to knowing the music itself, you'd be hard pressed to find someone better versed.

Guitar and bass aint all, you know.

 

[estimate]

Just so you know it. Still Life was my favorite a long time. Then Orchid was #1 for a even longer timer. But now it's Deliverance. It's awesome. Time to evolve guys.

 

[DiscipleofTruMetal]

My personal stance is that still life is indeed the best opeth album as a few ppl have said.

I can be quite harsh in my choice of words when talking about the last three albums at times but i do infact like every opeth release.
In my opinion blackwater park is the most overrated of all of the band's work with masterpieces like still life and mayh always taking a back seat.

I in fact love deliverance, i think the mixing on it is just sublime altough it is repetitive in places it has beautiful atmosphere. Andy Sneap is a fucking genius at the desk, no question.

The problems i have with teh alst 3 releases, is opeth's insistance on dwelling on them (even if it is the whim of the record company). I was hugely dissapointed with both the DVD and the shepards bush show itself. I wouldn't be being honest with myself or any of you if I was to say anything else.

The fact that songs from the first two albums were completely ommitted from the setlist for the msot recent tour imo is a disgrace, especially when they insist on performing 2 songs each from both the most recent releases.

All in all, I am very pleased that the band are doing well for themselves, just as i would be for any of my favourite bands, i just wish sometimes that they would think more of the oldschool fans and not just how to sell more copies of blackwater park.

I dont' think i'm being unfair here.

What do you have against blackwater park kevy? its actually my fav opeth album...

 

[TheFourthHorseman]

Just so you know it. Still Life was my favorite a long time. Then Orchid was #1 for a even longer timer. But now it's Deliverance. It's awesome. Time to evolve guys.

So why are they regressing?

 

[Scourge of Malice]

I dont think you guys have given deliverence the chance it deserves. I really just started fully getting into it. I never liked A Fair Judgement before but now ive realized how beautiful of a song it is. I love Deliverence