Opeth's Legacy

[MasterOLightning]

had the exact same question ... before Opeth there was no other band like this, and there still isn't ...
no other band in metal combines these kind of influences to the same degree (although about the same time with Opeth some other bands were).
how much more does one have to do to be groundbreaking??? invent new instruments, invent new notes, invent whatever ...?

together with some other bands, Opeth have brought a new vibe to metal and have made a bridge between progressive rock and extreme metal, which is something no one could have imagined early nineties. look at websites and forums of progressive rock lovers, they embrace Opeth, whereas they used to despise death metal.

If you can't see why it's not groundbreaking to combine elements from two fully realized genres, then I can't help you. Heavy metal bands had included prog elements in their music long before Opeth.

Burzum, Darkthrone, and Atheist are bands that were actually groundbreaking. Or maybe Carcass, who helped pioneer three subgenres.

By the way, Atheist, Death, Cynic, and other bands were plenty progressive well before Opeth's first album. They took core death metal ideas and made them progressive, while Opeth simply added prog rock ideas to death metal. I hope you can see the difference.

I think you'd have a really hard time finding any truly groundbreaking metal bands later than the mid-90s. That's not to say that there aren't creative, excellent metal bands making music currently.

 

[Lothlorien]

Wrong, Opeth actually started without him!

NO DUHH. if you read my statement correctly i said he's been the only thing consistent in opeth since the beginning. once mikael's band eruption crumbled and he joined opeth as a bassist, he switched from opeth bassist to lead songwriter and became the consistent factor of opeth.

 

[Carta's]

Opeth have already founded a legacy: nowadays the Opeth forum is the most viewed on the whole ultimate-metal, except maybe the CoB one. When the new album will be out, their popularity can only increase.

 

[Lasse]

its true opeth started without mikael, but they didnt make any albums so if you count since orchid, every single album has been mikaels vision, and thats why hes seen as the figurehead, your just being picky with details
and as for their early albums, i think its more progressive on their older albums then their newer ones, well maybe not, id say its on par at least, orchid is a real showcase of their progressive elements imo, and so is morningrise, my arms your hearse is their first concept album and then comes still life, and the damnation/deleverance stuff comes after so i really cant see a break in the technical genius anywhere along there

I would account our disagrees to a different definition of what's prog. I think in the lines of Dream Theater when I hear that word, but there is that 70's shit also!

 

[JoeVice]

1. if groundbreaking means drawing from influence to create, then literally every artist is groundbreaking.

2. if groundbreaking means creating new genres and subgenres, then there are literally millions of groundbreaking artists.

3. if groundbreaking means degree of originality, sophistication, depth, etc...ya know, the real characteristics of what makes quality art, then the number takes a nose dive. opeth most definitely falls into this category.

groundbreaking art sometimes tends to display new technical methods, and in hindsight, triggers number two. some examples of these methods are jibberish scream scatting (Korn) and counterpoint (bach). some methods are harder to put a finger on because they are only a display of number three. its what the favorite riff threads are about. opeth has a lot of these "moments".

and yes, opeth is already a legacy.

 

[ViCyniC]

A modern metal band more deserving of recognition than Opeth, then? Just curious, ppl.

No one?

Ok then, Opeth it is.

 

[Slynt]

opeth is a legend, not a legacy. sorry for the nitpicking there.

 

[i aint play this]

Did anyone call Opeth ''a legacy''?

 

[annt]

and yes, opeth is already a legacy.

he did

 

[Rogue Eagle]

it's frustrating though, I want to force opeth in everyones face, yet the process of luring people into opeth's music is a long one....
I hate it when people write it off as 'screamo' and group it with shit like Trivium. Oh well.
I've listened to the tracks over and over and still don't get bored with them.... Not many bands are that good.

 

[bens0n]

correct!! but he has been the songwriter for every album, and kind of the only thing that has been consistent in opeth since the very beginning.

 

[bens0n]

it's frustrating though, I want to force opeth in everyones face, yet the process of luring people into opeth's music is a long one....
I hate it when people write it off as 'screamo' and group it with shit like Trivium. Oh well.
I've listened to the tracks over and over and still don't get bored with them.... Not many bands are that good.

haha yea I suffer the same fate, but I've converted more than a handful of close friends, and they genuinely like opeth, but aren't really metalheads.

gr->"I like this but I dont like the screamo parts.."
damnation->"Wait who is this?"
gr again->"Oh..DUDE! is this that band..?"

a typical ear opener..

 

[Death_To_False_Metal]

Opeth ?
Not groundbreaking ?

Give me a break please .

10 Minutes songs of Nick Drake meats Morbid Angel is enough groundbreaking for me.


Of coure, if you think the latest groundbreaking artists were Robert Johnson or the rhytmic patterns of singing birds, you clearly lost any sense of reality.

 

[funeralportrait91]

I hate it when people write it off as 'screamo' and group it with shit like Trivium.

If you've ever seen those 2 lumped together, it's probably because they're on the same label...

 

[Frosties]

it's frustrating though, I want to force opeth in everyones face,

Don't. I hate it when people force their music on me, so I don't do it to others. There's a difference between introducing (if that person seems interested) and forcing (if that person doesn't give a shit). If you do force, then you'll probably just end up annoying.

 

[Korlich]

If you can't see why it's not groundbreaking to combine elements from two fully realized genres, then I can't help you. Heavy metal bands had included prog elements in their music long before Opeth.

Burzum, Darkthrone, and Atheist are bands that were actually groundbreaking. Or maybe Carcass, who helped pioneer three subgenres.

By the way, Atheist, Death, Cynic, and other bands were plenty progressive well before Opeth's first album. They took core death metal ideas and made them progressive, while Opeth simply added prog rock ideas to death metal. I hope you can see the difference.

I think you'd have a really hard time finding any truly groundbreaking metal bands later than the mid-90s. That's not to say that there aren't creative, excellent metal bands making music currently.

I havent heard all these bands but I´ve been told a few of them were BM not DM. Secondly prog is a large categori so I was just wondering if any of these bands around 1994 (when Orchid was ready and due to release but got delayed a year), released a record feat Death metal combined with folk, and classic HM, where each song were 10-15 min except instrumentals?

 

[Markitos`s apprentices]

seriously, opeth means mikael, i love the entire band but the opeth´s escence is mikael, i know that each member of the band has contributed in opeth style.

any doubt?

 

[ZeDzEdZeD]

seriously, opeth means mikael, i love the entire band but the opeth´s escence is mikael, i know that each member of the band has contributed in opeth style.

any doubt?

I think Lopez was second most important member of the band, he gave that very unique magic touch to the whole music

 

[Rezard]

I don't know if Opeth attracted that many people to Death Metal.
As for myself, Opeth is my fav band ever, obvisouly, but I still can't stand other Death Metal bands ; in my opinion they all sound exactly the same, with shitty voices and screams, and it continually seems like they're racing to get the most fucking dropped down tuning.
Can't see interest in that ; differences between Opeth and Death Metal bands are HUGE, and I couldn't exactly say why I like Opeth's songs that much, but I guess that's because of their unique structures, chords, and the way that Folk and Metal merge whithin a single song.
Also, whether you like it or not, a huge part (not the majority though) of Opeth' listeners tend to prefer their acoustic songs, no wonder Damnation is considered as one of their greatest albums, even if it doesn't represent half of the band's complexity.
Opeth is unique, period ; that's only my point of view, but no other Metal band can get my attention like Opeth since it can only bore me to death with continual screaming and riffing and soloing and so on.
To make short, when I'm listening to a song for the first time, I like not to be able to guess what's coming next : that's what Opeth does best, that's what other bands don't.
Last but not least, their songs are fucking great quality, whatever the style is ; they can offer some great evil rhythms as well as crystal clear acoustic songs, not to mention Mikael's voice which is simply stunning.

Again, all of this is only my opinion, I know most people may think differently, but I tried to answer the question, what's making Opeth a unique and different band.

PS: yeah, my english sucks, obviously you'll notice that's not my primary language so go easy on my posts.

 

[annt]

I don't know if Opeth attracted that many people to Death Metal.
As for myself, Opeth is my fav band ever, obvisouly, but I still can't stand other Death Metal bands ; in my opinion they all sound exactly the same, with shitty voices and screams, and it continually seems like they're racing to get the most fucking dropped down tuning.
Can't see interest in that ; differences between Opeth and Death Metal bands are HUGE, and I couldn't exactly say why I like Opeth's songs that much, but I guess that's because of their unique structures, chords, and the way that Folk and Metal merge whithin a single song.
Also, whether you like it or not, a huge part (not the majority though) of Opeth' listeners tend to prefer their acoustic songs, no wonder Damnation is considered as one of their greatest albums, even if it doesn't represent half of the band's complexity.
Opeth is unique, period ; that's only my point of view, but no other Metal band can get my attention like Opeth since it can only bore me to death with continual screaming and riffing and soloing and so on.
To make short, when I'm listening to a song for the first time, I like not to be able to guess what's coming next : that's what Opeth does best, that's what other bands don't.
Last but not least, their songs are fucking great quality, whatever the style is ; they can offer some great evil rhythms as well as crystal clear acoustic songs, not to mention Mikael's voice which is simply stunning.

Again, all of this is only my opinion, I know most people may think differently, but I tried to answer the question, what's making Opeth a unique and different band.

PS: yeah, my english sucks, obviously you'll notice that's not my primary language so go easy on my posts.

Hi and welcome

Your english is actually quite good, you shouldn't apologize for that... tbh it's better than with most people to whom it's their primary language, at least from what I've seen/heard.

I must say you're missing very much if you have that kind of prejudice towards metal, there are many great bands you should hear that don't fit your description at all... I'd be happy to share some of them with you, via PMs, MSN or whatever... if you're interested.