Opeth's Orchid is 12 years old

[cthulufhtagn]

the overall atmosphere of MAYH is something that you can only find on that album... it is classic.

i agree, that's been my fave opeth for a long time, although i find myself listening to them less and less these days and i'm finding the first 2 match it in staying power as i slowly get kinda bored with the rest of the catalog...i think dark one got it pretty good, although i wouldn't call their "decline" inevitable. i'm also on board with what zod said; there's no way they'll make a return in terms of style, but i think there's a chance they could make a comeback in quality...ghost reveries is an artistic evolution more than a commercial one and suck though it might, it'll take a bit more to make me lose faith

i still think they have a pretty unique sound and they've certainly inspired me a lot so maybe we'll see their influence become more apparent over the next few years.

 

[Reign in Acai]

but the question is whether the first two or the MAYH through BWP period will hold up more.

Hmmm, strange that you lump MAYH with the new era. I look at it as Orchid-MAYH and Still Life-Ghost Reveries.

 

[MajestikMøøse]

the overall atmosphere of MAYH is something that you can only find on that album... it is classic.

definitely.

one of a kind.

 

[J.]

nah, the new style came with MAYH

 

[skeptik]

nah, the new style came with MAYH

Agreed, though MAYH still retains its own identity against the stuff that comes after it.

 

[Demonspell]

Actually, it would be funny to see their prospective on this.


Nah... I take that statement back.


I RAPE that statement way the hell back.

Agreed, the invitation is sarcastic but I wouldn't even joke about letting the trolls in...as for my reasoning in dividing up MAYH, I'd cite the lineup change and their first shift towards more concise songs.

 

[cthulufhtagn]

Agreed, though MAYH still retains its own identity against the stuff that comes after it.

.

still life/bwp/deliverance are much more similar


how many people put orchid on when they saw this thread?
fuck the haters, this is the shit.

 

[Reign in Acai]

I may have to listen to these albums again. Even though I've listened to them a 100 times over, it's been awhile. From what I recall, the atmospheric beauty that lies with in MAYH is not very far removed from that of Orchid. Both albums place you in the midst of a similiar setting, (being in a dark eerie woods that is inhabited by the unknown). The newer albums ala Still Life, BWP still attempt to put you in that setting, but fall short. The newer albums have a feeling of comfort. You're spooked, but you know you can turn the lights on at any time, or run to the arms of a friendly face. MAYH on the other hand, scares the shit out of me, and there's absolutely nowhere to run but forward.

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

If the vast majority of people think Opeth's best years are behind them, then can they redeem themselves? Celtic Frost, Bathory, and even Judas Priest all released total stinkers and then later returned to earn back some respect with Monotheist, Nordland I & II, and Painkiller respectively.

Wah? Are you saying Priest albums like Defenders of the Faith and Ram it Down were total stinkers ? When did this happen ??

 

[MajestikMøøse]

Yeah, MAYH is just a fucking disturbing album.

 

[JayKeeley]

Wah? Are you saying Priest albums like Defenders of the Faith and Ram it Down were total stinkers ? When did this happen ??

LOL

Nah, I'm saying those bands all released a stinker but weren't written off entirely. Cold Lake, Octagon, and Turbo are all definite flops of the stinky kind....but each band redeemed itself.

Today, the metal community talks fondly of Priest, Celtic Frost, and Bathory, and I'm not sure if Opeth will ever be remembered at the same level.

 

[General Zod]

still life/bwp/deliverance are much more similar

Have to disagree. I think that MAYH and Still Life are much more similar than Still Life and BWP.

how many people put orchid on when they saw this thread? fuck the haters, this is the shit.

I actually reached for MAYH.

Zod

 

[JayKeeley]

The band had "enormity" in the 90s? What? Where? When?
They will definetely not be remembered as a milestone. If they were truly a milestone, they would have been considered to be one already.

If Opeth stopped at MAYH and just vanished into thin air, they would probably be regarded as one of the most cult acts ever and hailed as legends ahead of their time. Those albums would be sought after by collectors and selling for $200 each on eBay.

Opeth's increase in popularity was probably their own demise.

There's not many 90's bands which made a bigger impact than Opeth. In Flames? Emperor? Death (spiritual healing onwards)? Of course there are other popular acts like Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, and Nightwish but no way did any of those bands have quite the same "woah, where the fuck did this shit come from" factor.

 

[WhiteBeastofWotan]

Like some others, I'm not that fond of BWP and on, especially Ghost Reveries (I may go out on a limb here and say that it's the only Opeth album I flat out don't like). My favorite will probably always be Morningrise, if only for "The Night and the Silent Water", which to this day is one of the most amazing songs ever. The acoustic passages and folkish melodies in that song rule.

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

LOL

Nah, I'm saying those bands all released a stinker but weren't written off entirely. Cold Lake, Octagon, and Turbo are all definite flops of the stinky kind....but each band redeemed itself.

Today, the metal community talks fondly of Priest, Celtic Frost, and Bathory, and I'm not sure if Opeth will ever be remembered at the same level.

ohh I almost forgot about Turbo

 

[JayKeeley]

Although I have no problem in admitting that I like the Johnny Be Goode cover.

EDIT: sorry, that's Ram it Down. I like it nonetheless.

 

[General Zod]

Although I have no problem in admitting that I like the Johnny Be Goode cover.

You mean there are people who don't?

Zod

 

[Jim LotFP]

Considering the enormity of this band throughout the 90's, will Opeth be remembered as an important milestone or merely a passing trend?

If the vast majority of people think Opeth's best years are behind them, then can they redeem themselves? Celtic Frost, Bathory, and even Judas Priest all released total stinkers and then later returned to earn back some respect with Monotheist, Nordland I & II, and Painkiller respectively.

Or is the damage irreversible? Think In Flames and Metallica. Both practically four letter words at this point. Have Opeth sunk to that depth yet? Or is there still a glimmer of hope........

1- Opeth, while they have seemingly boarded the Narcoleptic Express with a one-way ticket, have not done compromised themselves in the same way as In Flames and Metallica.

2- Pretending that Judas Priest broke up after British Steel and reformed to release Painkiller (and then promptly disappeared forever) is the only way I can convince myself that they aren't a piece of shit band.

3- The "vast majority" of Opeth fans are Opeth fans right now, and they came aboard after Blackwater Park was released. The majority of fans that think their best years are behind them are probably those that got into them pre-Still Life.

4- If we map out Opeth's impact to an 80s equivalent, just off the top of my head I'll say Voivod. Never really "made it" but once releasing albums on a major label got a lot of media attention outside the core and gets namedropped as a "metal band that non-metal people respect."

5- How horrible is the next Orphaned Land going to be if they're taking advice from Wilson?

 

[J.]

If Opeth stopped at MAYH and just vanished into thin air, they would probably be regarded as one of the most cult acts ever and hailed as legends ahead of their time.

This is so the truth. A shame it didn't happen.

 

[Reign in Acai]

5- How horrible is the next Orphaned Land going to be if they're taking advice from Wilson?

I don't mean to offend anyone, but Porcupine Tree is absolute shit. That Blackfield album isn't much better

Moderned day Bob Rock, a sheep in wolf's clothing.