Opeth's Orchid is 12 years old

[Mormagil]

so basically they haven't put out anything halfway decent for 12 years

 

[M.Lehto]

Orchid is amazing and so is Morningrise. I still remember when MAYH was released, I head to the store and bought the album and the style had changed. The great drum/bass combination and twin leads were gone. I still don't think Opeth never sold out or anything, but they became really predictable. Wilson really was the last nail to the coffin, I hate everything he's done, one of the most overrated musicians on the metal-scene (altough he's not even metal, haha).

 

[Sfarog]

different people like different music for different reasons.

while every Opeth album's quality is undeniable, the reasons for which we'd like them have shifted with their writing style. This thread shows a lot of people who love music for the overall "eerie" feel of it (as opposed to for example clarity of the recording, or instrument-skill/acrobatics) and the feel that a lot of people sympatise with is that best represented on the Orchid through MAYH era. (I know MAYH gets grouped with the later era due to its composition style, but I grouped it with earlier albums for the feel it carries)

Myself I am as well still enchanted with the beauty of the first three albums, because the feel they cary is just what appeals directly to my very soul. While I hate comparing albums to pick "the bestest eva!!" but Morniningrise is just that for me. When I die, please spread my ashes off of a Tatra peak and play TBYF..

I don't believe Opeth is capable of re-producing the same feel again, and even if they tried purposefully, it would come off synthetic. As an amateur musician I can only say that you need to go with whatever flow you have at the moment. And for better or worse, Opeth are doing just that. Do I wish they returned a bit more to the dual-guitar melodies style? fuck yeah. But the new albums, although not as Godly to me, do present and offer still music that just makes other music seem pale and colorless.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

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.

This is so hypothetical that makes it even more doubtfull, thinking of similar occasions.

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.

Dream Theater? Paradise Lost? Pantera? Neurosis? My Dying Bride?To mention just 5 that come instantly to my mind. And there are so many others. For God's shake the band still depends on what some others wrote 30 years ago for ideas. not only musical ones..

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Also about the Steven Wilson: The guy is one of the biggest figures of the 90s prog rock scene, and Porcupine Tree one of the greatest 90s prog rock bands, while they still make exceptional albums, unlike some others that we talk about here. Blame Mikey for being so in love with him, not Wilson himself.

 

[General Zod]

Also about the Steven Wilson: The guy is one of the biggest figures of the 90s prog rock scene, and Porcupine Tree one of the greatest 90s prog rock bands, while they still make exceptional albums, unlike some others that we talk about here.

I like some of what PT does. However, I think Wilson is somewhat overrated. There are a few PT discs that are complete Pink Floyd worship. Hardly groundbreaking.

Blame Mikey for being so in love with him, not Wilson himself.

Yep. Mikael has made it clear it's his band. And if he stood idly by while Wilson altered the band's musical direction (which obviously isn't the case), than it's completely and totally Mikael's fault.

Zod

 

[IOfTheStorm]

There are a few PT discs that are complete Pink Floyd worship. Hardly groundbreaking.

Just 1 can be considered to be this way for me ("Voyage 34" which is fantastic), and of course the point is not being groundbreaking, although some of their works can easily be considered to be like this. Then again i'm glad when someone finds "not being groundbreaking" the band's (and any band's) only "flaw". P.T. have some objective value that noone can deny and they preserved a special kind of music when few cared about it, by adding lots of fresh elements to it.

 

[EricT]

All PT haters can go fuck themselves...

<hugs his plane ticket and PT ticket for next months show in SF.



Anyway, about Opeth. I have no problem with their catalog at all... I just highly prefer Orchid and Morningrise over everything else. Something about those albums, dunno what it is, enthrall me during their duration playing. And, honestly, Akerfeldt had a much more awesome voice back then. A testament to this is also Katatonia's Brave Murder Day. He had one hell of a voice, and now it sounds so much different.

 

[Dark One]

And, honestly, Akerfeldt had a much more awesome voice back then.

He still has the same voice - he's just used a lower, more traditional death metal type pitch in his growls since the MAYH album. I too prefer the earlier higher pitch/more blackened style he employed on the first two albums. Regardless of songwriting/musical mediocrity, I still feel he's one of metal's greatest vocalists in terms of both talent and versatility for what it's worth.

Jason

 

[General Zod]

Then again i'm glad when someone finds "not being groundbreaking" the band's (and any band's) only "flaw". P.T. have some objective value that noone can deny and they preserved a special kind of music when few cared about it, by adding lots of fresh elements to it.

Certainly not their only flaw. Wilson is a rather average vocalist and their song quality is inconsistent. That said, they do write some brilliant stuff and Wilson's lyrics are fantastic.

Zod

 

[MFJ]

Regardless of songwriting/musical mediocrity, I still feel he's one of metal's greatest vocalists in terms of both talent and versatility for what it's worth.

Jason

it's true. i listened to still life last night for the first time in like literally two years, and that's basically the conclusion that i came to. the album is pretty good too.

 

[skyrefuge]

wow, nice to see a thread where most of the people know the score with Opeth. Normally it seems to me that most Opeth discussion occurs amongst the misguided new fans, who generally regard the first two albums as little more than interesting historical curiosities, almost demo-level recordings.

And that's why I don't think Opeth will have any real lasting impact, because (as others have said) no one even knew about their early stuff, and by releasing a bunch of boring albums (that a lot more people like) afterwards, that will prevent those early albums from being "rediscovered". I'm still waiting for The Powers That Be to discover that In the Woods... was one of the great bands in history, and they even died a proper quick death that would enable such a discovery. At this point I would say that it's more likely that Opeth will be remembered by history for their new era rather than their old one.

I also like the comments about MAYH being compositionally-linked to the new era, but atmospherically-linked to the old era. That's a new idea that I don't think I'd put together before, and true!

Neil

 

[cthulufhtagn]

For God's shake the band still depends on what some others wrote 30 years ago for ideas. not only musical ones..

Then again i'm glad when someone finds "not being groundbreaking" the band's (and any band's) only "flaw". P.T. have some objective value that noone can deny and they preserved a special kind of music when few cared about it, by adding lots of fresh elements to it.

you seem to contradict yourself here. pretty much the same thing could be said for opeth; they took those old bits and pieces of king crimson and camel and took them somewhere else entirely.



also agreed w/ akerfeldt being a versatile vocalist, his clean vocals were shakier on the first few but even then they're still appealing. he has a lot of range with harsh vox too, although i like his vocals less on ghost reveries...not sure why, too produced maybe

 

[JayKeeley]

How many people pulled out an Opeth album when/after reading this thread?

Also, re: Orphaned Land...I don't think they can top Mabool anyway so I'm going in with low expectations.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

you seem to contradict yourself here.

The descriptions of the 2 occasions are totally different. Read again.

pretty much the same thing could be said for opeth; they took those old bits and pieces of king crimson and camel and took them somewhere else entirely.

Somewhere else entirely? Where is that? You are saying that they expand these "old bits and pieces" ? They just make them sound far more simplistic, shallow and so incredibly less genuine. The "brutality" that they add is not really fresh. They even steal lyrics from 70s bands to name their albums, among other robberies.

 

[Eminor]

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.

Totally agree. I like Opeth quite a bit. I don't like Morningrise as much as many seem to, though. MAYH is probably my favorite, but I really enjoy everything they've done up until Ghost Reveries. It's not a bad album, it just doesn't stack up.

 

[Eminor]

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.

Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith are easily superior to Painkiller to these ears. Ram it Down and Turbo are next to worthless. Other than those and Point of Entry, I prefer everthing that came before Painkiller. Sad Wings and Stained Class top my list.

More on topic, I don't think Opeth will pull a "comeback" along the lines of those other bands. It seems more likely they'll continue on their well established evolutionary arc, then call it quits.

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

Man this thread is so insane.
Ram it Down and Painkiller sound so similar I cant even comprehend how someone could love one and pretend the other dosent even exist.

 

[Ars Magna]

I thought they were pretty neat up until Still Life...er..through Still Life. Then each album has been a slow decline. I agree with whoever said they weren't making a conscious decision to suck (as some bands seem to), they just continued to evolve as they grew. Sometimes evolution hurts. Look at those girls you thought were so hot in high school. You see them 15 years later and you'd swear they've been wiping their ass with their face since you last spoke.

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

Ohh, and as for my take on Opeth- first three were great. Still life was okay. BWP bored me. Deliverance and Ghost Reveries bored me even more. Damnation was excellent though, but Im probably in the minority on this one.