Orchid

[OpethAllenPoe]

I've been a member here for like a week or so and I've read a lot of interesting things but I hardly see anyone say anything about Orchid. IMO it is a fantastic album, and it's the album I introduced to my friends that now love the band.

I have no idea as to how the Opeth community as a whole feels about the album, and would like to know where people generally rank it...positive negative things etc...

 

[ahnkou]

Orchid is my favorite. I usually introduce orchid to metal fans that are into celtic music or bands like ensefirum or equilibrium. It's definitely got a lot of celtic theme or lute esque theme. More progressive or light metal fans I go with BWP and damnation. I save MAYH and Still life for the more seasoned opeth fans, those albums are the fullest imo

 

[Stilgar]

I love Orchid. It's the first Opeth album I heard, a long time ago when there was no other similar music, so it's very special to me.

 

[OpethAllenPoe]

Orchid was the album I had a "musical realization" I guess you could say. I think it has the most psychedelic effects of any album so far due to it's abrupt changes in mood and sound. I've heard some people say that's simply due to poor, under-developed song writing, but I think that's what makes it a special album.

I'm also interested in why Opeth doesn't usually play tracks from that album? I think Forest of October would be great to hear live.

 

[Vega Skater]

Orchid is a masterpiece. The first time I heard the clean vocal 'moan' early in ItMSWS I was hooked. And it is the album I replay the most out of Opeth's discography. A lot of the duel guitar bits are under-appreciated on this album and I admit I didn't fully appreciate them until I learnt to play them myself.

I've always rated Orchid over GR, D&D but lately it is on par with BWP. And even though I think MR is better, there is an eeriness about the Orchid atmosphere that is simply gorgeous and sets it apart from the others.

I know they've played Orchid songs live, particularly UtWP. Hopefully Forest does make its way into their regular setlist. I listened it days on end and couldn't get into. Then one day it clicked and I realised it is one of Opeth's best. Epic

 

[BefriendedUnit]

I think The Twilight is My Robe is one of the best songs ever written.

 

[OpethAllenPoe]

I think The Twilight is My Robe is one of the best songs ever written.

Easily. I wouldn't go a day without listening to that song for a few months. I think the only reason I don't now is cause my fat ass friend sat on it.

 

[Maggot9]

It took me a looong while to like Orchid. I actually didn't like it at first.

 

[BefriendedUnit]

^Same, TBH. But one day I just laid back in the car and had a sort of waking-daydream trance state to it. Totally awesome. It's all one song, one breath, and a bunch of other pseudo-poetic cringicalness. But it really does rock.

 

[chrisdoig24k]

It also took me a while. But after about the fourth time of hearing it, I knew that it was going to grow on me, and so I gave it good time and now, many years later, I'm still reaping the rewards!

 

[Vega Skater]

I usually listen to Orchid while doing work, but when the mellow TTIMR bits come I must stop what I'm doing and simply listen; so beautiful and emotional. My ex didn't like Opeth and I remember once she entered my car while the acoustic TTIMR bits were playing and she asked in awe, 'who is this?' ha she wasn't impressed when I said Opeth. I should get Still Life back off her, I'm sure she doesn't listen to it :Smug:

 

[OpethAllenPoe]

It's also a great album to smoke Cannabis to. It's interesting so many people had to listen to it so many times before liking it. I personally liked it only after 3 or 4 listens and my buddies almost immediatly. I wonder if Watershed will be the same way?

 

[BefriendedUnit]

It's supposed to be something that'll sink in (so I've read). Then again, listening to Orchid now for a first time is probably more difficult (getting used to how different Opeth sounded back then) than listening to Orchid for a first time when it came out. If Opeth are going in the same ballpark of songwriting as in Ghost Reveries, conceptually, we're looking at something that should raise a few eyebrows and then stomp your balls within the first listen.

 

[ramses]

I got it when it was available here in America, back in 96'. I listened to it while I was reading an epic fantasy novel called The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. It goes very well with that book. When I listen to Orchid, I think of the book, and if I see the book at a bookstore, the music from Orchid immediately wafts through my brain.

 

[wut wut]

It was one of the last Opeth albums I bought.

I like it a lot. I don't consider them to be the same band they were on Orchid and Morningrise, though. They made a dramatic shift on MAYH, and became a different band.

I like it for what it is, but don't consider it the "Opeth" that I was introduced to.

 

[Serhan_pnr]

and i still can't believe that mikeal was just 21 years old when orchid was released

 

[Jester-Race]

Orchid is better than morningrise, MAYH, D&D and Ghost Reveries imo, so many fucking crushing songs on that album with the dual guitar harmonies, simply amazing.

fucking insane ass riffs, I miss pre-blackwater park sounds from them.

 

[Lachybob]

Absolutely love the album from the first time i heard it, was the 3rd album id heard and the twin guitar harmonies hooked me in

 

[chrisdoig24k]

Wow, I'm surprised this thread doesn't get filled with the usual 'tinny schizophrenia' comments!

 

[Metalstrm]

It's got nice melodies and all, but Morningrise and MAYH are both better in my opinion. The songwriting is quite a bit disjointed.