Problem with Porcelain Heart

[DarkBarrage99]

Freds riff is damn good and nicely sabbathesque, and the mentioned "lullaby-part" rocks socks. I actually really like the nylon-string verses too, eventho the vocal-line is nearly nicked from To Rid the Disease. Problem is, yet again, the TGC riff. Why oh why? I like the lead on top of it, but the riff is not ok. The solo is boardering inbetween cool and boring too. But I'd have to say the song gets to much slagging still. Its definately not the worst opethsong.

see the thing I have is that everyone is putting down the tgc riff.

9 out of 10 opeth fans will agree, tgc is one of opeth's weakest songs, but it isn't even because of the riff... its basically everything else and the way the riff is played. in ph, its slowed down and played to be monotonous to create the atmosphere it does that makes it sound like, well, basically, like its from an old 40's detective movie soundtrack en metal, which I actually like, because, well the atmospheres opeth creates are the reasons why i fell for opeth to begin with, and to me the only songs that really have the strong atmospheres in watershed are porcelain heart and heir apparent. the other songs are amazing, they just don't feel like opeth to me. not saying ph isn't amazing because it isn't all technical or whatever and is "boring" to the average headbanging metal head, but in the grand scheme of things musically, technicality is the insanity and simplicity is beauty, i mean look at bands like agalloch, not much technicality there, but the soundscapes they make are absolutely phenomenal.

 

[Lateralus14]

If you're going to define repetitiveness by how many times a specific riff or melody is repeated, then of course the disjointed ones that can never stick to a single theme will come out on top. Try defining repetitiveness by sticking to the same general sound and riff structures throughout an album (because that's what they used to do, have an acoustic for the cleans and one set of amp settings for every distortion part on the album pretty much, and rotate between metal riffs and acoustic passages) In those terms, The Lotus Eater and Hessian Peel alone shit all over Morningrise. Not that one is better than the other or anything..just sayin..

 

[truhlo]

Alas, but i felt completely different about the song, since the second listen!

Errmmmm, i guess i just have to respect your opinions guys, but i am very, very unpleasantly surprised with such response to this song, cause i feel its a song so precious and sophisticated in every aspect, from opening chords, to first two verses, to acoustic cobweb, to the "spiraling" riff (sublime!), to drumming, to "lullaby", to the finest possible solo and then back again to that repetitive gyrating riff which - according to me at least- gives song cohesion and a "theme", rather than making it draw out. You know how Mikael often talks about him waiting for a riff that can serve as a theme or a trigger, well, to me that riff is precisely that, he must have waited months for it, and it completely sucks me into the song, and it double hits me when it comes back, and especially so since i discovered "suicidal friend" background to it, but it is not only that, it simply works so perfectly, so subtly, like finest poetry, like a century old wine ...

Gosh im really sorry for this, this is a tad disappointing for me, i noticed this thing with PH already, but i didnt know it was rather widespread, i definitely think disagreements like these shouldnt happen in ideal world, but what can we do, so it is, i really respect your opinion but maintain that to me Porcelain heart (even with its evocative and open-for-interpretation title) is an absolute crown of Mike's artistry and sophistication.

 

[Silent Dance With Death]

4. The lullaby part: I think this part is very good, I might even call it great. Problem is that you have to endure the 5 minutes of mediocre stuff before it.

I use the fast-forward function.

 

[Crackfare]

cant be worse than the outro to By the Pain

 

[Nasty-Fire]

cant be worse than the outro to By the Pain

At least you can just STOP the song. Kidin'. I personnally like Porcelain Heart a lot.

 

[Iki-ilkkuja]

It's just the hit song of the album... it has potential but Mikael didn't take the song to it's limits. For example, the acoustic parts could have been more complex and there could have been more quiet moments to enhance the atmosphere.

 

[The Baying Of The Leper]

I'm actually quiet surprised from the general response that there is a lot of dislike toward this song. But then every fan has their preferences and expectations of what Opeth sound like. Opeth will do whatever they want to in the end anyway. Personally I dig it. I had to laugh though, I'd rather listen to 4 minutes of slow Opeth material than 2 Slayer songs.

 

[Snusgropen]

Great song!

The only one I don't like on WS is Hex Omega.

 

[{-sapob-}]

good call newby ^

 

[Annihilat0r]

Hex Omega shits all over PH

 

[Tom_Vou]

i like tgc, and hex omega...



i didnt realize that so many people hate these songs... why???

 

[Nasty-Fire]

Whether "repetitive" or "boring" or "shit-structure" or "cheezy-stuff" or "...". They're good, though.

 

[namewastaken]

This is a silly discussion...
Its Opeth
and its good.

 

[-Davo]

I find it interesting people are willing to crucify Opeth over one song. Metallica put out 5 albums of vomit trash and people still love them. I never understood that.

I like P.H, not the strongest point on the album for me, but it is an interesting contrast to Burden and I find it flows (not well, that is the point of contrast texture).

Thought I never picked up on TGC's riff in P.H.

 

[Nasty-Fire]

Metallica put out 5 albums of vomit trash and people still love them. I never understood that.

You never understood taste? Holy cow!

 

[-Davo]

You never understood taste? Holy cow!

When Opeth start putting out mediocre country music, you might understand my point.

 

[jimgreco]

nope, it's morningrise. even thought it may not be their best effort, it just is

Morningrise is by far top notch.

 

[{-sapob-}]

When Opeth start putting out mediocre country music, you might understand my point.

Country rock.
And it was pretty alright.
Mama said, was a solid closer for the album.

The black album is perfect imo.

 

[Nasty-Fire]

When Opeth start putting out mediocre country music, you might understand my point.

Even if that happen, it's still taste and your point is still invalid to me. You don't like it (relative facts), yeah, that's fine, but saying that things ARE this way (static facts) is wrong.