Question about Watershed's production

[Ermz]

I suppose this one is directed at the band, so I figure I should address the question directly to Mike himself rather than the community here.

Essentially, did you & the band consciously intend to give Watershed a rawer, less defined & I suppose a slightly more dated sound than the last few albums? Or was it something that Jens came up with when mixing it?

Personally, I've been torn on the overall sound, as it does sound quite a bit less clear-cut than Ghost Reveries, Damnation or Deliverance, yet on the other hand gives the band a unique sonic identity. I suppose that frequency overlap with the guitars and bass, combined with drums that seem to use a large amount of room ambience (not too common with metal) gives a fairly individual sound to this album, which I feel distances the band itself from a lot of the modern metal acts around. Essentially this is likely a good thing, as the band seems to have been distancing itself from the metal mainstream, musically, for quite a while now.

What prompted this question is that I had a band in on a mixing session the other day and the singer mentioned he disliked the sound of Watershed compared to GR, whereas many engineers I know have said they really dig what Watershed is doing. I would certainly consider GR to be more 'technically' perfect, but perhaps not as apt in conveying what the material is trying to say.

Opinions from all you guys would be great, but it would be fantastic to get an insight as to whether the band consciously went for this sound.

 

[fifthwinter]

I much prefer Watershed's sound to Ghost Reveries' sound.

The guitars are a little too clinically edited in GR, meaning that often you lose that natural feel, especially when palm-muting is involved. The drums also have a fairly compressed sound on GR compared to Watershed.

I think Watershed has close to my favourite production of all of Opeth's releases.

However, preferred production sound is VERY subjective - I've heard people rave about Deliverance's sound but personally I find it to be Opeth's least engaging production, possibly with the exception of Orchid.

 

[Anarkissed]

I mostly have to agree with fifthwinter. Something slightly rawer than GR without regressing their overall sound was what I was hoping for with Watershed. I do have to say, though, that I miss the more natural sound of Blackwater Park and Still Life - though at the same time, that sort of production may not suit the songwriting on Watershed.

 

[Nasty-Fire]

I think a less clean-cut sound is way better, personnaly. With the technology every band is getting a such sound and it's not to please me.

Anyway, I please everyone to stop making threads adressed directly to the band, that's so annonying (well not that much, I know I could just go away).