Random thoughts

[Static]

Just decided to voice some random Opeth thoughts,

It is just me or is Harvest the most sleep-inducing song ever written? I don't mean to say its boring, its just simply the most "heavily" acoustic song I've heard. It puts me into a state of utter relaxation unlike any other song, for some reason its sometimes unbearably relaxing.

On the same note the album BWP seems to be a much more melancholy and relaxing album despite its increased heaviness to Still Life, this I think to be why I like it less than Still Life, which seems to have a groovier and more almost 'country' feel in its acoustic passages.

Also, I seem to like Orchid better than Morningrise, it just sounds more structured although it is less melodic and possibly less 'skilled' (using the term loosely), I fail to see why Orchid is counted as lesser than Morningrise, is it because the songs are less varied, shorter and have less acoustic moments?

I don't know if any of these thoughts have already been discussed here in detail but there you have it.

 

[Oysterboy72]

I agree with you about "Harvest". There are many, many elements about this song that are almost trance-inducing, especially the vocals. They are so smooth and they don't jump around all over the place. The harmonies are a nice touch, too.

BWP is somewhat relaxing if you're in that state of mind. BWP was almost produced like a big wall of sound that can envelop you if you're caught unaware.

I love the production on BWP. I just wish my banjo was a little higher in the mix so I could have gotten the performance credit I deserve.

Marc :Spam:

 

[Static]

I am the man!

Through my verbal flair I've managed to muster 1 whole reply!
Thank you oysterboy! I love you man, lets make a secret club, I've got a tree in my back yard we could turn into a club house.

 

[Till Fjalls]

Orchid seems to have it's moments, well a good many of them I guess, but it lacks as many great riffs as morningrise. With Morningrise, I think I can listen to every single riff and have endless amounts of praise for each one, whereas on Orchid, some of the riffs just don't quite sound as good to me. It's sounds like it is trying to be darker and more evil in some way than morningrise, which has it's own special atmosphere that is pretty much indescribable. Plus, Morningrise was my first Opeth album, shortly after it's release, and I had heard no music that was at all similar prior to it. I can say Orchid is similar, but since Morningrise was the first I had heard, that one stands out in my mind as being one of the most important and influential albums in my life. (Though MAYH kicks all their asses! )

 

[Static]

Yeah, in my opinion Still Life not neccesarily kicks all the other ones arses, thats a bit harsh, but more nudges them, if that makes sense. Morningrise would be my favourite if it wasn't for Nectar, which although is what I reckon to be the most epic song, feels a lot less melodic than the others. To Bid You Farewell, in all its acoustic glory, also drags a little. I just don't like any Morningrise songs as much as Forest of October, Twilight Is My Robe, In The Mist, and Apostle In Triumph...except BRI of course. They seem to flow a bit smoother although I guess they are a bit more evil.

 

[morganm]

Your post was almost as long as your signature...

 

[Static]

Originally posted by morganm
Your post was almost as long as your signature...

One day I will have to do a condensed version, I kind of wrote it on the spur of the moment.

 

[HunAþký]

i am not a junior (4 4)

 

[Ermz]

ok ok, now we all get our Still Life CD's... and we all put on Moonlapse Vertigo... and we rejoice in musical ass kickness...

 

[Opet]

Static
Also, I seem to like Orchid better than Morningrise, it just sounds more structured although it is less melodic and possibly less 'skilled' (using the term loosely), I fail to see why Orchid is counted as lesser than Morningrise, is it because the songs are less varied, shorter and have less acoustic moments?

That caught my attention. I really like Orchid. It's a deep down favorite but it's hard to explain. (10 minutes later and a lot of backspacing) Very hard to explain.

I like it because it feels the heaviest to me. I love the lyrics. I like the dark riffs and the way they keep exploding throughout a song. Even the piano (Silhouette) is dark/sorrowful. I've noticed that a majority of people like Morningrise over Orchid, but it's just a matter of preference. I fell for Orchid within 3 days where Morningrise took months to really appreciate and once I did, I never really anticipated each songsas much as I did with Orchids.

The length of a song being an issue seems so asinine. It feels unimportant when I'm considering music. If you're going to listen to music anyway, what does it matter if this song is 5 minutes or 10 minutes or 20 minutes? I've heard that before and never liked it much. People deciding on music because of long/short songs. How silly, ya know?

 

[MetalManCPA]

Opeth is one of those very few bands I listen to that I look at their catalogue a little differently.

For most bands - I will judge one album against the next, pointing out how the band differes in their approach to each album.

Opeth is different.

When I am "forced" to say which Opeth album is my favorite, I say Blackwater Park. But, in the normal course of music listening, I look at all 5 Opeth albums as one big album. It's probably the only band other than Led Zeppelin that I feel that away about a bands catalogue. Opeth's music seems to flow. I have all 5 albums burned on one MP3 CD. I can listen in order, or randomly on my RioVolt. Either way - the music makes sense when listening to it.

 

[OfficerDown]

My favourite Opeth CDs go up in the order in the same time they were released.

For example, BWP is my favourite, Orchid my least favourite.

 

[Kushantaiidan]

I like Orchid better than morningrise. The production on orchid is better for some reason, and I just like the songs on that album more. Not to say that morningrise is shit. They are both 2 of the best albums of all time.

 

[Opet]

metalmancpa
Opeth is different...When I am "forced" to say which Opeth album is my favorite, I say Blackwater Park. But, in the normal course of music listening, I look at all 5 Opeth albums as one big album. It's probably the only band other than Led Zeppelin that I feel that away about a bands catalogue. Opeth's music seems to flow. I have all 5 albums burned on one MP3 CD. I can listen in order, or randomly on my RioVolt. Either way - the music makes sense when listening to it.

I wanted to try and express why Blackwater Park is my favorite right now when (as you put it) "forced" to choose one. It's because it's what Opeth is today if that makes sense to anyone other than myself. My lack of vocab is killing me here. I think you might have said it in your post...sort of. Opeth is the music. It’s all one thing. There's no one album (for me). I can tell you why each album or song is favored over another, but slicing them up into groups is hard. I've noticed it gets harder and harder as time goes by.

 

[Static]

I like MAYH the least and yet many aspects of it I like the best. My second least favourite is BWP, my mid range one is Morningrise, second favourite Orchid and favourite Still Life.
I think judging what is 'best' out of those albums is a formidable task, T don't neccessarily think Orchid is 'better' than Morningrise, its just that considering how similar they are musically and really only different in song structuring, what makes Orchid worse?
It has just as good acoustic sections, flows better and is not much heavier at all.

I think maybe because it is kind of easier to understand than Morningrise, which takes a long time to sink in, people like it better thinking that Morningrise is more of a challenge and therefore better?

 

[Oysterboy72]

"Blackwater Park" is my favorite Opeth album so I would like to offer another random Blackwater Park thought: I feel that part of the reason BWP has a somewhat trance-inducing feel is that BWP has the most repetition of any Opeth album [please note that I said repetition and NOT redundancy]. The songcraft on BWP is more traditional than any of the other Opeth albums, although it is still far, far, FAAAAAARRRRRR removed from the conventional and the 3-minute pop hit style.

I don't think there's anything wrong with adopting some traditional songwriting methods. I feel that Mikael's musical vision is becoming more and more focused; practice makes perfect, as the old addage goes.

I went to listen to 'Moonlapse Vertigo' as a show of solidarity for the Opeth brotherhood and because Moonlapse said so. I went to my CD folder and my SL CD wasn't in there. I forgot to set it aside before the movers got here...at lease I still have the other four.

So, Static...we gonna start that club? Heh heh heh!

Lost in Guam,
Marc

---------------------------
Opeth kicks ass.

 

[Hondo]

I like orchid over morningrise also, somehow. For one thing I like the production and how he screams on morningrise less. It feels a lot less solid in the sound and lacks that same quality in the echo.

And I suppose having a few fewer songs does it too. Before Opet beats my face in for that, I'll explain. The songs might have all kinds of crazy different parts, but the whole thing still has sort of a theme, or personality. And it's still "about" one thing even though I can't figure out what any of them mean anyway. So I just like the variety in feeling that's created in my head.

You know, another thing.. I never really analyzed their songs much until not long ago. So now I'm listening to Orchid again, and I'm realizing that Under the Weeping Moon is a pretty weird song, how like the whole middle of it is just this one acoustic line and someone scratching the guitar strings.