Steve Wilson and Opeth

[ethereallights]

Many people on this board think Steve Wilson's involvement with Opeth is fantastic, and many others feel that is not so. How do you feel about Steve Wilson's involvement with Opeth?

Personally I think it's great what he's doing with the band as a producer.

 

[Rose Immortal]

I think it's worked out well, and should continue. He does well not only as a producer but also as a backing vocalist in the clean sections--he does it well, but still pretty unobtrustively, which is how I think it should be.

 

[[KOTNO]Narrot]

i like his production...but i dont like him participating in the actual music...

 

[mbarys]

I think he does well for the production of the albums he's done. His backing vocals aren't bad either. Actually you really don't pay attention to him.

Matt

Many people on this board think Steve Wilson's involvement with Opeth is fantastic, and many others feel that is not so. How do you feel about Steve Wilson's involvement with Opeth?

Personally I think it's great what he's doing with the band as a producer.

 

[Detric]

i like his production...but i dont like him participating in the actual music...

 

[KevyCanavan]

I think Wilson's involvement in Damnation worked out well, and Blackwater Park was amazing at the time, but grew boring very quickly.
I think since the band are moving into a heavier direction (supposidly) for thier next album, they should just go back to the way they used to do things and produce it themselves with perhaps Andy Sneap engineering it.

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

His productions are great, but I dont think they really fit the albums sometimes. I mean, can you imagine if Blackwater Park had that production like on MAYH?!? That would be one evil fucking album!! I dont know, maybe Im wrong, but imagine taking out all that telephone voice from BWP, and tracking the clean vocals more, and giving the album and overall darker sound, I think it would be very badass. I don't know why, but for me now, the ending of Bleak is very lame, Im very sick of it, dont know why. I think Steven is a GREAT producer and musician, but I dont think he's the right guy for Opeth.

 

[Nico]

He's a git, right down to the bone. I don't get any enjoyment out of the albums he's been part of. He's a pretentious prick. That's pretty clear from the DVD. He may be a 'skilled' musican, but he plays psudo-psycadelic rock, and has absolutly no place producing albums of a metal band.

 

[Land Of Grey And Pink]

He's a git, right down to the bone. I don't get any enjoyment out of the albums he's been part of. He's a pretentious prick. That's pretty clear from the DVD. He may be a 'skilled' musican, but he plays psudo-psycadelic rock, and has absolutly no place producing albums of a metal band.

Your ignorance is uncanny.

you know nothing of psychadelic music.

your distatste of his albums is probably due to your elitism complex vs. having an ear for good music in general.

and to say he has no business producing metal albums is absurd...if that were the case, you could argue that Mikael has no business writing metal music due to having ties with other musical interests besides metal.

and most of all....most musicians are pretentious...and pricks...which has no relevance to musical ability or this topic whatsoever.

 

[Rose Immortal]

At least when I was watching the DVD, I didn't think Steve Wilson behaved too badly. He certainly wasn't acting like some of the jerks in the music business (Roger Waters of Pink Floyd comes to mind, among others). I'm sure he has his faults, but he didn't seem to be going out of his way to be an ass.

 

[ethereallights]

Ok before this whole thing turns into hell, everyone has their opinions, let's remember this children.

I personally think Steve Wilson is a genius, but I don't quite understand why one wouldn't like his involvement in albums. What if "Damnation" didn't have Steve Wilson playing keys on it? He is an essential to that album. Without him it would be dry and not like Opeth intended at all.

 

[Nico]

I knew this was going to be fun.

Your ignorance is uncanny.

Where's the love?

you know nothing of psychadelic music.

Do I need to, in order to tell you what I don't like?

your distatste of his albums is probably due to your elitism complex vs. having an ear for good music in general.

I own In Absentia, Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream. I have listened through them many times, and after my sudden fixation, realized they were nothing more than catchy tunes. They bore me, they have no depth.

and to say he has no business producing metal albums is absurd...if that were the case, you could argue that Mikael has no business writing metal music due to having ties with other musical interests besides metal.

Most metal musicans have interests outside of metal. Someone who has NO interest in metal (Wilson clearly defines this on the DVD by saying that Opeth are much more sophisticated than most metal bands, and that he's only interested in sophisticated music) should not be producing a metal band.

and most of all....most musicians are pretentious...and pricks...which has no relevance to musical ability or this topic whatsoever.

But Mike is such a nice guy

 

[Demilich]

I could write a longwinded explanation about my distaste for Wilson and his involvement with Opeth, but why bother, when:
A) I agree almost completely with ShroudofDusk, and
B) LandOfGreyAndPink would get his panties in a twist over my lack of "understanding" about music that he likes and I don't.

I bought In Absentia as well, it has some good songs (Heart Attack In a Layby is the only title I remember), but overall it's very bland, many songs involve needless repetition of verses/choruses, and many of the songs have absolutely nothing memorable about them at all.

I'm sorry in advance if I don't know anything about progressive or psychadelic music, but then again, no I'm not, there's no law that says I have to know the entire history of the world to comment on whether or not I like a musician or band. Looks like I ended up writing a lot after all. Such is life.

 

[ethereallights]

He may be a 'skilled' musican, but he plays psudo-psycadelic rock, and has absolutly no place producing albums of a metal band.

My OPINION (the word everyone at www.ultimatemetal.com needs to know) is that Opeth is much more than a metal band. I guess it's their basis, but Steven only worked with the vocals, lead guitars, and keyboards for the "Damnation and Deliverence session"

 

[Nuk3m]

At least when I was watching the DVD, I didn't think Steve Wilson behaved too badly. He certainly wasn't acting like some of the jerks in the music business (Roger Waters of Pink Floyd comes to mind, among others). I'm sure he has his faults, but he didn't seem to be going out of his way to be an ass.

It was bad enough he basically bad mouthed all metal almost and to add to it he was a wanker.

 

[Ermz]

I think I've voiced my opinion on this numerous times in the past, but for the purpose of keeping with the times and having the hate roll on, I'll reiterate.

I agree with most of what ShroudOfDusk has said. Whilst Steven's production abilities are able to enhance the tonal characteristics in Opeth's music and the soundscapes in general, it leaves too much of his signature touch on his music. Whether Opeth are aware of it or not, his actual influence has rubbed off and started pouring into the compositional aspects of the band (the long, droning acoustic harmonized vocal verse in Master's Apprentice comes to mind).

I don't mind Porcupine Tree's music but would not go to the extent of saying I really enjoy it, or find any degree of depth in at, as ShroudOfDusk said, they are just simple, catchy tunes.

The elitism complex SW pours all over Opeth's DVD completely cemented my preconceptions of him and I have little to no respect for the guy whatsoever.

 

[The Leper]

I believe that Steve Wilsons effect on the band is enormous, and I can't say that i hate it either. But, I was hoping for opeth to have a darker CD like there older stuff from Orchid-Still Life. But, you must understand that Opeth will have 100% control on the songwriting, Steve Wilson won't be able to say, "I dont like that maybe we should do this" all the time, so Opeth fans be optimistic about it.

I am also new to this board, but I want to save a wasted thread for someother time. Thanks.

 

[estimate]

Yeah, let's sum it up: Blackwater Park, Deliverance and Damnation sucks ass! Therefore Opeth sucks!

 

[The Leper]

I dont think anyone was saying that, I loved damnation and deliverance, and Blackwater Park, they were great albums. I love what steve wilson brings to the table, tonal balance. I dont know if youve heard Orchid and Morning Rise, some of the tracks are way to trebly, and kind of sound distorted, but I sorta like it.

 

[Ermz]

I like Blackwater Park, I sort of like Damnation, I marginally like Deliverance and I hate Steve Wilson. How you could derive Opeth sucking from that is beyond me.