Still Day Beneath The Sun and Patterns and Ivy 2 disscussion thread

Well, after listening to them some more times, I think I have reached anotehr decision. I really like Patterns II, and I think it could stand well as a song on its own. I really like that one a lot. However, Still day sounds much too straightforward, and not emotional enough for my liking. It kind demonstrates Opeth's progression though, especially considering BWP's structuredness (in comparison to their other albums). This is the direction I felt Opeth might be heading in, though obviously with drums, dist vox, elecs, etc.. It's pretty much a one tempo song, not a lot going on.

OBviously this does not mean the new album will be like this, at least I hope not! Though some of the riffs in Patterns II have given me some new confidence about the new albums. I would hope Still Day was more a one-off, or as lina mentioned, a segment of a song. That's what seemed to make Opeth so good before, the many different sections. You'd hear a great part, and the only way to hear it again was to listen to the song again. However, the new stuff seems to give each song more definiteion, easier to distinguish from each otehr. Through repetition, I feel the new Opeth music loses some of the excitement they had. But still far beyond most music today, I should add:)

PS-I was really hoping he wopuld actually say the words "patterns in the Ivy" in the song, but oh well...Sounds a little weird to me. Cliched almost. Despite being my favorite part of the song, haha...
 
Now I've heard Patterns in the Ivy II. This song is incredible, and my favorite of the two new ones... basically because it's darker. However this song is about as close to a cover song as you can get, without actually being one. That song being covered would be Nick Drakes "Day is Done" off the Five Leaves Left album. Even the lyrics in Patterns.. tips its hat to this song, "The sun is gone, the day is done.." or something like that. One or two of the main licks are identical to this song. Infact if you are really into Patterns in the Ivy II, make an effort to seek out this song as you'll obviously love it.

Regardless the song is great, and has a good injection of the Opeth style.

I'm really looking foward to the mellow album, as I believe this is where the real progression in Opeth is that I seek. Rock on.
 
Well I don't really see any real progression in these 2 songs... if anything they are alot simpler than Opeth's old material. Don't get me wrong though, that doesn't mean that I don't love them, it's just been a bit of a trip hearing this new side of the band.
 
Originally posted by Static
Mikael Akerfeldt remains the secret King of all music! Dan Swano has a lot of work to do to catch up!
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Swano has a lot of catching up to do??!! Are you stoned? Have you listened to the Unicorn or Nightingale cds? Now don't get me wrong, I think Mikael is an absolute genius when it comes to metal, but as far as expanding outside the realm of metal, Swano cannot be touched. Still Day... and Patterns II are rather one dimensional, and uninteresting to me (probably because I know what Mikael has created in the past). Listen to Swano's -Hiding Again, Waterfall, Alonely, I Carry a Secret, - now that's thoughtfull, emotional, beautiful, complex, original songwriting.
 
Originally posted by Moonlapse
Well I don't really see any real progression in these 2 songs... if anything they are alot simpler than Opeth's old material. Don't get me wrong though, that doesn't mean that I don't love them, it's just been a bit of a trip hearing this new side of the band.
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A progression doesn't mean you get more complicated. It means that you do something differently than what you've previously done. That is what I ment..
 
Originally posted by Till Fjalls
PS-I was really hoping he wopuld actually say the words "patterns in the Ivy" in the song, but oh well...Sounds a little weird to me. Cliched almost. Despite being my favorite part of the song, haha...
Click to expand...

He does actually say "patterns in the ivy", it´s the last thing he sing in the song!
 
I'm glad this thread is still here.

Well, I really like both songs, but together they sound a little too similar. I think if they were separated by some other songs I would like them even more.

I also have to say that the opening riff to Still Day is really, really good. I learnt to play it almost straight away.
 
Also, I can't get the video to work on my computer. It wont install QuickTime 5.0 without connecting to the internet, and my computer has no internet connection. I'm quite annoyed.
 
my impressions on "still day beneath the sun":

it's a good development, if MA continues his efforts in songwriting in this vein and focuses more on continuity than on the usual formula of "including parts and interludes", which is already wearing thin, we'll see a rebirth of Opeth. now to the flaws (imo): MA mentioned being influenced by Nick Drake -- but the one moment where his guitar playing differs from ND's is the lack of freedom. maybe it's "part of the style" to play it all verbatim note-for-note, and MA is surely intricate enough to provide huge interest, but in places like the opening riff does he really have to repeat it note-for-note 8 times? why not add some looseness and variation? i guess it's the general property of Opeth -- being creative first and foremost within the riff, but going on inertia overall.

one of the choruses also reminded me of some really bad local pop songs, but it's not MA's fault anyway. :p

and the whole song, as an Opeth song, is brilliant.
 
Still Day is pretty short, only 1:41...I hope Opeth is not going to shorten their songs dramatically, one of the big reasons I got into Opeth was the super long songs.
 
Originally posted by Advent
Still Day is pretty short, only 1:41...I hope Opeth is not going to shorten their songs dramatically, one of the big reasons I got into Opeth was the super long songs.
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Still day is 4:34 actually. well the version i have is.


my impressions on "still day beneath the sun":

it's a good development, if MA continues his efforts in songwriting in this vein and focuses more on continuity than on the usual formula of "including parts and interludes", which is already wearing thin, we'll see a rebirth of Opeth. now to the flaws (imo): MA mentioned being influenced by Nick Drake -- but the one moment where his guitar playing differs from ND's is the lack of freedom. maybe it's "part of the style" to play it all verbatim note-for-note, and MA is surely intricate enough to provide huge interest, but in places like the opening riff does he really have to repeat it note-for- note 8 times? why not add some looseness and variation? i guess it's the general property of Opeth -- being creative first and foremost within the riff, but going on inertia overall.

one of the choruses also reminded me of some really bad local pop songs, but it's not MA's fault anyway.

and the whole song, as an Opeth song, is brilliant.
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Wise words...

These songs are a good framework to work with and from in future, but i hope they improve on aspects such as those you mention.

I still dont think much of Still Day, in terms of both the structure and riffs. But Patterns In The Ivy 2 is a really well done song, still not perfect though. If i only heard patterns 2 i would be very excited, but the fact that they have 2 songs sounding almost exactly the same, excelling in the same ways as each other and also lacking the same things as each other is a bit of a dissapointment and makes me think maybe this opeth mellow CD wont be as varied and created and talented as i would hope.
 
now that i've heard "patterns II," i'll say that for now i really like it more than "still day" as well. time will tell. hell, Mikael's creativity is as high as a tower with a bell.

(visit the poetry thread for more embarrasment, waah! haaah!! haaa!)
 
Originally posted by Alcapoth
Hey, YaYoGakk...I wouldn't be surprised if you end up taking those words back. Time will tell, that is.....
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Indeed time will tell, i honestly do not know what to expect from the next album, it could be absolutely amazing, or it could just be good.. i cant see it being bad though.. at the very least i think it will be a progression and a step in the right direction, its just a matter of how far backwards they are stepping in order to go forwards again.
 
Originally posted by Static
Completely off-topic here but
YoYoGakk, just listened to Forestall - I'm very impressed! Keep up the excellent work!
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:) Thanks.
 
New version of Forestall = Best.

Finally got to listen to the new tracks... Finally..

They are... nice...

hmmm...

Not quite what I expected though.. But I beleive more looseness, slight improvisations etc.. would definately add a lot to these 2 songs...

Mikael Akerfeldt's voice just keeps getting better. It's beautiful...
 
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