The enduring Morningrise phenomenon

[narcisco]

Hey Opeth fans, we are all debating Damnation some loving it some indifferent to its mellowness. But a constancy is the mention of Morningrise as the most complete album.
Now for myself I first listened to Opeth with Blackwater Park. Now I feel Morningrise is an essentially meandering collection of riffs and interludes that just does not grab me like the later albums. I like MAYH for its immediacy and heaviness. Still Life needs some more listens but I just dig the metallic/prog leanings of Deliverance although Wreath does not grab me. Anyway, what am I missing with Morningrise or as I suspect the first Opeth album you hear always has that kind of effect on you. Does it by default become that metal moment that we all crave. Lol.
BWP and Bleak still send chills down my cliched spine. Any thoughts?

 

[jeanreno]

I heard To Bid You Farewell first, and I was blown away. After that I heard most of Blackwater Park - simply amazing. After that I went back to listening to Morningrise... it just has that special something that the subsequent albums don't... I can't explain it! It has more feeling and emotion I guess. Meh. :zombie:

 

[Brooks]

Listen to Morningrise more, once you understand the flow, it all makes sense. It's one of those albums that doesn't grab you till the 43rd listen, but when it does, it'll hit you like a sack of smegma.

Best album ever.

 

[narcisco]

I am now in a extended listening session of Opeth from Orchid onwards and have already heard things I never thought were possible. Morningrise is next. I now think Orchid is awesome lol.
And it is. A true undiscovered gem of metal. I don't think they ever riffed like this again. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Schism]

Hey Opeth fans, we are all debating Damnation some loving it some indifferent to its mellowness. But a constancy is the mention of Morningrise as the most complete album.
Now for myself I first listened to Opeth with Blackwater Park. Now I feel Morningrise is an essentially meandering collection of riffs and interludes that just does not grab me like the later albums. I like MAYH for its immediacy and heaviness. Still Life needs some more listens but I just dig the metallic/prog leanings of Deliverance although Wreath does not grab me. Anyway, what am I missing with Morningrise or as I suspect the first Opeth album you hear always has that kind of effect on you. Does it by default become that metal moment that we all crave. Lol.
BWP and Bleak still send chills down my cliched spine. Any thoughts?

I pretty much agree with you, I have said before, that nothing pre-MAYH matches the class that Opeth have displayed since.
And I am talking, songwriting, lyrics, vocals etc etc.

IMHO

 

[Nugent Goes AOL]

3 words -- Black Rose Immortal. Best Opeth song ever.

Makes the whole album amazing (plus, Advent and To Bid You Fairwell simply rule...)

 

[ChrisEmerson]

I am now in a extended listening session of Opeth from Orchid onwards and have already heard things I never thought were possible. Morningrise is next. I now think Orchid is awesome lol.
And it is. A true undiscovered gem of metal. I don't think they ever riffed like this again. Correct me if I am wrong.

ive been listening to orchid recently, having not paid any attention to it before, it fucking rules!!! why didnt i realise this???

BRI is overrated i think.

 

[Sfarog]

Listen to Morningrise more, once you understand the flow, it all makes sense. It's one of those albums that doesn't grab you till the 43rd listen, but when it does, it'll hit you like a sack of smegma.

Best album ever.

what he said

 

[SculptedCold]

MAYH sucks. Def. their worst album. Morningrise rules. Possibly their best. I dunno. I really can't think very straight at the moment. Did Opeth do Seasons in the Abyss? Or was that Sadist?? ummm.

Where's my holy umbrella.

 

[Ermz]

I am now in a extended listening session of Opeth from Orchid onwards and have already heard things I never thought were possible. Morningrise is next. I now think Orchid is awesome lol.
And it is. A true undiscovered gem of metal. I don't think they ever riffed like this again. Correct me if I am wrong.

No, you are not wrong at all. It amazes me how many people overlook Orchid as a masterpiece and timeless classic of metal. I think of it had better production, alot of people could appreciate the dual-harmony/melody riffing more... but as it stands, it's probably my favourite Opeth album... just for sheer rawness.. the emotion with each growl, each riff, in my mind it surpasses Morningrise by a longshot. The riffing is more intricate, the songs seem more coherent and thought out and its just fucking heavier \m/.

Also, judging by the bootlegs I've acquired, the Orchid era was Opeth's prime as far as live shows are concerned.

 

[hej]

Listen to Morningrise more, once you understand the flow, it all makes sense. It's one of those albums that doesn't grab you till the 43rd listen, but when it does, it'll hit you like a sack of smegma.

Best album ever.

What he said.

 

[Demonspell]

Still Life would be my most complete Opeth album, but Morningrise is phenomenal and its ethereal passages are intoxicating...

 

[no country for old wainds]

Listen to Morningrise more, once you understand the flow, it all makes sense. It's one of those albums that doesn't grab you till the 43rd listen, but when it does, it'll hit you like a sack of smegma.

Best album ever.

I couldn't disagree more. Morningrise struck me on first listen, like no other album did. Same with my friends too. MAYH and Orchid were much harder for me to get into, but MAYH is now my favourite of them all....so hm. I agree that Still Life is probably the most complete album, but not *necessarily* the best...

 

[NAD]

Morningrise is my least favorite Opeth album. It was the first one I heard, and I appreciated what they were doing much more than I actually enjoyed it. To me it is the one Opeth album that doesn't have the same great emotional feel that all the other albums have.

 

[transgorion]

Here's what I think about Morningrise. Yeah, the production is subpar, I don't like the vocals as much, and I totally agree that a lot of the riffs just sound slapped together...but it just has something that makes all the flaws irrelevant. It's like its flaws make it perfect somehow, I don't know. That makes no sense, but just think, BRI could be divided into 3 or 4 separate songs (very easily if you split the story up) but I don't think it would be half as powerful that way. It's such a special album for me that even the 'flaws' seem to add to the greatness.

1st post by the way, hello everyone.

 

[Brooks]

Am I the only one that LOVES the production on Morningrise? Its so simple... one guitar on the left, one on the right, bass in the middle, and a drumkit with AMAZING ambient reverb. Listen to the snare drum on To Bid You Farewell, its stunning in its texture. It sounds like the album was recorded on a cold Swedish night in the woods during a snowstorm. The atmosphere is amazing in its nihilism and bleakness. Its not nearly as overproduced as the newer albums, it still sounds like a bunch of guys jamming in a woodshed in the forest. Brilliantly.

 

[SculptedCold]

Agreed with both of the above

 

[buypipersdreamhome4real]

Morningrise had the PERFECT production. This is the only thing Opeth have lost. It sounded like a band playing in a room together. When I listen to BWP I can see the musicians layering their individual parts, this is not a slight on their current music at all only the production. Maybe I just love 70's music too much but I love a thin clear sound where the instruments are very easily distinct from each other, particulary the bass. Bands like Def Leppard I blame for this wretched modern production style.

 

[Protected Witness]

Orchid and Morningrise are two different albums set apart from everything else Opeth has done. These are great albums, I feel the groove everyone's talking about with these albums: the epicness of the riffs, the bouncy patterns, the "different" production.

But I still think I like the direction Opeth has taken after these albums more. It's like they just decided to get heavier and heavier and focus on simpler melodies (at least, simpler than the first two records), and each effort I feel has been a great one. They just get better everytime.

Damnation is totally different than everything and it's just crazy to me how they went from Orchid to that. Opeth rules.

 

[chaveta]

Orchid is amazing, and so is Morningrise.
while i still get down with the others, these two just rule way too much. It appears that Opeth fans are a bit divided between pre-MAYH and after MAYH
i like all albums, they all have something i like, but i believe that morningrise and Orchid are definitely their best releases.
Its funny how i just formulated this opinion in about 3 weeks, since before that i hadn't paid much attention to these two, which should be arriving on the mail soon...