The Grand Conjuration REVIEW (album version)

[deliverance]

It's still to much clean like on every Opeth song
But at least I Mikael doesn't use his "whiny-voice" again, but his "whisper-voice" which sounds ok.

His growls are great like always. He's one of the top 3 growlers on the whole wide world, so why destroy them with clean parts?
They indeed sound more like on Bloodbaths "Ressurrection...".

And I love the symphonic parts. It gives an epic feeling.

It's definitely one of the better Opeth songs.

7,5/10 points.

lol dude, clean musical sections and clean singing is part of opeth, and has been since day 1. if you don't like it, i suggest you stop listening to them?

@WestHammer's sig

 

[nizzon]

I dont like the clean vocals at all in TGC, i sure hope its back to normal on the other tracks.

 

[Cortexon]

lol dude, clean musical sections and clean singing is part of opeth, and has been since day 1. if you don't like it, i suggest you stop listening to them?

Everyone says that to me. But I won't stop listening to Opeth!! Remember That!!

 

[deliverance]

Everyone says that to me. But I won't stop listening to Opeth!! Remember That!!

well you weren't just complaining about the vox in TGC, but opeth in general. like i said, it's part of their sound..so saying you can't stand when those parts come up, is childish. unless of course mikael changes the sound of the band for YOU!

 

[nosferatuX]

I wet my pants. that´s all i´ve got to say....

 

[[KOTNO]Narrot]

or he can get over the 'pussy vocals' ^^

 

[WestHammer]

@WestHammer's sig

i heard Will will be rapping for soilwork live on their next headlining tour..

"Apparently my clean singing sucks live and no one can hear it, so we've decided to have rap parts instead. What better way to get everyone to hear Soilwork than to have someone as important to the scene as Big 'death rap' Willie. It's not selling out, fuck no, anyone who says that is crazy, its just a natural progression of our music. Peace out yo"

Bjorn Strid

 

[damiomen]

i really like the synths on TGC. it's very well done...

 

[Cortexon]

well you weren't just complaining about the vox in TGC, but opeth in general. like i said, it's part of their sound..so saying you can't stand when those parts come up, is childish. unless of course mikael changes the sound of the band for YOU!

Didn't I just say that Mike is one of the top 3 growlers for me? And I never mentioned that I dislike the songstructures, atmosphere and so on.

or he can get over the 'pussy vocals' ^^

Yea I can, if I want to

 

[deathbearer]

Oh yeah, a real symphony would be a great idea. Let's hire a fucking saxophone player too while we're at it.

I wouldn't be suprised if Opeth had a sax player at this point. Symphonic means symphonic not just keyboards.

 

[Savoy Truffle]

Finally I got it too. TGC isn`t the best song of Opeth, but still works. Drumsounds are very different here. I love that little riff at 9.23.

 

[NO1 OPETH FAN]

THERE IS TOO MUCH OF PEARS PORN ORGAN PLAYING

 

[BrandonS]

If you compare the song to deliverance, it's the same type of thing, has a very similar ending.... Deliverance is a great song. The problem with some people is that they're like "well I was actually HOPING opeth would sell out" and they get all pissed because it is just classic Opeth.

 

[Darkhammer]

haha at NO1's avatar

 

[Forest of Åsatrú]

If you compare the song to deliverance, it's the same type of thing, has a very similar ending.... Deliverance is a great song. The problem with some people is that they're like "well I was actually HOPING opeth would sell out" and they get all pissed because it is just classic Opeth.

\

I actually see what you're saying. Good point.

 

[Øjeblikket]

nice review my arse. only a perpetual dick would bother adding a line about how he won't share the link in his review. by the way, like many of you i've heard the track, and it's pretty shat, in my opinion.

thanks for sharing the link.

 

[ViCyniC]

^ I agree with Ren's Detailed Hands.

 

[Sfarog]

After just listening to the album version from Roadrunner street team webpage and recording it to MP3 for further inspection (the file will not be shared, don't ask) I decided the next step would be to write a review.

At first it is possible to tell this is not the sirius version, there is no short growl at the beggining ("yeah"). It opens the same way, with good quality.... the production is astounding, actually I thought it sounded a bit NMF-ish. The keyboard wanker fades out, and Mike's whispers come in.... sounds great... Then his ungodly GROWL grinds its way in. I love the production on the growls, they sound closer to bloodbath-sounding, and also more similar to Orchid than to any other Opeth CD... I love the Orchid growls. I'm not saying the growls are high in pitch, they're low and sometimes high (as usual) but they have more of a thickness to them than they had on deliverance...

Now the solo, which is beautifully played.. Sounds pretty effortless and mends into the song perfectly.. Fades out on an eerie sounding note! The riffs are definately spectacular. More growls.... I love 'em.. did I mention that yet? Fast double-bass drum in the background, the drums altogether sound pretty technical. Now the keyboard is playing by itself, sort of a more bright-version of the Weakness sound they used on damnation... Now It's back into the song with a high growl from mike with Per's outstanding organ in the background. Mike sounds like he's about to kill someone, then per comes back in with more organ! The bass sounds pretty funky also, definately not something I could play like those easy basslines on Damnation... Opeth has taken their music to the next level, making stuff that is completely different than what they've made before, yet with the same Opeth vibe!

Now Mike is doing his low singing again... It's hard for me to tell what is behind is cause the production is so clear now, but it sort of sounds like drums, bass, and mike whisper-singing... but I keep thinking I hear sort of a keyboard whistle... I don't think there is one though.... I think I brutalized my ears with this track and now I can't hear properly! It sounds like there is guitar now, and the tempo picked up a bit. BOOM In comes guitar and a Mike scream! The song is almost over! It has those awesome keyboard sounds now that it had in the beggining of the song. Opeth appears to be ending the song with the riff they started with, building up the intensity.. Mike's growls are great, did I mention that earlier? Now it's ending on cool keyboard sounds, woot. Song over.

So anyway I give it a perfect score.

don't quit yer day job, mate

 

[4Li3N]

the difference is, with deliverance, that riff at the end of the song isn't also in the first 3 minutes of the song, and sprinkled in throughout. it's just at the end. that's why it doesn't get old. TGC is pretty much just the same riff, with like a 3 minute section of different stuff. it's ultra-repetitive, and you can't compare the two songs

Exactly! Deliverance has 4-5 very different parts (depends on how you count them) plus the ending riff. TGC is pretty repetitive and most definitely lacks the variations displayed in deliverance. I really hope that it's because of the mood it wants to convey and that the rest of the album will be much more inspired.
TGC is certainly not the worst Opeth's song ever, but for such a band it's really disappointing.

What has me worried though, is why have they decided to use precisely this song off the whole album to showcase GR?

 

[Man In Black]

D'oh.