The more unique and defining songs of Opeth.

[Ermz]

Among Opeth's large catalogue of musical euphoria we have a few songs, that I feel, set themselves aside form the rest in terms of genuinity (word?) and innovation.

The reason that I'm making this post is... well suffice to say its a late night and I've spent most of it doing homework so at times like these a person tends to be more observant towards things, especially things that don't involve the homework.

I had just finished, in coinciding time with Black Rose Immortal's ending climax and it hit me... Opeth don't have any other songs that sound like Black Rose Immortal. Sure, all of morningrise has songs that are written in a similar vein, yet none have that same hollow atmosphere, that quiet evil that seems to creep around the entire 20 minutes of the epic (chaotic, whatever) track. I think this is one of Opeth's most unique pieces of music.

Now, since I'm playing Opeth's songs from my mp3 playlist since I"m too lazy to plug in the CDs, Blackwater Park happened to be the next song on the list... and as the introduction faded in I thought 'oh, how wonderful, the one song that introduced me to this band... to this day I still love it'... and then I also thought that Opeth don't have any other songs that are alike to Blackwater Park. It's such a grooved out, heavy masterpiece, it almost seems like progressive rock that has been 'metallized'... once again something so inspired by 70s prog rock, yet so unique in its own way.

Ok it seems I'm very tired and I could go on ranting for hours.. but I'll hold it here and just finish off with, the point of this thread is just to point out any of the songs that you personally feel define Opeth or an aspect of their individuality from the music scene of today (ok yes, I know just about all their songs do that, but you know what I mean).

So basically, what are your thoughts? Any songs that YOU feel are completely unique to Opeth or music in general?

 

[ChrisEmerson]

i think opeth are pretty unique among music itself, there arent many (if any) opeth clones around.

 

[Episode 666]

I really thing The Night and the silent water stands out on Morningrise, and it's one of my fav Opeth piceses ever. The dark feel when the end comes..........

 

[TheFourthHorseman]

Black Rose Immortal is that of course as you just mentioned...the music is amazing.
But aside from sheer musical talent,I feel that The Moor is one,cause it's just like pure heaven as a whole (where as with BRI it's more or less a riff here and there or something like that that makes it so great...oh fuck it,it just rules) and The Moor just has a fantastic atmosphere...the first riffs are so made for headbanging.
I could say the same about Karma for now...that intro just kicks off so heavy that I can't but love it. So I suppose it's unique in a way.
Right now I couldn't come up with others...ok To Bid You Farewell does have a beautiful atmosphere too.

 

[Innbydelse]

i think that Moonlapse Vertigo is a very unique song

it has rock, jazz, and metal all mixed in one!

but it seems more of a hard rock song to me than metal.....

i love the singing at the very end....and that riff it amazing! i love it

i am learning how to play that last riff and i almost have it down

 

[squeegee your third eye]

Yes, Night & Silent Water sticks out to me. To me it's the most coesive and flowing of the earlier work. And the last section is unique.

Blackwater Park is a lumbering thing in and of itself, for sure.

Much of Damnation sounds pretty orginal to me, though I'm not conversant with all the influences. How about that dark riff after the drum break in Windowpane? A unique sound.

Master's Apprentic stands out as the most contrast between light and dark I've ever heard, to an almost comical extent--I mean denomic Morbid Angel sludge riff segues to trippy 70's major key "aahs"?

Really, I could go on forever with moments of songs, especially in last three CDs, that sound unique to my ears

 

[godmachine12]

"Bleak"-heavy,moody,melodic,and intense. Steven Wilson's backing vocals give this one a big boost.

"When"-beautiful intro,blisteringly heavy, fades into melody, and then the fianl vocal lines....need I say more.

"Godhead's Lament"-super heavy and I love how they return to the chorus/pre-chorus at the end of the song. It just caps the song perfectly.

Those 3 just really stick out as "definitive" Opeth to me. And also the person that mentioned "Master's Apprentices" being demonic Morbid Angel. The first time I heard the intro riff I thought it WAS Morbid Angel!

 

[no country for old wainds]

I can't answer this, really. I could type 40 songs and I still wouldn't be satisfied. I agree with Black Rose Immortal though, it's haunting and beautiful.

 

[Protected Witness]

Old Era:

Forest of October
Advent
In Mist She was Standing

Middle Era:
Demon of the Fall
Godhead's Lament
The Drapery Falls

Newer Era:
Master's Apprentices
Windowpane

 

[BrandonS]

Circle of Tyrants is a great song. Very spooky sound in it near the end/middle?

 

[shivering corpse]

Harvest
Moonlapse Vertigo
Apostle in Triumph
to bid you farewell

 

[Demonspell]

In Mist She Was Standing, Advent, Black Rose Immortal, To Bid You Farewell, When, Demon Of The Fall, Godhead's Lament, Moonlapse Vertigo, Bleak, Deliverance, By The Pain..., In My Time Of Need, To Rid The Disease - the essence of Opeth