hmmm, is this a hint that Opeth is on the Decline ???
I think it's tough for a band to continue creating great music with every new release. I think in Opeth's case they have done some things to offset this occurence. GR brought along the addition of Per which brings a change of atmosphere. Steven Wilson gave us a touch of this on BWP, D1 & D2, but now it's much more consistent & in some cases is the driving force behind certain songs such as TBOTH & BTM.
They've also retained the brutality of earlier records to avoid alienating alot of their older fanbase. GR is missing some of the great folky guitar licks, but do we really expect them to make 10 MAYH's ??? I think they've maintained their unmistakable sound & still make great songs. They have yet to reach the Load & Reload stage. Hopefully they never will.
That for me is why I love the underground scene. Mainstream bands will conform to whatever makes them the most $$$. Look at a band like Staind. Their early demo's & even their 1st album was pretty raw & heavy. Then they spent to much time with Fred Durst & started writing these slow, mellow, boring songs. They've made shitloads of cash doing this, but for some bands the demise is much quicker.