Theory On Opeth As A Gateway Band

[anonymousnick2001]

First off, I'd like to express great distress at the fact that this forum has not progressed one iota since I first arrived over a year ago. The same silly threads, the same fanboys, the same arguments, and loads of noobs every single day. *sigh*

Okay, now my point. I've noticed that Opeth seem to be the first "extreme metal" band that people seem to warm up to. Why is this? There are more accessible DM bands. There are dozens of bands mixing light/heavy, using folk passages, using clean vocals. There's power metal. What gives? What is it about Opeth that connects to people and draws in such a gold rush of n00bery?

This band has some pretty rough death vocals, loooong songs, and...well, WAS relatively obscure a few years ago. What happened? How did Opeth become metal's link to the ret of the world?

Thoughts?

 

[cthulufhtagn]

haha, "gateway band"....*sniff* i started doing opeth...*sniff* when i was 16 years old...*breaking down* can somebody pass the kleenex...

i dunno if anyone can explain it...other than they just kick ass

 

[NFU]

the loads of noobs? how does a forum progress without noobs coming, and eventually becoming regulars?

and id easily say that In Flames is the "gateway" band of noobs. Opeth is close though, and i think its very simple...the clean vocals and acoustic parts are done very well and draw in much appeal from even non metal people.

but i wouldnt really be so skeptical if i was you...your avatar is of a band which might be the ultimate metal gateway band...

 

[Celestial-Voyage]

I've been here since 2001, and yeah it seems it's the same shit all the time.

but i wouldnt really be so skeptical if i was you...your avatar is of a band which might be the ultimate metal gateway band...

Haha, I started with Maiden many years ago, and then got into Thrash,Death and lots of extreme metal bands, before opeth.

 

[atilla000]

I started like everyone with Maiden, and then got into the rest of the metal world . Nothing special you'll say, and you're right.
Opeth was indeed my first extreme band, but it was pure coincidence, I was bored and I borrowed a Candlelight promo cd. I liked it because it was brutal, so I could have got into extreme as well with napalm death or something like that...

BUT (a bit more interesting), Opeth was my gateway to a whole different world. I'm sitting here now listening to Camel (Sahara), and I wouldn't be listening it if I did not know Opeth. Same for Porcupine Tree.
I'm really glad I've got to know these bands (Camel rules!). It's a relief to hear something that isn't metal (and still doesn't suck) at all. Simply an overdosis of beautiful melodies and a great sound, that's sometimes what I need.

 

[Crimson Velvet]

Hmmm... I started out with Metallica, then Slayer, then norwegian black metal, then melodeath and melodic death. Every man for his own, I guess...

 

[Celestial-Voyage]

BUT (a bit more interesting), Opeth was my gateway to a whole different world. I'm sitting here now listening to Camel (Sahara), and I wouldn't be listening it if I did not know Opeth. Same for Porcupine Tree.
I'm really glad I've got to know these bands (Camel rules!). It's a relief to hear something that isn't metal (and still doesn't suck) at all.

Well said, I would have to say the same for me.

 

[PoS]

mind if we ask where you were expecting it to progress too anonymous? there's only so much material/topics that can be covered when we're limited to on topic (and therefore current) material? i'll admit the topic you've proposed is a new one to these boards, but when you have to start stretching to come up with concepts such as these for discussing, you must admit that keeping that momentum going is more than a little difficult. anyway, back to your topic. while i would consider opeth to be A gateway band for certain styles of metal (not THE gateway band) as far as why they have become such a band for extreme metal as you call it, i would think the answer is relatively simple. it's because of their lineage, namely in that the majority of other bands mixing light/heavy, using folk passages, using clean vocals are following opeth, not proceeding them. if you're new to a style of music and want to know what it's all about, you listen to word of mouth and it will usually tell you to go looking for the original (if still active) band. i'd also have trouble saying that there are (many, as there are a few exceptions. loke in flames) death metal bands more accessible than opeth. again if you're new to a style of music (hence gateway) then often you won't be too comfortable with aspects of a "straight" or "no frills" dm band at first. what opeth has going for it is it's progressive nature. becasue of this they cover quite a few different musical stylings across their discography, and because of this people new to the genre have more chance of finding something (anything) that they like and can latch onto. after that it's simply a matter of becoming accustomed to the 'less pleasant' as some would call them, aspects of the genre. i know many people who had barely listened to any metal before, some which i have gotten into opeth myself, and many of which have said to me "love the music, hate the growling vocals". however they like it so much that they come back to it, get used to it, and in many cases they learn to appreciate it. those that learn to appreciate it usually move on from there to experience other "extreme metal" bands.

oh and power metal won't need to be discussed cos it simply sucks balls! *prepares to get stoned* hehe.

just my two cents.

 

[Ermz]

It never hurts to use more paragraphs.

Opeth can be a good 'gateway band' depending on your musical background. I was already firmly established in the metal circles when I got into them, so they didn't open anything new to me in that respect. I did however, because of Mikael's influences, get myself listening to alot of Camel, and some Porcupine Tree.

It seems whilst Opeth always has something to offer a listener, they always have some aspect to their sound, or some influences which are alien to whoever hears them for the first time. In that sense they are a gateway to music all over the spectrum (perhaps not classical, or country etc... but meh). They just seem to have alot to offer if you trace the influences back to the roots.

Btw, since you're so cynical about the forum, I'd love to hear your suggestions on brightening this place up. You know, that's my job. So if you have any ideas on how to sculpt this place to your, or perhaps everybody else's liking, I'd love to hear them.

 

[ChrisEmerson]

Opeth i discovered quite late actually. Metallica was my first metal band, then i got into maiden and priest, then iced earth. After a few more power metal bands (stratovarius etc) i then got into in flames, then soilwork and that kind of melodic death stuff. Now i like progressive death - Opeth, Novembre, Orphaned Land etc.

 

[Inconium Guard]

Opeth is pretty unique, and they have atmosphere that is missing from most other music. I'm not too surprised that they've achieved such a prominent cult (no pun intended, Opethians) following.

There's something about it that makes you want to come back and explore the more subtle nuances of the sound, and the band takes their music very seriously, never really crossing the line into self parody and sounding too generic and over the top (except maybe with serenity painted death, but thats another thread.)

 

[Rekkr]

I discovered Opeth when I was thirteen. That was a few years ago when they were "obscure". They along with Amon Amarth (Opeth > Amon Amarth) were my introduction to death metal.

 

[drowssap]

My first introduction to death metal? Death Leprosy. I caught on to Opeth late as well. Got into them after reading a Guitar World article on their 2 album concept when they were supposed to come out with Damnation and Deliverance at the same time.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

I was just musing...a fellow poster by the name of Guardian of Darkness began with Opeth among other bands, and now has progressed into more "adavnced" formes of metal. A descent into the obscure, if you get the reference. I was noticing that this was a pattern for many. I was well acquainted with the underground metal world long before I was listening to Opeth. Opeth was simply one of the first bands that convicned me it all wasn't a crock of shit. I still can't respect Cannibal Corpse or Mortician, or even bands like Obituary or Morbid Angel. However, tech-death and prog-death I can. Suffocation, Cryptopsy, Origin, Nile, Illogicist, Daath, Orphaned Land, Amorphis, Psycroptic, The Chasm, that kind of stuff. So I can understand Opeth's function as a "gateway band." I'll still pull out one of their albums for a jolly spin every so often.

As for the forum, Moonlapse, well, threads comparing Mikael to Beethoven or Jesus or whatever need to stop, I'll tell you that. Same with threads arguing about the producers or threads about favorite songs or riff threads, etc. Perhaps a few more threads like this. Threads that make people THINK.

 

[Achilleslastfairjudgement]

The extreme opeth fans will probably listen to anything Mikael listens to

 

[Demilich]

I think that one reason Opeth is such a gateway band to extreme metal is because they aren't very extreme at all in their speed, technicality, brutalness (is that a word?) or whatever, compared to most death and black metal. So they pass off as death metal to new listeners, while being more appealing and less difficult to digest than say... going straight to Gorguts or Psycroptic or something.

That's my spin on it.

 

[AceRoccola]

Bolt Thrower got me into extreme Metal.

Opeth helped though.

 

[Ermz]

Well there's not much I can do about what people post here, unless it's directly against regulations, or plain ludicrous. I wrote the FAQ to phase out some of the redundancy, so there isn't *as* many 'omfg who = melinda? rofl' type threads.

I think the best bet is to keep making 'exciting' or 'insightful' threads until all the bullshit chatter is just ignored. It's sort of hard with the on-topic policy though. I'm still waiting on word from Anna on that, so we'll see what comes of getting some off-topic discussion back in this place.

 

[Manbient]

It saddens me Opeth is the "gateway" band now, and not the "destination". Nobody knew who Opeth was when i discovered them, and was already pretty well into metal by then. I took pride in having taken a path to find this awesome band that i felt all my past metal and prog rock experience helped me to appreciate. Now we have thousands of n00bs flocking to them with NO prog rock, and not much metal backing them. And truly i just don't think they understand it as much as me, as elitist and horrible as that sounds. It's a shame, they get into the band, and only like certain aspect and don't get the other ones, or ignore them completely. It's like loving britney spears because she is catchy, then ignoring the rest of it (which is shit), whereas Opeth is still catchy, but they have a lot more going on, which is ignored.

I didn't word that well, but maybe my point got across properly.

 

[NFU]

bumblefoot, long time no see.

in any case, i agree with what youre saying on some level...


but i think its selfish and fruitless to judge other people for liking a band "less" than you do...or assuming they dont appreciate them the same way you do. Everyone enjoys bands for different reasons and in different ways...its the best part of music, its something different for everyone.

but i still think the occasional fanboy deserves a flaming or two just to keep them in line.