Watershed: Are you disapointed with it?

[N3M3S1S]

Ok, we can all be honest. It really shits me to tears that i'm saying this but what a let down imo. Sure its a good album and shitloads better than most metal. But compared to their other albums I think its down the bottom of the list for me with Ghost Reveries. No i'm not ranting about them being "Sell outs" since going with Roadrunner etc. IMO all people who liked/loved them since hearing Ghost Reveries will like this album, but for people like me who have listened to them from there earlier stuff will think otherwise. Currently reconsidering about going to the "Watershed" tour cause thats all they will play, as much as I love to support them. In all honesty I dont know if i'm angry, feel like crying or just hugely let down by my favourite band. I know some of you are gonna think wtf etc but this is just my opinion and there will be others who think the same. Maybe I need to listen to it more. I know bands have to change a bit from album to album but I just want more stuff like "Morningrise", "My Arms, Your Hearse" and "Orchid". No i'm not some mallcore fag, just a very proud metalhead . I've been a fan of opeth for many many years, i've supported them as much as I can by buying there merchandise etc. Dont get me wrong, like I said before its a good album, but maybe I was just to hyped for it and was just let down. Anyways enough of my rant, comment as you wish.

Month later from original post: Great fucking album. Not one of my top 3 Opeth albums but still a great album! I decided to go see them but I missed out on tickets.. I feel like a bit of a dick now but that is to be expected.

 

[Gëist]

I really love that new direction they're taking. I've been waiting WS so much, I'm surprised I wasn't disappointed. At all. I mean, I don't think I'm going to get bored of it one day. Ghost Reveries is my favourite album of all times, it has everything I always wanted to hear one day, and Watershed follows very closely. As you say, it's not surprising ^^.

"Whyyyyy did you leave me?" is what you could sing to them next time =D

I hugely respect Mike for not caring at all (well, maybe more than he admits) about what people will think about the album.

 

[tchocky]

To be disappointed in Opeth just seems strange to me. The thing is, it's not a bad album at all but I can't but feel that it isn't up to the standards that I've come to expect from Opeth. But most bands at their 9th album would, quite frankly, are utter shit, which Watershed isn't. So, in my opinion, I can more than let this one bip on the scope of Opeth pass. But to put it straight, yes I think Watershed is a disappointment.

 

[BlueSky]

Not at all, and In fact it rekindled some lost interest in the band. I'm glade they're pushing the whole more dynamic thing because thats what progression is all about. Hopefully next time they'll step even more out of their shell because by now its desperately needed.

 

[opeth_353]

Put simply, i am a bit disappointed with Watershed. I hoped for something much more different, and when that didn't emerge i was a little deflated. However, what we do have is a pretty damn solid album. Only 1 song i don't give a damn about, and that even has some cool moments.

 

[N3M3S1S]

I agree I repect Mike for trying something "different". I just wish they could of catered so to speak for there die hard fans who have liked them for far longer then majority of their current fans. There still my favourite band, I just hope they eventually do a "classic" Opeth ablum. Hell even one similar to Blackwater Park and or Deliverence! But for me it's back to ing to their older stuff!!! FUCK YEAH. I will still support them even though their new stuff does nothing for me. But hey I still cant get enough of their older stuf so i'm happy.

 

[opeth_353]

I agree I repect Mike for trying something "different". I just wish they could of catered so to speak for there die hard fans who have liked them for far longer then majority of their current fans. There still my favourite band, I just hope they eventually do a "classic" Opeth ablum. Hell even one similar to Blackwater Park and or Deliverence! But for me it's back to ing to their older stuff!!! FUCK YEAH. I will still support them even though their new stuff does nothing for me. But hey I still cant get enough of their older stuf so i'm happy.

Unfortunately.. Opeth aren't around to just make their fans happy.

 

[N3M3S1S]

Unfortunately.. Opeth aren't around to just make their fans happy.

I agree, if they feel they have to change then I'm happy for them to do so. Which as I said I will support them as much as I can, regardless of what I think of their new stuff as I absolutely love their older stuff. Just because I personally would love a new record similar to their older stuff dosent mean I expect them to, just sharing what I think among other Opeth fans.

 

[in_my_time_of_disease]

For me, the first 5 albums each out did each other. When bwp came out it was for me the first time an album didn't top the previous, but it was so close I had no issues. Then the next 3, d1, d2 and gr for me were gradually a step down from the previous. Deliverance while being a fantastic album isn't as good as bwp on a number of levels imo. Not including damnation, gr was a step down from deliverance imo. So in waiting for Watershed I had stopped thinking they would top anything from their first 5. But for me Watershed is the closest they have came and I think it is their best since bwp. I personally loved it. While porcelain heart isn't as good as the rest of the album I still think its a 9.5/10 album and the best I could have hoped for which was to top the last 3 and imo they achieved that. Plus 9 albums in, far out its a pretty impressive album given it's their 9th.

 

[daimonion]

Its weird - i "always" seem to think bands get better in time. Also the case with Opeth. When bands evolve, obviously new fans will come and the old fans will split in two. I'm glad i'm on the positive side of it.

 

[liquidcow]

I am a little disappointed with it. There are some great moments but on the whole the songwriting is too bitty, and after the first two 'metal' songs it's mostly mellow stuff, which is alright but I was hoping for some more good solid epic tracks. Also the closing track is a pretty weak way to end the album. I could have really done with maybe one more heavy song in the second half, although that would have made the album very long I think it would have made it more satisfying.

I'm still listening to it a lot and it's much better than GR, but yeh I was hoping it would be better.

 

[Metalstrm]

Yes, I was very disappointed too. I think this album marks a new Opeth. I just can't place what's exactly different, but what hits me the most is the lack of focus on guitarwork vs. general sound. Obviously, there's much more synth layers and the bulk of the music is not coming from the guitars, as was previously. That in itself is nothing wrong, but it was the reason I liked Opeth. They were always guitar-driven. Then there is also the vocals. Yes, Mike has become a much better vocalist, but man, the new album has way too much processing on vocals. And besides, many of the clean lines sound very upbeat and 'standardish'. Take the first line from TLE, for example. Nothing what I expect from Opeth. And 'I expect' is meant in the loose way; I do not wish to hear regurgitated riffs or vocal lines, but I expect melodies that interest me the way they used to on previous albums.

The argument that Opeth is not out there to please us has no weight really. It's beside the point and so obvious a fact that repeating it is like saying the government is not out there to please us so we are not free to complain. And well, I'm not even sure it is 100% true anyway. Who in his right mind wouldn't like to achieve more album sales? If enough people don't like the new direction, enough people won't buy the next album, or the one after it, and the band fades away into obscurity. That is not to say that anyone of us, me included, can dictate the direction of Opeth, but one fact remains true: both Opeth and Roadrunner would rather have everyone agree it's a great album than not.

 

[Vega Skater]

Nope.

 

[Gëist]

Its weird - i "always" seem to think bands get better in time. Also the case with Opeth. When bands evolve, obviously new fans will come and the old fans will split in two. I'm glad i'm on the positive side of it.

There are bands that get better, technically speaking, but tend to think "now that we're able to write songs like this..." or "now that we have enough money to produce the album this way...", and finally sound like other bands, their apparent originality or talent being obscured by the influence they get from the outside.

And there are bands like Opeth.

 

[müsli]

it has been said a few times before but i want to stress it once again:

you all know how much a record can grow on you. this means: you can say that your currently not liking it very much but nothing more. you cant say, that it is overall not a good record at this point. maybe in two months you start liking it more and more and your getting a clue what this album is all about.

 

[Gramm]

To all the critics of Watershed in here; Listen to the album again.. and again.

At first listen I thought it was shit. Then it slowly grew on me. And now I think it's probably one of the best albums ever created. I like their new style and the direction they're heading interests me. Opeth grows significantly from album to album and the music demands a lot from the listener. It doesn't surprise me that so many people can't keep up with the intense progression in Opeths music. But somehow I manage to grow alongside the band and I'm lovin' it

- Gramm

 

[Heir Apparent]

definitely not disappointed, not at all. certainly one of their best albums, very refreshing and utterly dark IMO.

 

[Slynt]

I'm not disappointed with the album as a whole, but the brutality vs softness ratio is very disappointing. I don't want Opeth to stop being a death metal band first, progressive rock/seventies rock band second.

There will never be another Orchid, Morningrise or My Arms, Your Hearse mister O.P. You have to listen to these albums, or maybe check out some of the good Opeth wannabes, such as In Mourning.

 

[Lenni]

it has been said a few times before but i want to stress it once again:

you all know how much a record can grow on you. this means: you can say that your currently not liking it very much but nothing more. you cant say, that it is overall not a good record at this point. maybe in two months you start liking it more and more and your getting a clue what this album is all about.

I would be very very suprised if this would happen to me.
This is the very first album by Opeth on which I feel I had "heard it all" after just about three times listening through. I could do without Burden, Porcelain Heart and Hex Omega and this is a lot of the new album (yep, it's mainly but not solely because of the lack of br00talitay) so yes, It's a letdown for me. The only songs that IMO are fantastic are Heir Apparent and in a different way Lotus Eater. But no need to worry, because there will be another album after this one (hopefully!)

 

[Lachybob]

I wasnt dissapointed in the album at all. Must say though that it was the least suprising for me, only real thing that suprised me was the fact that there is so much clean vocals. Did expect more clean vox with how much better Mike's voice has gotten of late, but being more clean than death i didnt see coming. Apart from that though...