Watershed: Are you disapointed with it?

[hibernal_dream]

Having listened to watershed for the first time all the way through one thing struck me about it, its not so much the music i dont like but it seems that opeth have succumed to the loudness war, either that or the mastering was done badly. one my system it seems like the heavy parts are sat on with little life or dynamics and everything melds together (which may be intended) however when you get to some quieter parts or songs the level seems the same but also seems to have a slightly more open sound and feels less oppersive with just as much power and greater clarity than the heavy parts. to me it soundslike the heavy parts have been compressed and limited to death on the album

what do you think

i know in a car or over the radio or mtv type show it would sound ok but listened to on an ok system it sucks a bit

It's a pretty loud album but so are the last few albums. Stupid people were complaining about Still Life's production, so I don't blame Opeth for doing it.

 

[Vahvahenki]

I'm far from disappointed, the first listen didn't do much to me just because I wasn't ready to realise how awesome it was. Now I find myself playing the album constantly.

 

[N3M3S1S]

So I see theres mixed feelings about the album. But dont get me wrong people, I like the ablum but I still prefer the older stuff. I'm curious to see where they go next. What I should of said in the first post is that IMO it needs more death/brutal then rock/mellow. But i'm still listening and taking peoples advice and I hope it really does grow on me.

So basically, no I dont want Orchid II etc, what I should of really said was the above, need more Death.

To me thinking of listening to Opeth is, pumping their music and playing air drums/guitars and singing along and having a great fucking time!!. I just cant do that with this album as of yet.

 

[Schism]

It's constantly noted that is "very different"
I have listened to it well over 50 times and I don't really see how it's that different. There is quite a bit of experimentation on the last few albums, just in different respects.
It feels like a very natural album, nothing that people could possibly dislike!
I personally think it's amazing, but then I adore everything (except TGC) from Still Life onwards. MAYH is great but I don't listen to regularly, and the first two and casual listens for me.

Everyone please remember that personal taste is exactly that

 

[nadavnaz]

I think many people love opeth according to the era of which he'd started knowing them. Which is wrong, but natural.

I got to know Opeth just at the time after GR, so I actually am fond of all albums almost the same, with the exception of orchid and morningrise.

Watershed is among the best with me I think, together with Blackwater Park.

 

[nadavnaz]

Eh, what? Every album is awesome, Watershed is no exception. Anyone who thinks it sucks can go die in a relatively large fire.

Period.

 

[Metalstrm]

Great counter argument.

Well, there's no arguing with people who already know the answer.

 

[Ken Lyall]

Well,
Disappointed, Yes,
Initially.
Is this a move forward from GR,
No, and yes.
I think that it is a little confused, a bit of this and that, heavy, almost folk, heavy, mainstream prog!
I actually do like it , the worst thing in my mind is the accoustic guitar. Now I like it, but what is with all the crap between notes
It wears a little thin this screatch between notes played. Not good.
If you bought the rootin tootin package like I did, You will have the LP, the CD, the DVD etc and in the interview on the dvd michael spells it out. This is not opeth, this is a new band, just the 'name' remains the same, not the song (old farts - get it !!!!).
MAYH no more, but glad we had it, no - the future is no more growls and more technically perficient and more prog/folk/easy rock based. (hated sayig easy rock uke.
Lets face it, what a back catalogue from Opeth, all these years and progression and still great.
The next step will be the Steven Wilson/Michael cd, then wait and see what happens next.

 

[Gëist]

How can one complain about the sound of the fingers on the strings? =(

 

[Ken Lyall]

quite easily, it shows a lack of profesionality and playing.
It could have been taken out in the mix.

 

[PoisonSeed]

Very good album. Even the bonus tracks are well done.

 

[sambojoho]

I think it's great. I love the new album and the direction they are heading. I listen to a lot of music besides metal, maybe that's the reason so many don't like it. I love 70s rock as well as extreme metal, so this is the greates music.

 

[mexicola]

Watershed: Are you disapointed with it?

No.

 

[Mantraschism]

quite easily, it shows a lack of profesionality and playing.
It could have been taken out in the mix.

No, it doesn't, and I'm glad it wasn't.

 

[Hedon-]

^agreed

 

[N3M3S1S]

I think it's great. I love the new album and the direction they are heading. I listen to a lot of music besides metal, maybe that's the reason so many don't like it. I love 70s rock as well as extreme metal, so this is the greates music.

Reading that makes me think why I dont like Watershed as much as I expected. Firstly all I really listen is their older stuff, and thinking theres a new album coming out while listening to their older stuff makes you (well me) think that it will be similar. Not taking into account the other albums like Ghost Reveries. Basically Morningrise to Watershed is a huge difference. Ghost Reveries to Watershed isnt so much. Also i've been getting into alot more heavier genres of metal (black etc) so prog/rock/metal dosent do it for me as much as it used to. But hey its a great album and I'm liking it more and more each time I listen to it. But for me its not really a headbanging album (if you know what I mean), it's more of a album where you sit back and just listen and enjoy the great fucking music! Opeth are still my favourite band and always will be due to the fact that the first 5 albums are just so fucking epic! there the masterpeices through my eyes. I'll never grow old of them, hell if they wanted to sound like Disturbed(or some other shitty "metal" band) on there next record it still wouldnt change my mind.

Keep making metal Opeth!!! Much <3 from Tasmania, Australia (only wish you would tour here)

 

[oddentity]

I've been into the band since Still Life and I love the new record. To me, it is their best since Blackwater Park and possibly even better. I've been listening to it for over month and still can't stop listening to it. It still sounds as fresh as ever.

People need to realize that every album Opeth have put out since Still Life has had many detractors expressing their disappointment and proclaiming the death of the band. Even Still Life itself, nowadays regarded by many as the band's masterpeice, was at the time pillored by many for being too light and not soundling like My Arms Your Hearse or Morningrise. Every subsequent album has been the same.

 

[Akahn]

Ever since hearing Blackwater Park, and spending three days trying to figure out exactly what type of band I was listening to, I've had a blank, open mind when it came to Opeth's new releases. I have no preconceptions other than a level of quality. Any band that can go half a song with acoustic and soft melodic singing, and then suddenly throw the listener in a metal grinder for the second half has earned exactly that, I think.

I know what to expect from a pop song, I know what to expect from a thrash metal song. Opeth always surprised me, which I think was the lure in the first place. Am I disappointed? Hell no. They're constantly evolving, changing, progressing, whatever you choose to call it. It's why I listen to them, and why they never get old for me.

Every album I've bought of Opeth's has always taken me about 5 or 6 plays to begin to get to grips with. Watershed was no exception. Now the tracks are forming an identity of their own for me, I love it and I've hardly listened to anything else since buying it. Personally, I rate it as one of their strongest and most daring. Odd when you consider my favourite Opeth tracks are generally the heavier ones, and most people are slamming Watershed because of the softer trend.

I don't know what to expect from the next Opeth album, and quite frankly, I love that.

 

[fps]

hessian peel, 5:45. most inappropriate and jarring entry of death metal into a song ever. not in a good way.

 

[Crepuscularia]

fps, don't go dissin' my Hessian Peel! The song dominates, and that part (which by the way, divides the song almost EXACTLY in half, and you might say is a 'watershed' within the song, using the 'dividing line' definition) is just perfect. Or haven't you heard S. Walker's the drift, where jarring explosions like that are the order of the day? I love it. LOVE IT! And the last two minutes of the song are perhaps the most chilling slab of maggot infested death metal they've ever done.... and then the way the song fades out with a reference to the riff that played just before the sudden death metal entry earlier in the song which you just criticized is BRILLIANT!

yeah, I think it's safe to say I like this song....