What do you dislike about Opeth's music?

[Demilich]

Ok, so Opeth is a very good band, probably a favourite for many of us, myself included. They'd definitely be in my top ten if I were to make a list. I like to hear logical and intelligent criticisms on bands I like, just to keep me level-headed and expose me to a different opinion on the band. So I was wondering what you guys dislike about the music of Opeth... (Keep in mind, I'm talking about the music, not the fans, the members' physical appearances, egos, etc...)

As for my opinion:
- Repetitions of riffs/ideas for minutes on end (This dates all the way back to Orchid)
- Adhering to a pretty rigid songwriting formula on the recent albums, where the songs have been pretty damn good, but the whole "10 minute progressive metal songs with acoustic passages" thing is starting to look more like a cliche than an innovation.

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

I personally dont think the cliched acoustic passages get old, as long as they're done right, sometimes I dislike some of the longer evil acoustic passages on Orchid, like Under The Weeping Moon and FOrest of October, because I think they are really boring, but besides that, there's not much else I dislike in their music. That's all I can think of for now.

 

[Super Mahrio]

their "Feng Shui" style songwriting gets a bit unnerving after some time...what i mean but that is that their song structure sounds almost like they went to some Feng Shui Master and had it arranged...its nice but at times grows stale..

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

their "Feng Shui" style songwriting gets a bit unnerving after some time...what i mean but that is that their song structure sounds almost like they went to some Feng Shui Master and had it arranged...its nice but at times grows stale..

Ok, I usually dont have to say this, but WHAT THE FUCK DOeS THAT MEAN??? Do you mean that it's really random??? I know Feng Shui, but what do you mean in musical sense???

 

[JoeVice]

Well, if they didn't write music the way that they do (10 minute progressive metal songs with acoustic passages)...what else would they sound like? their music would be even more of a cliche when compared to all other music...plus, they did go away from that on damnation....okay, enough of my bitching...

what i don't like about the band is what they already moved away from....which was on orchid and morningrise....those songs do sound a lot like they style of music that was being played at the time in sweden...and the songs don't flow well, the chords are too conventional....its cool that they had a very "folk" feel to them. sometimes, when i listen to their first two albums, i can picture a scottish dude dancing around in a kilt. i don't really like that image and feeling....but they seem to have moved away from that, and i absolutely love their music now....some of the stuff on deliverance was a bit repetitive though...(i do however feel that the 4 minute repeated riff at the end of the song deliverance is vital, unlike many)....

 

[Protected Witness]

Some of the "fans" that said music attracts.

 

[animalstack]

Ditto on the excessive riff repetition. Also, a lot of the lyrics are extremely vague and seemingly meaningless at times, but I dunno if that really falls under "music". Just my opinion, of course, coming from one who couldn't derive ANY meaning from the lyrics of MAYH until I heard someone else's interpretation.

 

[koolboee cdmo87]

I love everything about their music... except when Mikael feels the need to "prove" how heavy they can be, and the result can be kinda crappy... luckily he hasn't really done that yet, with the exception of "Wreath" which is kind of cheap in my opinion. Hopefully he won't have that state of mind with the next album, just to prove that even though they did Damnation they can't be super-heavy.

 

[Ermz]

Ok, so Opeth is a very good band, probably a favourite for many of us, myself included. They'd definitely be in my top ten if I were to make a list. I like to hear logical and intelligent criticisms on bands I like, just to keep me level-headed and expose me to a different opinion on the band. So I was wondering what you guys dislike about the music of Opeth... (Keep in mind, I'm talking about the music, not the fans, the members' physical appearances, egos, etc...)

As for my opinion:
- Repetitions of riffs/ideas for minutes on end (This dates all the way back to Orchid)
- Adhering to a pretty rigid songwriting formula on the recent albums, where the songs have been pretty damn good, but the whole "10 minute progressive metal songs with acoustic passages" thing is starting to look more like a cliche than an innovation.

Pretty much the same thing here. Your opinion sounds like what I wrote in some old threads, paraphrased.

In recent times I don't think they've been doing enough dual guitar stuff, or essentially 'weird' riffing like in Still Life. SL is reminiscent to me of Gorguts' music, simply because its, as the fans say 'controlled chaos'. The guitar parts, when looked at individually were doing their own thing, but at certain points in the phrase they would entwine. I mean that was some quality song writing.

As IAmEternal said, I think that the song structures are really getting formulaic now, and I find myself counting along to riff repetitions simply because I just want them to stop looping forever.

Another thing that shits me is the sloppy recording on Orchid. There are alot of parts on there that could've been recorded alot better and with more clarity, but the band had kept them anyway.

I guess what I would like is for the music to become more spotnaneous, different and incorporate new elements (such as keyboards and gregorian chanting - that has me quite excited about the new record).

 

[iseesmurfs420]

Some of the "fans" that said music attracts.

Exactly what I was gonna say.

 

[suislidE]

I dont get it.. what question was that a reply to neil?

 

[iseesmurfs420]

The first post.

 

[Nico]

What I dont like about Opeth's music is, as has been mentioned by many people who dislike the band, the aimlessness of the music, especialy the early albums. I personaly dont think they've focused to much down the line.

Also, lack of 'metallness' a lot of the time. Opeth's music doesnt realy share many of the characteristics of metal, except for heaviness and the growled vocals.

 

[ViCyniC]

I would like to hear more technical, faster guitar work from Opeth...kinda like how Death did it. I'm not saying emulate Death, but along the same lines. Lopez needs to take it up a notch, and I don't mean on the double bass beats. Just more visceral overall. Hopefully some of that will show up on their next album, even though it going to be more black metalish.

 

[Gin_from_the_bottle]

for me: not enough requiems!!!!

 

[mot-]

More folk-passages and innovative elements. Other than that, I'm fine.

 

[MoonRaven]

the only thing i dont like about opeth is that there isnt more, i love them, even orchid and morningrise have their moments of coolnes, even though they are my least favorite albums.

also, they should tab their music and sell tab books

 

[Pessimism]

i agree with the ten min long passage post, sometimes their arrangements just dont go together with me though, like TNATSW, where near the end it just starts breaking apart - i thought the song ended and it started back up again - it just didnt flow

maybe i just need to think of a way to post this, or maybe i just need to listen to it again . . .

::nods in agreement with the tab book idea::

 

[Pita Bread]

The only thing that bugs me is the over-repetition of riffs... it gets pretty annoying to hear the same riff a bajillion times in a row, like in the ending of Deliverance.

 

[bondcfh007]

I would like to hear more technical, faster guitar work from Opeth...kinda like how Death did it. I'm not saying emulate Death, but along the same lines. Lopez needs to take it up a notch, and I don't mean on the double bass beats. Just more visceral overall. Hopefully some of that will show up on their next album, even though it going to be more black metalish.

As far as the Lopez thing goes: i thought there could have been more of his own flavor put into the MAYH, Still Life, and BWP records (although he does great on all three)... however, i do think he has been stepping it up as of late. the rhythm section on Deliverance (and to some extent Damnation) is phemonemal... Mendez included on that. Lopez has proven to have his own style as a drummer, and it's coming out more and more with each successive record and i think i he's sure to bring it to a new level with the next outing. the Martins kick ass!

and to reply to the original intent of the thread: the mashing together of riffs (as others have already mentioned) can be a little sloppy when you can tell they were thrown together just because (ahem, black rose immortal i'm looking in your direction).