What is it that makes Opeth great...

[Mr. Black]

i personally believe Opeth are the best band in the world (and i'm sure i'm not the only one) yet other bands which are supposed to be like Opeth, such as Novembre, Katatonia, April Etheral etc. do nothing for me at all...so what is that makes opeth so special for you?

 

[Misanthrope]

the sentiment in their music, either agression or despair or sadness is just a rollercaster of emotions of wich you cannot wait to ride once again

 

[Culture_AK47]

personally i find that opeth are amazing because they can create emotions and change emotions within a person as good as a great classical composition only in a form of music that i adore (i.e. metal)

i guess thats similar to what the person before me said

also bands like Katatonia are nothing like Opeth. I do love Katatonia and Novembre but Opeth are the greatest band in history. April Etheral however are just Opeth wannabes

 

[Obyeybyeogone]

My primary reason would be along the lines of what Misanthrope said, Opeth can completely change your mood or make you feel an emotion, oftentimes more strongly than normal, my life is so uneventful that if it weren't for music I would probably never experience any emotions other than boredom, depression, and mild happiness.

Another reason I like Opeth so much is the "poetry" of it I guess, how the lyrics, music, cover art, songtitle, and album title all combine to make a certain mood or feeling that just works.

Although I don't play any instruments or have any technical music knowledge, I can appreciate the instrumental ability of Opeth so much more than most bands. Most bands are catchy at first and get more boring with each listen, Opeth isn't catchy at first, and it becomes better with each listen.

A lot of what I said applies to other bands I like, but more so with Opeth than most.

 

[Triumphant Apostle]

My personal opinion is,not unlike Black Sabbath,they are able to perfectly mesh"light and shade".In other words when they are mellow they are wonderfully melodic,and when they want to get heavy they are EXTREMELY heavy! It doesn't hurt that they have a vocalist in Mikael that is one if the best clean vocalists I have ever heard. He is also in my opinion easily the best death metal growler ever....I never thought ANYONE would ever match David Vincent from Morbid Angel but he not only does that he destroys him! They are without question the best extreme metal has to offer when you consider that they are more talented musically, and have better songwriting ability than any band out there! How many bands do you know that can write 13 minute songs that you don't get bored with!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Culture_AK47]

fuck 13 minute songs lol, who can write 20 minute songs that not only do you not get bored with but become to you the best song in musical history!!! ... the same applies to a certain 66 minute album with only 5 songs on it

 

[Lina]

i agree with what triumphant apostle said about the beauty in the soft parts and the aggression in the heavy parts. i like what i've heard of novembre, but it doesn't make me bow down the way opeth does. opeth's melodies are so heartbreakingly beautiful, but that's something that strikes everyone differently. another thing i've said before is that their transitions are so fucking smooth. i find myself thinking, "woah, how did they get here from where they were one minute ago without me cringing, or even noticing for that matter?"

mr. black, you're not alone. they're my favorite band, as well. in fact, to call them a "band" almost trivializes them. for me, they are music. all other bands are a matter of taste, opeth is a matter of facts. hehe, i know i'll catch hell for that one.

 

[justus x]

Capes.

 

[brightoffski]

Originally posted by Lina


mr. black, you're not alone. they're my favorite band, as well. in fact, to call them a "band" almost trivializes them. for me, they are music. all other bands are a matter of taste, opeth is a matter of facts. hehe, i know i'll catch hell for that one.

Hehehe! This is one fact that is certain in my mind.

 

[TheMindzI]

Originally posted by Lina
for me, they are music. all other bands are a matter of taste, opeth is a matter of facts. hehe, i know i'll catch hell for that one.

Lina pretty much said it all.. but I'll rephrase something a guy said a few days ago..
Two things may happen while listening to Opeth's music: you can either appreciate it.. or not understand it..

 

[YaYo]

i think its important that opeth are directly influenced by the different styles they incorporate. what i mean is they actually listen to different types of music and have just put all their different tastes/styles together.

but bands that try and copy opeth seem to be only influenced by 'the jazzy bits in opeth', not by jazz itself.
if that makes any sense?
it jsut seems that in this way other bands can only ever be a subset of what opeth is. Just rehashing whats already been done.

so to get someone as good as opeth we need musicians who are truely influenced by all the similar styles and tastes that opeth are, and who use opeth only as another influence, instead of as the only influence.

i guess its because mikael obviously deeply connects with everything he writes, whereas the bands who are influenced only by metal bands wont fully appreciate what the jazz is meant to achieve, or what the quiet bits achieve..

and then to be as good as opeth they also need to be creative, and intelligent/logical...

plus every musician in the band needs to be brilliant so as not to limit anything!

woah, this just makes me appreciate opeth more!


having said all that, the thing that makes opeth special TO ME.... is just that i connect emotionally with the music, if i didnt then all the above mentioned things wouldnt mean anything!

 

[musicholic]

The way that they combine influences without sounding like any of them.

 

[Angelbreeze]

i think the main reason is the emotion and feeling in their music through the combination of soft and heavy parts, it can makes sound their songs really different and more special than none.

 

[Sadistik]

What is it that makes Opeth great...

you mean besides everything?

 

[eldritch]

I think a lot of it has to do with them being fuckin incredible musicians and having a great sense of composition. All the other bands that are "opeth-like" are good and have some stuff right but only opeth puts it's all together in such an amazing package. There is not one one thing opeth has ever done that i don't absolutely love. i don't think i can say that about any other band.

 

[MetalManCPA]

It is so hard to explain why Opeth is "it" for me musically.

There are better drummers, better guitar players, better bass players, better vocalists on an individual level than each of Opeth's band members in the music industry. (for instance, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are phenominal guitar players). BUT, we're talking about Opeth the band - Opeth the unit - Opeth the complete package!

There is no other band's music that I've ever heard (and Led Zeppelin has always been the band to me, up to now) that delivers a complete musical package like Opeth, NO ONE. I took music classes in college, I went to Berkley College of Music for piano and drums, I've played piano for over 30 years, so I always thought I knew music. Opeth finished the definition for me. They've completed my search for what music should be. Is this to say that in the future I may find some other musical talent that redefines my definition? Personally, I find that hard to believe. It took me 41 years to get here, so it will be a long time (if ever) that someone else comes down the pike and mesmorizes me the way Opeth does.

It's all about the emotion I get while listening to them. I don't think I've ever "casually" listened to Opeth, like having them be background music. My mind could be here or there, I could be physically doing something, but when Opeth is heard, it seems everything around me blurs, and there is Opeth The Music, right in front of me, pefectly focused, taking up nearly 100% of my mind and body.