What you like in Opeth's music..

[Luz]

With all respect, I want to know what's wrong with Tool.
I really like them, I found them very interesting.
I know people like different kinds of music -if not- would be totally boring discuss about the things we like, because we'd never have the chance to disagree (At least I'd get bored), so... I want to know.

\m/

Luz.-

Led Zeppelin > The Beatles >> Opeth > ... > Britney Spears > Tool

 

[NFU]

nobody said there was anything wrong with tool. at least i dont think so, even though im not a very big fan, mainly due to the vocals.

 

[Shadows Skulk]

I used to listen to Tool when I was a 'rebellious' 15 year old, but after a while I realized that it was just emo under a guise of pseudo-intellectualism. They bore me.

 

[Boogs]

i'm much older than most of the people here it seems, but i am a lifelong musician (playing as a teen on the Philadelphia punk scene to being a mellower, record-at-home-type now) who was recently turned on to Opeth.

Opeth's music has a power that is urgent, the way bands like GBH and Ruin used to be for me, but can also be appreciated in a more "filmic" way, if that makes any sense. the more melodic passages really heighten this, and actually add to the power of the heavier riffs. it's like a well-scored film, you're lulled into it, then when all hell breaks loose you really feel it. also have to say -- the guitar work gets major respect (my main instrument), but the drums of Martin Lopez are amazing, as is the production on the albums (Martin's recorded drum sound is one of my alltime favs).

i've enjoyed lurking here, and checking out some of the music mentioned, especially Astriaal (who sound like they might have some good textural stuff going on) and the laundry list of prog i got from the 70's Prog thread (i've got tons of records, and haven't heard of 95% of the bands mentioned there... respect!).

back to your regularly scheduled program...


David

 

[NFU]

im glad to hear that youre getting into stuff from the prog thread...im always happy to introduce people to the wonderful genre.

 

[Inconium Guard]

a few bands in my opinion that are better:

The Beatles
Yes
King Crimson
Black Sabbath
Led Zeppelin

It's funny because I agree and with the exception of Yes I think the bands you just mentioned were/are better than Tool, so that's fine. And I especially like Black Sabbath, Zep, and King Crimson myself. Maybe they're more inventive, or influential, etc. But I still know what I like to listen to, and Tool definitely does get alot of replays. I'm mostly talking about their "Lateralus" CD, which I love, and interestingly enough the a couple Opeth members cite them in their biographies....I just found that out and thought it was kind of cool.

There's one thing though, and its a generalization, but it exists: One thing I like about music is the production quality of a band's albums, and underground bands *tend* to have crappier production (not all underground bands have this problem, and the ones that do oaren't always terrible) but due to the fact that maybe they haven't made a great sum of money to afford better production, sometimes the full scope of some really brilliant and creative music isn't fully realized, or worse, hard to listen to. I suppose I could have some complaints about Opeth's own Orchid and Morningrise, but the music is so creative I can more than forgive it.

What I'm getting to with this is basically asking anyone for recommendations regarding some really good underground bands, maybe a bit like Opeth, with decent or better production quality on their albums...anyone have any bands to recommend?

 

[NFU]

It's funny because I agree and with the exception of Yes I think the bands you just mentioned were/are better than Tool, so that's fine. And I especially like Black Sabbath, Zep, and King Crimson myself. Maybe they're more inventive, or influential, etc. But I still know what I like to listen to, and Tool definitely does get alot of replays. I'm mostly talking about their "Lateralus" CD, which I love, and interestingly enough the a couple Opeth members cite them in their biographies....I just found that out and thought it was kind of cool.

There's one thing though, and its a generalization, but it exists: One thing I like about music is the production quality of a band's albums, and underground bands *tend* to have crappier production (not all underground bands have this problem, and the ones that do oaren't always terrible) but due to the fact that maybe they haven't made a great sum of money to afford better production, sometimes the full scope of some really brilliant and creative music isn't fully realized, or worse, hard to listen to. I suppose I could have some complaints about Opeth's own Orchid and Morningrise, but the music is so creative I can more than forgive it.

What I'm getting to with this is basically asking anyone for recommendations regarding some really good underground bands, maybe a bit like Opeth, with decent or better production quality on their albums...anyone have any bands to recommend?

well, to find an underground band "better" than opeth is a task in itself in my opinion. but to truly answer your question id have to fully understand what you mean by "better" production quality. Do you mean fuller and more clarity than on orchid and morningrise?

Well, either way, here are some good progressive underground metal bands that i think are considerably worth checking out:

Arcturus
Enslaved (last 3 albums really)
Edge Of Sanity (crimson and crimson 2 albums)
Cynic - Focus (get remaster or deal with production worse than orchid)
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

 

[Inconium Guard]

well, to find an underground band "better" than opeth is a task in itself in my opinion. but to truly answer your question id have to fully understand what you mean by "better" production quality. Do you mean fuller and more clarity than on orchid and morningrise?

Ahh I'm sorry, I meant to say "decent or better production qualities in general, not just compared to Opeth"...They don't have to be better in production or songwriting than Opeth, but maybe something along the same vein that you could say "If you like Opeth,you should like this"

Sorry that I didn't really explain myself before heheh


Thanks for the couple bands you posted, I'll have to check them out!

 

[mot-]

well, to find an underground band "better" than opeth is a task in itself in my opinion. but to truly answer your question id have to fully understand what you mean by "better" production quality. Do you mean fuller and more clarity than on orchid and morningrise?

Well, either way, here are some good progressive underground metal bands that i think are considerably worth checking out:

Arcturus
Enslaved (last 3 albums really)
Edge Of Sanity (crimson and crimson 2 albums)
Cynic - Focus (get remaster or deal with production worse than orchid)
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

Fine selection. There was a remaster of Focus ? They did not change the synthi-vocals, did they ?

 

[The Dude]

Inconium, if you havn't already, get Bathory's 'Hammerheart' or 'Twighlight of the Gods'. These two albums, I think, exceed Opeth as far as emotion is concerned, and were influential on Mike's songwriting skills I'm sure. 'Hammerheart' proved to me that a million-dollar production sound isn't necessary to make a classic album. (Or fantastic singing ability or solid grasp of English for that matter).

 

[Inconium Guard]

Inconium, if you havn't already, get Bathory's 'Hammerheart' or 'Twighlight of the Gods'. These two albums, I think, exceed Opeth as far as emotion is concerned, and were influential on Mike's songwriting skills I'm sure. 'Hammerheart' proved to me that a million-dollar production sound isn't necessary to make a classic album. (Or fantastic singing ability or solid grasp of English for that matter).

Thanks for the recommendation! I'm going to try and check out all of the bands everyone is mentioning, if possible. I'm just hoping its not too hard to find these albums...

 

[Spydaman_69_2001]

Hmmm.... The emotion and anger. The beautiful moments and the brutal moments. Just the overall greatness of Opeth music is what I love.

 

[PoS]

i like opeth because some of mike's work has a faint hint of atmospheric romanticism. i listen to lacuna coil, nightwish, and tristania - bands with a similar taste in hoplessness, depression, and a longing for love in a cold world encumbered in darkness.

 

[Vrykolakas]

Hahaha, you got rid of the scarey eyeball.

 

[PoS]

well it's baaaaaaaaaack!!!!

 

[MetalAges]

I'm scared! What's shakin pos!

 

[IronShadows28]

I agree with everyone so far (Exept for ctulufhtagns first post)

 

[OGM]

...for me it is the two extremes combined. The melding of of the brutal death metal with beautiful proggy moments. Their music also has a really cool mystical atmosphere that takes me to another place...

.

 

[Inconium Guard]

also the amount of "flow" in black rose immortal is questionable.....not to detract from their ability either

Just noticed this back on the first page....


I listened to Black Rose Immortal again today and I have to partially agree. My issue isn't with Opeth or the song itself, but rather with 20+ minute songs in general...while I believe its a beautiful song, to me it seems to go all over the place and could almost have been broken into 2 separate (and completely different) songs, although not by slicing in the middle necessarily.

But anyway the thing about 20 minute songs is that there must be some alteration between heavy and light music (Opeth do that very well), but there are parts where is slows down for a while, and I sort of phase the music out until some riff pops in...I can usually listen to the whole thing all at once and truly enjoy it, but to be completely honest I just don't have the patience to absorb the whole of it, unless I'm driving or something.


Anyway besides that little comment, I still love the song, and maybe a better production or something would make me really love listening to the whole thing quite often, but I don't know...for the most part my favorite Opeth songs are the relatively shorter ones (by their mammoth standards)...

 

[AceRoccola]

Most of the bands that can be compared to Opeth tend to come from Black Metal instead of Death Metal, and opeth is obviously closer to Death than Black when it comes to the Metal parts. The line was blurred earlier on, but now it is much clearer. Anyway, I would recommend:

Bathory - Hammerheart
Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale, The Sham Mirrors
Borknagar - Olden Domain, Archaic Course, Quintessence
Edge of Sanity(pretty much the original opeth) - Purgatory Afterglow, Crimson (Spectral Sorrows and Unorthodox are cool too, but not quite as evolved)