I just started listening to Opeth last autumn. I had heard some of their stuff before, but as one who was never too keen on growls, I couldn't get past the vocals. An internet friend had even made me a mix CD of a few Opeth songs a couple years ago, but I just couldn't quite get into them.
Now, which album did it for me? Surprisingly, it was Ayreon's "The Human Equation," which I bought late last summer. I liked Mikael's vocals on it, even the growl or two on it seemed to fit well, so I began to get a feel for some growling. Then I pulled out that Opeth mix CD again, and this time around it began to sink in for me. So, I ordered "Ghost Reveries" (special edition), "Deliverance" and "Damnation" from BMG Music Club, then I ordered "Blackwater Park" (special edition) from Amazon, and I was hooked. I later picked up used copies of "Still Life," "My Arms, Your Hearse" and "Orchid," and then a new but extremely dirt-cheap copy of "The Roundhouse Tapes" from an Amazon Marketplace vendor. Then I preordered both the "Still Life" reissue and "Watershed" (special edition) from Amazon when they were coming out.
I still need to get "Morningrise" and the DVD, but I plan to have those fairly soon.
At any rate, I now like most of their stuff, but I must say that this new "Watershed" is extremely tasty. As a whole, it's probably my favorite album of theirs. Very good stuff!