Now I know people come on these forums and just start raving and jabbering about how they love Opeth and Opeth are the greatest and everything, but we all have to be allotted our moments. So here is my thanx to thee Godz of Music (at least in my book)
OPETH
Im not sure how I first really heard about Opeth. I mean I remember it was somewhere on the internet. I had just started listening to Swedish metal with In Flames for few months in the summer of 2000. Later in the fall I came across the name of Opeth. I didnt remember much exept that they were a Swedish band. I was curious enough to try and download it. In Flames had changed my perspective on metal, so I was hoping to find more music like it that might expand my musicical horizon.
I think the first song I downloaded was Face of Melinda. I know I downloaded these three in the beginning: Face of Melinda, Godheads Lament, and Advent. So I started listening to those three songs. For a while it was just Advent, and I really liked it, it had some sorta old school groove that I really liked. I kept it in my listening rotation just like with every other band on my playlist, but then something happened. I started getting more of Opeths songs, and I started having them in a constant rotation. And then one day I actually listened to Face of Melinda. I think I was doing homework, like when I used to listen to music back in high school. And I stopped and listened at that part at the end it was just so hypnotic and full of emotion, that really grabbed me. Pretty soon I got all their albums, and started listening to them that way, just albums and not skipping around. When I started listening to Still Life I found The Moor, and later Demon of the Fall.
A few months later I had become accustomed to the entire catologue of all that what was Opeth at the time (which went up to Blackwater Park). Its been about three years now and Ive never stopped listening. and Ive seen them once which was January of this year at San Franciscos The Pound. It was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. I was front row, got to shake Peters and Mikaels hands, and I have two of their guitar picks, too. Anyway Opeth is definitely my favorite band, though I listen to a lot of music, mostly metal, or most genres of metal (except pop).
Well since Ive listened to all this music all this time, I guess I just wanna say thanks. I feel Ive found the greatest music in the world and it really touches me, so heres what I love about all of Opeths songs starting with the Orchid album.
ORCHID
(edited for easier reading: mostly just cut paragraphs in two)...
In the Mist she was Standing: I had heard this song after Forest of October Im pretty sure. At first I just thought it was a pretty kool song, but nothing special. I still think it has a pretty upbeat metal intro, but like in a cynical way. And then comes in his scratching and growling voice, just cutting in with guitars that I almost wanna say are liquid, and the beat is just moving and flowing, like your running somewhere. At four minutes theres a piece with the acoustic guitar and then that rumbling rhythm, Mikaels grim screams are followed by a screeching guitar. I mean that whole part has a real old school sound, like classic rock almost. Except the chord progressions is a lot darker and in minor keys. I mean these rhythms are pretty wacky and Im pretty sure some (if not most) arent in 4:4 (at least I think, havent really researched it). The piece at about six and a half minutes, has this chilling forshadowing, if it were a soundtrack to a film, the film would be very dark, monochromatic, and grainy.
At about eight minutes this rolling double pedal beat comes in and its just a perfect headbanging beat. And then it goes back to one of the first beats, transitioning into an even darker riff. And she spoke! Once and FOREVER!! I think if there was any point where I didnt care for growls, it was truly challenged here. Truthfully even when I started listening to Opeth, eventhough I had been listening to In Flames at the time, I still didnt care for growls. It was definitely Opeth that changed that for me, especially with the Still Life album, which Ill get to later. Anyway this song doesnt strike me as one of Opeths more complex works, but I still like it a lot and is really just a good old metal jam to throw on when you feel like something like that. And for me thats all the time, so its defnitely a good thing.
Under the Weeping Moon: Man this intro is really interesting. Reminds me of something Spanishy, I guess its the Spanish guitar (nylon string, at least thats what I played this song on when I learned it). This song really starts to get into that signature Opeth strumming, or at least what I feel is signature Opeth strumming, I think I get this idea from playing Opeth so much on my guitar. Its just this strumming style, that I havent really seen in metal at all, its what makes this song Opeth. Unique to this song though, is one of the better acoustic interludes, at about three minutes. Its got all these creepy sounds in the background, volume swells and what not. I think its when you listen to these sorts of interludes that you start to understand what Opeth thinks about time. And when at first you might have been against that, or at least didnt like it, you started to fall into it.
I think I can remember a time listening to this track, with this acoustic interlude, just lying on my bed with some headphones, in the dark, or at least my eyes were closed. And after about three or four minutes a rolling drum beat comes in and is followed by these screeching guitars. The voice is grim and screaming, this is indeed a dark beat, an old school evil Opeth beat so-to-speak. Then its followed by something else, I mean just a really really odd riff, I want to say it crosses some genres, just hard to think which ones, they seem so foreign. Then a soft acoustic and mellow clearn vocal piece. This is the sort of acoustics I was sorta hoping Opeth would explore more with, its very dark and moody, and it goes just about anywhere. I mean I still liked Damnation, but this stuff is still amazing and I hope they dont completey abandon this part of their style.
Forest of October: This is quite possibly one of the first Opeth favorites amongst the fans, thats for sure. Although I was pretty ignorant about the entire Opeth scene until earlier this year. Anyway I love the intro, I remember reading an interview where Mikael said he wanted to make the most evil music ever, or maybe now that I think about it, it was on the main Opeth site in the bio section, dont quite remember Anyway I think he really had that in mind when he first wrote this song, and he probably wrote it with Peter, not sure though. Anyway this song is a classic. When I first heard it I just couldnt help but like it, its got a great balance of mellow and evil-riffage that makes up the old school sound of Opeth. I mean this is one of those pieces that just pushes Opeth forward and out of the crowd. This song being thirteen minutes, it also shows that they dont give a shit about how long the track is.
t first, I had always thought the 90s had crappy music, and that my generation was deprived of having a great someone that we could be proud of and tell our kids I grew up during then. But instead the world was flooded with crap music, no band or artist was doing anything new, just copying whatever worked or made them more attractive to teenage girls who watch mtv. Unlike my father who grew up listening to CCR, The Doors, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Heart, Tom Petty. I mean, you see that? And then theres people who grew up in the 80s and their like yea I got Ride the Lightning when it first came out And you know, I had none of that. But I think all thats changed now. Definitely the Swedish metal scene, but really Opeth is the best, and my favorite. This is one of those things that I think I can give to my kid when hes growing up. And Ill like to see if he can ever top me with a great band from his time
The Twilight is My Robe: Just starts up loud and grand, with a beat I want to describe as crying. A rolling bass and Mikaels vocals come in clean. But then the drums take over and hes starts growling. At three minutes theres this riff that is just strikes me in awe, this entire rhythm has me moving and the acoustic piece that follows it after is one of those flawless transitions that just really sucks you in. Then at about five minutes and forty seconds the bass starts going and a crazy ol only-Opeth beat ensues. I mean Im not sure how many other bands can pull this off. To play such light pieces like this acoustic piece in the middle of this song. Its so serious, and its not being mellow to do much else besides explore a spectrum. Then the song goes screeching back to a thunderous tremolo-filled riff. I think I can hear the celtic frost influence here. Definitely Swedish, thats for sure
And this song has always had a great closing beat that I still like listening to.
The Apostle in Triumph: Jeez, I LOVE this intro, I just LOVE it. I really got pissed once when I was looking for the tab to this song, and I read at the top of the tab and it said that it didnt consider that first minutes apart of the song since the real song starts later. I was like FUCK! Anyway I can tab shit myself, just helps me to compare and contrast with another view, oh well. The intro is amazing and gets me really moving when Im stoned. I think I really understood that Opeth was my favorite band when I even chose to listen to an Opeth album over some puppetz or lightning from metallica.
I popped in Opeth more than my In Flames, and it became all I listened to. I think this song really helped me do that. Theres a piece in this song that just had me hanging on its every move. Theres a nice beat at four minutes that you can keep moving to, and even sing to if you know the lyrics. The surrounding skies are one! Torn apart by the phenomenon of lightning. Anyway that part that I find very hypnotic is getting built up with other riffs. At first their rumbling and dark, and then it just goes straight into it. Theres a real funny effect. Its the piece that starts at seven minutes and thirty seconds. Its just got this nice foreign beat to it, I almost wanna say its an eastern beat. Anyway this song is all together bad-ass!
And I know I didnt go over the instrumentals, but fuckit I like those too, but the songs are what Im really interested in. Anyway this is my take on Orchid, hopefully Ill post up details on each album later, and hopefully even the LIVE experience
Anyway I think itd be interesting to say what you think about this album in detail, feel free to do so
Im not sure how I first really heard about Opeth. I mean I remember it was somewhere on the internet. I had just started listening to Swedish metal with In Flames for few months in the summer of 2000. Later in the fall I came across the name of Opeth. I didnt remember much exept that they were a Swedish band. I was curious enough to try and download it. In Flames had changed my perspective on metal, so I was hoping to find more music like it that might expand my musicical horizon.
I think the first song I downloaded was Face of Melinda. I know I downloaded these three in the beginning: Face of Melinda, Godheads Lament, and Advent. So I started listening to those three songs. For a while it was just Advent, and I really liked it, it had some sorta old school groove that I really liked. I kept it in my listening rotation just like with every other band on my playlist, but then something happened. I started getting more of Opeths songs, and I started having them in a constant rotation. And then one day I actually listened to Face of Melinda. I think I was doing homework, like when I used to listen to music back in high school. And I stopped and listened at that part at the end it was just so hypnotic and full of emotion, that really grabbed me. Pretty soon I got all their albums, and started listening to them that way, just albums and not skipping around. When I started listening to Still Life I found The Moor, and later Demon of the Fall.
A few months later I had become accustomed to the entire catologue of all that what was Opeth at the time (which went up to Blackwater Park). Its been about three years now and Ive never stopped listening. and Ive seen them once which was January of this year at San Franciscos The Pound. It was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. I was front row, got to shake Peters and Mikaels hands, and I have two of their guitar picks, too. Anyway Opeth is definitely my favorite band, though I listen to a lot of music, mostly metal, or most genres of metal (except pop).
Well since Ive listened to all this music all this time, I guess I just wanna say thanks. I feel Ive found the greatest music in the world and it really touches me, so heres what I love about all of Opeths songs starting with the Orchid album.
ORCHID
(edited for easier reading: mostly just cut paragraphs in two)...
In the Mist she was Standing: I had heard this song after Forest of October Im pretty sure. At first I just thought it was a pretty kool song, but nothing special. I still think it has a pretty upbeat metal intro, but like in a cynical way. And then comes in his scratching and growling voice, just cutting in with guitars that I almost wanna say are liquid, and the beat is just moving and flowing, like your running somewhere. At four minutes theres a piece with the acoustic guitar and then that rumbling rhythm, Mikaels grim screams are followed by a screeching guitar. I mean that whole part has a real old school sound, like classic rock almost. Except the chord progressions is a lot darker and in minor keys. I mean these rhythms are pretty wacky and Im pretty sure some (if not most) arent in 4:4 (at least I think, havent really researched it). The piece at about six and a half minutes, has this chilling forshadowing, if it were a soundtrack to a film, the film would be very dark, monochromatic, and grainy.
At about eight minutes this rolling double pedal beat comes in and its just a perfect headbanging beat. And then it goes back to one of the first beats, transitioning into an even darker riff. And she spoke! Once and FOREVER!! I think if there was any point where I didnt care for growls, it was truly challenged here. Truthfully even when I started listening to Opeth, eventhough I had been listening to In Flames at the time, I still didnt care for growls. It was definitely Opeth that changed that for me, especially with the Still Life album, which Ill get to later. Anyway this song doesnt strike me as one of Opeths more complex works, but I still like it a lot and is really just a good old metal jam to throw on when you feel like something like that. And for me thats all the time, so its defnitely a good thing.
Under the Weeping Moon: Man this intro is really interesting. Reminds me of something Spanishy, I guess its the Spanish guitar (nylon string, at least thats what I played this song on when I learned it). This song really starts to get into that signature Opeth strumming, or at least what I feel is signature Opeth strumming, I think I get this idea from playing Opeth so much on my guitar. Its just this strumming style, that I havent really seen in metal at all, its what makes this song Opeth. Unique to this song though, is one of the better acoustic interludes, at about three minutes. Its got all these creepy sounds in the background, volume swells and what not. I think its when you listen to these sorts of interludes that you start to understand what Opeth thinks about time. And when at first you might have been against that, or at least didnt like it, you started to fall into it.
I think I can remember a time listening to this track, with this acoustic interlude, just lying on my bed with some headphones, in the dark, or at least my eyes were closed. And after about three or four minutes a rolling drum beat comes in and is followed by these screeching guitars. The voice is grim and screaming, this is indeed a dark beat, an old school evil Opeth beat so-to-speak. Then its followed by something else, I mean just a really really odd riff, I want to say it crosses some genres, just hard to think which ones, they seem so foreign. Then a soft acoustic and mellow clearn vocal piece. This is the sort of acoustics I was sorta hoping Opeth would explore more with, its very dark and moody, and it goes just about anywhere. I mean I still liked Damnation, but this stuff is still amazing and I hope they dont completey abandon this part of their style.
Forest of October: This is quite possibly one of the first Opeth favorites amongst the fans, thats for sure. Although I was pretty ignorant about the entire Opeth scene until earlier this year. Anyway I love the intro, I remember reading an interview where Mikael said he wanted to make the most evil music ever, or maybe now that I think about it, it was on the main Opeth site in the bio section, dont quite remember Anyway I think he really had that in mind when he first wrote this song, and he probably wrote it with Peter, not sure though. Anyway this song is a classic. When I first heard it I just couldnt help but like it, its got a great balance of mellow and evil-riffage that makes up the old school sound of Opeth. I mean this is one of those pieces that just pushes Opeth forward and out of the crowd. This song being thirteen minutes, it also shows that they dont give a shit about how long the track is.
t first, I had always thought the 90s had crappy music, and that my generation was deprived of having a great someone that we could be proud of and tell our kids I grew up during then. But instead the world was flooded with crap music, no band or artist was doing anything new, just copying whatever worked or made them more attractive to teenage girls who watch mtv. Unlike my father who grew up listening to CCR, The Doors, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Heart, Tom Petty. I mean, you see that? And then theres people who grew up in the 80s and their like yea I got Ride the Lightning when it first came out And you know, I had none of that. But I think all thats changed now. Definitely the Swedish metal scene, but really Opeth is the best, and my favorite. This is one of those things that I think I can give to my kid when hes growing up. And Ill like to see if he can ever top me with a great band from his time
The Twilight is My Robe: Just starts up loud and grand, with a beat I want to describe as crying. A rolling bass and Mikaels vocals come in clean. But then the drums take over and hes starts growling. At three minutes theres this riff that is just strikes me in awe, this entire rhythm has me moving and the acoustic piece that follows it after is one of those flawless transitions that just really sucks you in. Then at about five minutes and forty seconds the bass starts going and a crazy ol only-Opeth beat ensues. I mean Im not sure how many other bands can pull this off. To play such light pieces like this acoustic piece in the middle of this song. Its so serious, and its not being mellow to do much else besides explore a spectrum. Then the song goes screeching back to a thunderous tremolo-filled riff. I think I can hear the celtic frost influence here. Definitely Swedish, thats for sure
And this song has always had a great closing beat that I still like listening to.The Apostle in Triumph: Jeez, I LOVE this intro, I just LOVE it. I really got pissed once when I was looking for the tab to this song, and I read at the top of the tab and it said that it didnt consider that first minutes apart of the song since the real song starts later. I was like FUCK! Anyway I can tab shit myself, just helps me to compare and contrast with another view, oh well. The intro is amazing and gets me really moving when Im stoned. I think I really understood that Opeth was my favorite band when I even chose to listen to an Opeth album over some puppetz or lightning from metallica.
I popped in Opeth more than my In Flames, and it became all I listened to. I think this song really helped me do that. Theres a piece in this song that just had me hanging on its every move. Theres a nice beat at four minutes that you can keep moving to, and even sing to if you know the lyrics. The surrounding skies are one! Torn apart by the phenomenon of lightning. Anyway that part that I find very hypnotic is getting built up with other riffs. At first their rumbling and dark, and then it just goes straight into it. Theres a real funny effect. Its the piece that starts at seven minutes and thirty seconds. Its just got this nice foreign beat to it, I almost wanna say its an eastern beat. Anyway this song is all together bad-ass!
And I know I didnt go over the instrumentals, but fuckit I like those too, but the songs are what Im really interested in. Anyway this is my take on Orchid, hopefully Ill post up details on each album later, and hopefully even the LIVE experience
Anyway I think itd be interesting to say what you think about this album in detail, feel free to do so
