Yet another ignorant Opeth review...

Demonspell

cheating the polygraph
Apr 29, 2001
15,352
32
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dead between the walls
www.ultimatemetal.com
Taken from www.the-plague.com

OPETH
My Arms, Your Hearse
(Century Black)

This is Opeth's third and most acclaimed album, seemingly making fans across the spectrum of metal sub-genres, from black to death to folk to progressive. The production is as rock-solid as ever and the musicianship is top-notch, yet somehow My Arms, Your Hearse becomes more of an exercise than an enjoyable listening experience within the first few tracks.
Guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt delivers the gruff, deathly vocals that are a big part of my problem with Opeth. Some people just should not attempt this style of singing (i.e. Amorphis' old singer) and Mikael is another sad example. The clean vocals that come in from time to time are fine and help give the music more of a progressive feel, but the death rasps need to go.

The other major failing with Opeth, in my eyes, is what I believe a lot of people (including the band themselves) find the most attractive about their music: its complexity. Each song goes through enough twists and turns to make the likes of Watchtower and Dream Theater dizzy. This is great and I have love when bands can pull off intricate, epic metal tracks (Mercyful Fate, Voivod, et al), but Opeth just don't have the knack for it. The songs aren't songs, they are more collections of riffs stuck together. The threads that held together such classic metal songs as "Satan's Fall" and "Ride the Lightning" are just plain absent. The contrast from light and acoustic to brutally heavy and back again is repeated song after song. Trying to recognize a song or differentiate it from the previous one are ultimately pointless tasks, as all cover basically the same ground.

I don't want to get too down on Opeth, though, as these sins are more a matter of taste than anything and they just rub me the wrong way. Also, the various parts of each song are usually pretty cool, making Opeth the perfect band for compilations. I applaud the band for trying (and achieving) something unique in such a crowded field as metal is these days, but I think they still have a ways to go to perfect the style. Great album title, though.
 
"The songs aren't songs..."

Opeth likes to call them "movements" anyway, right? I don't think the rules how to write a piece of music were carved in stone. I like how they get from point A to B to C anyway, not just repeating the same verses and choruses over and over. Luckily he admits at the end that it's just not his cup of tea.

IMO the DT comparison is also pretty off. Most parts in an Opeth piece of music display an emotion, many DT parts just display their virtuosity. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but something different. I see the reviewer can't recognize "something different". ;)
 
I wouldnt say the review is ignorant. It would be if he would have said: 'Well the guitar players suck, they cant play their instrument'... and so on. Now that would be called a 'I have never played an instrument in my entire life' kind of reviewer.
And I guess he doesnt like the death metal vocals :p
 
You should see the new, and only bad, review someone posted on Epinions.com for Blackwater Park. In a Nutshell " I am a mainstream fan who was tricked into checking this band out cause someone told me they were awesome, but the vocals sucked so I hate this music 1star.. " The extremely funny thing about the guys review is he says that, I paraphrase, "Opeth fails to achieve the sound they are going after, I suggest you buy Type O Negative instead they are what you probably are looking for".


Incredible...why is every bad opeth review written so ignorantly?
 
It's not the worst i've seen.... the guy just has a different point of view. I think the worst reviews are the newbies who have just got into Opeth and praise every note of the album without being critical.

Of course the "tracks" don't sound like "songs". That's because they aren't. As someone else said, different movements throughout the song are designed to create different mood, although I think this guy would like BWP because its more song orientated. Also it sounds as though he's only listened to it once or twice : "Trying to recognize a song or differentiate it from the previous one are ultimately pointless tasks, as all cover basically the same ground." If you can't tell demon of the fall apart from, say, madrigal, then you shouldn't be reviewing anything.

"they still have a long way to perfect their style" yes, very true thats what i thought when I first heard the album.
 
I find this review to be more offensive than some drooling idiot at Amazon because this guy does sound professional in his writing and obviously knows his metal and has an understanding of progressive music, yet makes comments about Opeth that indicate a death metal bias, a short attention span, and worst of all complete disrespect and naive judgement for their songwriting style
 
With some of the negative reviews of Blackwater Park made mostly by mainstream followers I have decided to post a POSITIVE review of Blackwater Park that I found. You are going to love this.

What kind of adjectives can I use that would describe Opeth; brilliant, dazzling, intelligent, intellectual or even beautiful? In the end these are all words that have been used before in any number of reviews and I believe they still don’t adequately express the musical mastery that is Opeth. I am a new follower to the band as this was the first album from them I had purchased but the very moment I finished listening to this I was online ordering the entire back catalogue.

There are various stages you go through when listening to a Opeth album as I found out listening to Blackwater Park for the first time.



Appreciation – "Alright this band is good but what is all the hype about?"
Denial – "I bet this album has a few songs that aren’t that good."
Stupidity – "Man, ten minute songs? I bet they will start to repeat themselves and seem to drag."
Ignorance – "I bet if I had the time and didn’t have to actually work for a living I could write like this."
Realization – "Who the hell am I kidding? There is no way outside of divine intervention I could write songs like this."
Jealousy – "Man I suck at writing music. No wonder I work in a factory. I bet they sold their soul to the devil to be able to get this type of talent. They are all probably gay or have some horrible disfiguring disease or something."
Approval – "Damn, this band just kicks some serious ass!"
Admiration – "I’m not worthy! I’m not worthy! I’m not worthy!" (Add falling to your knees and doing your best Wayne and Garth impression)
Bliss – "." (Your significant other walks into the room at the end of the CD and tells you to quit staring at the stereo like a moron and to close your mouth because you are starting to drool on the furniture.)
If you can’t tell by now I kind of liked this album a little. From the opening track "The Leper Affinity" to the closing title track "Blackwater Park" this CD grabs your attention and takes you for a musical ride that you won’t soon forget. The brilliance is forged by Michael Akerfeldt (vocals and guitars), Peter Lindgren (guitars), Martin Lopez (drums) and Martin Mendez (bass).

For those not familiar with Opeth I sincerely feel sorry for you. Oh yeah this is a review you may want some information. Opeth to me sounds like…. ummm….ahhhh….well kinda like….ummmm. There is nothing that I can compare this band to. They are in a class all by themselves that defies you to make comparisons. Technically speaking you could say they play progressive metal with alternating death and clean vocals but that just doesn’t convey the heartfelt emotion that shines through not only in the vocal delivery but also through the music itself. This is plain and simple some of the very best music I have ever had the good fortune of listening to and I just can’t wait to get that order to hear the rest of their music. I feel as though I already know what to expect and I am positive that I will love every minute of it.

TRACK BY TRACK

What the hell are you doing still reading?!? Go buy this album already!!!

RATINGS

I don’t care if it is the middle of the night! Wait out front until the damn store opens! No money?!? I don’t care if you have to sell you Nana into slavery, buy this album NOW!!!

P.S. My Nana was not sold into slavery for the benefit of the purchase of this CD or it’s subsequent review. Thank you and good bye.

Mystophales

Xdragonx@prodigy.net
 
Originally posted by Demonspell
I find this review to be more offensive than some drooling idiot at Amazon because this guy does sound professional in his writing and obviously knows his metal and has an understanding of progressive music, yet makes comments about Opeth that indicate a death metal bias, a short attention span, and worst of all complete disrespect and naive judgement for their songwriting style

I must disagree with you here. I think this guy IS professional in his writing and knows his music. He admits he has a bias against deaht-metal vocals and shows clearly that he likes shorter songs more than long ones. And by all means, his disrespect is NOT complete and his judgement NOT naive regarding their songwriting. As it has been pointed out, his views regarding Opeth-songs are rather similar to those of Mikael Åkerfeldt himself - the difference being that the reviewer does not like what Opeth does (and he admits it openly).

The main thing in the review, however, is that he recognizes the unique style of Opeth and RESPECTS it, although it is not his cup of tea. Opeth does not fit with his taste, but he does not judge anyone who likes Opeth. I think this was one of the best (if not the best) negative Opeth-review.

And furthermore, I think the problem is more with you, Demonspell, and others like you - you can't accept it that an intelligent person (like the one who wrote the review apparently is) can dislike something that you like. You know, it does not make you look any foolish, for it is - after all - just a matter of taste.

-Villain
 
Opeth is like Jazz in that it does not fit a set mold..it moves all over the place. If you do not like that, I can see why you would not like Opeth.
 
I don't agree with the review, but, my wife came to the same conclusion when she heard Opeth. She listens to all kinds of music, and likes metal also. Granted, she is turned off by growling, but her comment to me was the songs didn't flow. They seemed pieced together.

I believe people who reach this conclusion listen to mainstream music, and don't have a musical ability to decipher sophisticated music.