Yet another question, Dan...

[Demilich]

I searched (not too extensively) to see if this had been covered before, but as I didn't find anything, I figured it was worth a shot. Feel free to mock me if you don't feel like answering the question. I was just listening to "In Mist She Was Standing" by Opeth, and it came to mind that you produced their first two albums. My question is, have you been keeping up to date with their work since then? What do you think of it? For one, I wish it was you in the role of Steven Wilson right now. Since I've started listening to your softer stuff, such as Nightingale, I've come to much prefer your voice to his. So, if you've been listening, what do you think of their work since you departed from the role? And why was it that you didn't continue to produce their albums?

 

[Dan Swanö]

To be honest with you. I haven't really liked anything from Opeth since after Orchid (And bits of the 2nd album) I have tried to get into all their stuff, but it's not "pop" enough for me. Even in the most brutal stuff I need a hook and Opeth's music is not very hooky. The twinguitar style of the first album is totally gone and that's what I liked. The songs from the 1st album had grown thru endless years of rehearsals but the later stuff just doesn't have the "ageing" and the grim flow of the first album

 

[The Grand Design]

That's a reply I wouldn't expect. But I do see what you mean, Edge Of Sanity does have a very up beat sound to it. e.g. the end of the song "Twilight". And Opeth isn't really like that.

 

[Timmeth]

Say what you will, but Blackwater Park is their best release.

 

[Demilich]

I've loved everything by Opeth since the end of last year, and only gotten into Dan's stuff this past week, really. Before that, I'd heard Crimson a couple of times, and Hell Is Where The Heart Is by EoS. That's all. And I have to admit, Dan's stuff has a very different style to it. I recently played Nightingale's "Revival" to my girlfriend and she seemed to think it was similar in style to Opeth's softer music. I guess they're both progressive in a sense, but beyond that, I don't hear any similarity. I agree with you Dan about Opeth's music being quite different lately. I just got into Orchid recently, but now tracks like In Mist She Was Standing, Forest of October, Under the Weeping Moon and The Twilight Is My Robe sound to me their best work, though not the most musically complex. I like the concepts of MAYH and Still Life, and the music is great, but it lacks something of what Dan's work has to it. Something I can't really put a finger on yet, but it's something I like a lot. In the past year, nothing's drawn me away from Opeth until I started listening to EoS and Nightingale. I have worlds of Swano music left to discover, and I will buy as much as I can as soon as I have the money.

P.S. Dan, do you still talk to Mike at all? I was a bit dissapointed at his lack of involvement in Crimson II.

 

[Metal88]

Morningrise was their best. =)

@IamEternal -- Dan did cover the reason mike was in Crimson 2, he would cost a lot of money. To me, mike wasn't essential at all anyways, I think the new guy dan found to do the screeching vocals was more fitting. He kicked ass. =)

 

[Frost-Shatraug]

To be honest with you. I haven't really liked anything from Opeth since after Orchid (And bits of the 2nd album) I have tried to get into all their stuff, but it's not "pop" enough for me. Even in the most brutal stuff I need a hook and Opeth's music is not very hooky. The twinguitar style of the first album is totally gone and that's what I liked. The songs from the 1st album had grown thru endless years of rehearsals but the later stuff just doesn't have the "ageing" and the grim flow of the first album

I can understand the comment about the maturation of the early Opeth songs of Orchid, and even Morningrise. Those songs had been with Mike for quite a while it seems. I can also say that I miss the twin lead guitaring of Orchid. Morningrise trended away from that style, but still had that sort of influence. By My Arms, Your Hearse, it was pretty much gone.

But I guess I can't understand how you're not getting 'hooked', as you said, by their music. After reading the Bloodbath thread, I'm wondering if you don't like Mikael's vocals? I guess being a vocalist yourself, you can have some sort of inside knowledge of the situation that most of us don't. To me, and I'm sure to many people, Opeth's music is quite catchy. After listening to Edge of Sanity, Pan-Thy-Monium, Katatonia and the endless projects you've been associated with, Opeth doesn't quite fit that profile. I guess I'd just like some more of your insight as to why you're not a fan of their style.

 

[Vertigo]

Whoa, didnt expect to see that kinda response from you Dan. Its great you gave your true feelings though. I kinda know what you mean, to me its kinda opposite. I love their twin guitar attack in the first 2 albums and Im pissed that they dont do that anymore; but I think their current songs have more of a hook in them.

Metal88, can you point me to the thread where Dan mentions Mikes involvement in Crimson II? Also, why would it be expensive to have Mike on the album?

 

[starchildo@aol.com]

I personally agree with you Dan. I have never been too much of an opeth fan since their music sounds listless, with alot of wandering riffs that dont quite go anywhere. They are excellent musicians and I do own some of the albums but my favorite of theirs is the first and this new accoustic one "Damnation".

 

[Nefilim]

Still Life is by far my Opeth-favourite, but I have to agree that they can be a bit hard to "get"... like someone said, they're missing the hooks, which makes it hard to get into the albums. They take a lot of listening before coming to their full right, IMO. Although I prefer EoS anytime over Opeth, they have always been a much stronger act methinks. Though that is probably much due to the fact that I've been listening to EoS for much longer... the first time I heard EoS I don't think Opeth even had a record-deal... Well, I'm back to my essay-writing now, if anyone feels like explaining Foucault's theory of power and resistance, feel free to do so, since I am way to tired to understand Jack Schitt of what I'm reading.

 

[manuelgv]

I agree with people here,I think that after Morningrise Opeth changed their style a lot and their latest deliveries have been...well...crap.

The new lyrics are just senseless,Mikael's voice is just another instrument now,the lyrics have lost their depth and their beauty,they are just there to fill the voids.

IMO of course

 

[Static]

Yes, I must say that the lyrics to Deliverance were pretty crap, but Damnation had decent ones imo.

 

[Firefest9]

Im going to go against the grain here on this opeth subject. I am a fan of the band, but i think their best work was MAYH! it was the most catchy IMO-some of the best melody lines ever put onto tape. I was dissapointed with blackwater park the most!!! still life is good, but not on par with MAYH. I like deliverance, but cant get into Damnation. The thing about opeth is that an all accoustic album totally wipes away the reason that opeth are so good, and thats dynamics. When they blend those accoustic passages with the heavy parts, thats what makes their music unique.

 

[Spike]

Say what you will, but Blackwater Park is their best release.

OK.

You're WRONG!

I can understand the comment about the maturation of the early Opeth songs of Orchid, and even Morningrise. Those songs had been with Mike for quite a while it seems. I can also say that I miss the twin lead guitaring of Orchid. Morningrise trended away from that style, but still had that sort of influence. By My Arms, Your Hearse, it was pretty much gone.

But I guess I can't understand how you're not getting 'hooked', as you said, by their music. After reading the Bloodbath thread, I'm wondering if you don't like Mikael's vocals? I guess being a vocalist yourself, you can have some sort of inside knowledge of the situation that most of us don't. To me, and I'm sure to many people, Opeth's music is quite catchy. After listening to Edge of Sanity, Pan-Thy-Monium, Katatonia and the endless projects you've been associated with, Opeth doesn't quite fit that profile. I guess I'd just like some more of your insight as to why you're not a fan of their style.

'Catchy' would imply that you can get into a band in the first spin or two, without ever having heard any of their work before. This is VERY hard to achieve with music that isn't overly 'energetic', as is the case with Opeth. EoS music on the other hand, picks you up in the opening chord and refuses to let you go until the end of the last song, THIS would come alot closer to qualifying as 'catchy'.

Im going to go against the grain here on this opeth subject. I am a fan of the band, but i think their best work was MAYH! it was the most catchy IMO-some of the best melody lines ever put onto tape. I was dissapointed with blackwater park the most!!! still life is good, but not on par with MAYH. I like deliverance, but cant get into Damnation. The thing about opeth is that an all accoustic album totally wipes away the reason that opeth are so good, and thats dynamics. When they blend those accoustic passages with the heavy parts, thats what makes their music unique.

Listen to this man.

 

[manuelgv]

Im going to go against the grain here on this opeth subject. I am a fan of the band, but i think their best work was MAYH! it was the most catchy IMO-some of the best melody lines ever put onto tape. I was dissapointed with blackwater park the most!!! still life is good, but not on par with MAYH.

I agree with all this,I preffer MAYH sometimes over Morningrise because of nostalgia cause it was my first Opeth cd.But BWP is the one I dislike the most,except for Bleak which is one of their best songs ever.