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New Opeth album
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Author:  robmartino [ Tue Sep 27, 2011 12:07 pm ]
Post subject:  New Opeth album
Anyone check out the new Opeth album Heritage?

I find it quite fascinating, a wonderfully produced and powerful album that is an interesting stylistic departure for the band- they've completely abandoned the death metal vocals and chugging guitar riffs and gone for a more 70s vintage progressive rock sound. The large dynamic contrasts and dark brooding atmosphere the band is known for are still there but in a somewhat different context.

To me it's by far their best album- a lot of metal fans seem disappointed by it but I find the music much more "open" and organic sounding without the rigid, machine gun death metal elements. Rhythmically they seem to be at a whole other level, with even a subtle jazz aesthetic to their approach now. The arrangements are very well done emotionally powerful.

You can really hear in the production the earthy nature of using real mechanical instruments (hammond organs, mellotrons, vintage guitar gear) and the care taken to not over-produce and compress everything- Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree, also remixed the King Crimson catalog) did a really nice job, bringing out a lot of warm detail and dynamics. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the album was not mastered particularly loud- there is more room for the music to "breathe".

It really grows on you with repeat listens, and is quickly becoming a favorite.

You can stream the album here on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/11/140288664 ... h-heritage

Image
Author:  randy [ Tue Sep 27, 2011 12:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Opeth album
I was just given a free ticket to their upcoming show in Austin
I've never really listened to them much but looking forward to seeing them live
Author:  grozoeil [ Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Opeth album
Yes I did, and I think this album is one of the poorest they did. I've listened to it maybe 20 or 30 times for a week. There are some nice tunes, but on the whole, I'm quite disappointed with it : we left a band that succeed in blending harshness and beauty quite nicely, and now we just have mainstream 70's prog rock band, as they are tons around here. I think I'm going to be fired here to think this way... ;)
Author:  robmartino [ Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Opeth album
grozoeil wrote:
Yes I did, and I think this album is one of the poorest they did. I've listened to it maybe 20 or 30 times for a week. There are some nice tunes, but on the whole, I'm quite disappointed with it : we left a band that succeed in blending harshness and beauty quite nicely, and now we just have mainstream 70's prog rock band, as they are tons around here. I think I'm going to be fired here to think this way... ;)

No problem- I respect your opinion and see why some people might regard Heritage that way! The band certainly accepted that this album would divide fans. I simply disagree that it's a typical 70s prog rock album- it still sounds very much like Opeth, just less brutal and more sonically and rhythmically interesting.

I'm ambivalent about many of the more popular prog bands like Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Transatlantic, Spock's Beard etc but find Opeth (especially this newest one) to be quite refreshing actually, but I realize a lot of it depends on the listener's context. :)

I listened to their Ghost Reveries album after immersing myself in Heritage to give myself a new perspective, and while I would consider GR the pinnace of their metal albums, I found it too rigid and overproduced in comparison to Heritage, a lot of that having to do with the "metal" constraints (the machine gun drumming, heavy compression, etc). Heritage has more detail and subtlety to my ears.
Author:  grozoeil [ Tue Sep 27, 2011 3:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Opeth album
OK. Do you know their whole discography? If not, try to have a listen to Still Life ;)
Well, if I put my thoughts in other words, I'd say that Heritage is a wonderful Ackerfeldt solo album, but not an Opeth's. ;)
Author:  grozoeil [ Tue Sep 27, 2011 3:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Opeth album
Having said that, I have some tickets to see them again live next november :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I saw them 4 times, the first being an opening act for the "Dusk and her Embrace" Cradle of Filth tour :mrgreen: (Opeth was touring to promote their second album I think, it was in 1996 I guess), and then, I attended some shows for the Blackwater Park tour, Deliverance/Damnation tour twice (that period is often considered as the acme of their career... Oh, BTW, did I already say I'm a fan?) :mrgreen:
Author:  metalken [ Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Opeth album
Every time Opeth comes up in a discussion, I feel the urge to point people over to the (IMO) far superior Akercocke from Britain:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKMKoIqD_hM[/youtube]

1:22 on in this song = epic
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvm2b735n0M[/youtube]


they also do what Opeth never does:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygf_3libZpk[/youtube]
Death Metal at 260 BPM
Author:  locks [ Mon Oct 24, 2011 6:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New Opeth album
metalken wrote:
Every time Opeth comes up in a discussion, I feel the urge to point people over to the (IMO) far superior Akercocke from Britain:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKMKoIqD_hM[/youtube]

1:22 on in this song = epic
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvm2b735n0M[/youtube]


they also do what Opeth never does:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygf_3libZpk[/youtube]
Death Metal at 260 BPM


that last track is exactly why I wouldn't listen to such a band for more than 2mins.
different people, different strokes!
Author:  grozoeil [ Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New Opeth album
I never found Ackercocke that interesting, and I can hardly find some things in common with Opeth :oops: Maybe I should give it a listen once again.
If some of us like Opeth, I would highly recommend that one from their swedish mates :
http://www.deezer.com/fr/music/katatonia/night-is-the-new-day-special-tour-edition-1163867
They're touring US clubs right now, and it seems to be a success if I believe the regular updates of their FB page.
Author:  metalken [ Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Opeth album
The thing they have in common is their progressive, drawn out structures, and combining extreme metal (death metal and black metal) with 'regular' singing, acoustic guitar parts and the like. Akercocke, to me is more interesting, because they're more liberal with their use of death metal and black metal as a whole, whereas Opeth just kinda has harsh vocals over their slightly heavier parts. Plus, Akercocke is more experimental on some fronts than Opeth -- for example using death metal drums mixed with completely clean, undistorted guitar and excellent clean singing. Also, Opeth don't have overtly satanic and explicitly sexual lyrics. That's all relative though :lol:

FWIW, I strongly prefer Mikael Akerfeldt's & Martin Axenrot' other band, Bloodbath, with their blatant Morbid Angel worship:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHu86Gr2RC8[/youtube]

locks wrote:
that last track is exactly why I wouldn't listen to such a band for more than 2mins.
different people, different strokes!


You should listen to at least one of their more progressive tracks before such a quick dismissal. Your loss though.

edit: I have succeeded in making a Death Metal thread on here. Haha!
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