Written by Tiago Rocha on 29.09.2019 at 17:18

C'mon Mikael, enough is enough.

care to elaborate ?

Written by Theodore V on 30.09.2019 at 09:48

care to elaborate ?

Some people think that when they do not like a band's music, that band should disband. As if a band's existence was dependent on whether or not those people like that band's musical output.

Well.... I think so far this is my favorite album from the Newpeth era. Which is not saying much lol. I respect Mikael for doing what he has been doing, even if it turned one of my favorite bands to a bore fest, I can really respect his stance on music, and if the man is tired of death metal its ok. I would prefer something like Damnation every day (that album, for me, is a masterpiece), but well this seems like a small (really small) step up from previous efforts.

There're some great songs on this album. Definitely a step up from Sorceress.

EDIT: too many parts that remind me of other bands/songs though... so it's a 7, not an 8. There's a blatant rip-off of a Chris Cornell melody in "Universal Truth" for example.

The new Opeth albums for me:
1. Pale Communion - 7.5/10
2. Sorceress - 7/10
3. In Cauda Venenum - 7/10
4. Heritage - 6.5/10

I found at least 3 enjoyable tracks on each album, but they still pale in comparison to what the band is capable of, especially given that pre-Heritage Opeth is my favourite band.

Written by Theodore V on 30.09.2019 at 09:48

Written by Tiago Rocha on 29.09.2019 at 17:18

C'mon Mikael, enough is enough.

care to elaborate ?

I was obviously referring to the musical path they've been on for the past 8 years, I don't want them to disband nor anything like that, quite the opposite actually. I'm always in favour of bands who try different things and step out of their comfort zone but the truth is, Opeth excel in what they do through the way they sounded before Heritage. Opeth released Heritage and I accepted. They released Pale Communion and I accepted. They released Sorceress and I accepted. Now... well, now enough is enough. It's been 8 years of average, pale and boring prog rock venture. Some of these records have competent moments scattered here and there but overall they sound stale and offered nothing to a musical genre stuck in the 70's for some reason to begin with. These records sell because fanboys keep buying all the 541 different vinyl editions to parade proud pictures of all variants on Instagram. And this new record was issued in 2 languages, which means the double variants. Coincidence? Who know$. Plus, as each year pass by, I'm suspecting more and more due to interviews, photo shoots and the musical writing process itself that this has become a one-man band with 4 guys in the back and that Opeth the band is dead! Guess the future will tell.

Of course, all of this is only my opinion.

Written by Tiago Rocha on 30.09.2019 at 16:30

Plus, as each year pass by, I'm suspecting more and more due to interviews, photo shoots and the musical writing process itself that this has become a one-band man with 4 guys in the back and that Opeth the band is dead! Guess the future will tell.

It actually wasn't Mikael's sole decision to change direction after Watershed. He initially wrote two songs in the same vein, but Martin Mendez encouraged him to write something different instead. In that sense they're definitely not just sidekicks.

I've never minded they decided to drop the growls though, it's just the rest of the sound changed too much as well. "Allting tar slut" is vrtually the only thing on this record that has some of that same spirit they used to have up to Watershed, and it's my favorite song of theirs in the non-growls era.

Well, i´ve listened to it a few times by now, and it´s the same vibe of the three previous records basically. 70´s Prog Rock all over again. It has it´s really good moments, but others not so much. In parts, it´s a bit slow and boring. I think it´s better than the previous record "The Sorceress", but "Pale Communion" is still their best of this phase they are going through.

Highlights for me are: "Dignity", "Heart in Hand", "Lovelorn Crime", "Charlatan", "Continuum" and "All Things Will Pass"

I think Opeth is confused and lost somewhere and trying to find a way out of the crisis. This happens to every musicians and movie directors and so on. They're great musicians no doubt, but this album is just music that doesn't evoke any emotions.
P.S. It's boring too

I was a fan of only Opeth growls. When they stopped I too stopped listening more than one time of their releases. And for the first time with this I stopped half way through.

This is a magical record. My favorite "Newpeth" release.

Though I respect their decision, I was never really a fan of Newpeth. But even Sorceress I thought was okay. This album... man do I find it boring. This makes me sad

I think they're on the cusp of greatness with this new sound but this ain't it

It's been only two days, but I must admit I am addicted to Lovelorn Crime. Best song they've done in 10 years IMO.

The truth the album bored me a little I do not want to say that it is a bad album has songs that emphasize on the others

I hate what these tedious fuckers have become.

The album is better than I expected, it's really good I don't get the hate.

Although I prefer the old Opeth stuff, I actually liked the prog-rock direction. This album however, although it has some moments of great musicianship, it's boring and mediocre. It's not really Opeth, it's not really 70s rock, it's not modern prog-rock. It kinda feels like they put everything in a blender and the result is a dark meh mixture; you'll taste it, you'll think it's ok but eventually you will spit it out ;p

The gripe I have with Opeth now is not the style change, but they used to be pioneers and create masterpieces. Everything since Heritage is just a lot weaker than previous efforts.
They used to score 8-9 in album ratings but not once since Heritage has reached above 7.6

I am a really old fan.i stop listen to them after blackwatwr park because of the mainstream hype after their name.my mistake.so i listen the whole katalog again.i like both opeth periods.maybe sometimes more the new one(i am near my 40's)depend the day(my kinds driving me crazy,so the grolws isn't for my time of relaxing)BUT, the new album is weak.don't like it.i 'll try it again in few weaks.

Best 2010's Opeth album for me. Not as much filler as the previous three and the highlights are, uh, brighter. The last song especially is the first since Watershed that has managed to move me significantly.

"Charlatan" is such a shite track though, what an annoying riff.

For me it's simply boring. imho worst of the post-Watershed era. With some real wtf moments, like intro to Next of kin and entire Charlatan; like seriously, what the fuck. it has it's moments, like parts of Lovelorn crime and the last track heavy riffs, but that's far between enough to fall asleep.

By the way, can anyone explain me what the intro has to do with the rest of album? It's so random. Heritage had intro, Watershed had intro, and both were good intros to their respective albums. ICV intro is interesting in itself, but i can't see what it has to do with the rest of tracks, it's like someone was playing with mixer and thought it sounds nice, let's put it in lol.

Written by sogrom on 27.10.2019 at 23:12

By the way, can anyone explain me what the intro has to do with the rest of album? It's so random. Heritage had intro, Watershed had intro, and both were good intros to their respective albums. ICV intro is interesting in itself, but i can't see what it has to do with the rest of tracks, it's like someone was playing with mixer and thought it sounds nice, let's put it in lol.

Seems they just wanted to write a Popol Vuh kind of song as intro to their shows. They played the first show of the tour yesterday and replaced the usual From Pain To Heaven for this song.

Written by Unhealer on 29.10.2019 at 04:37

Written by sogrom on 27.10.2019 at 23:12

By the way, can anyone explain me what the intro has to do with the rest of album? It's so random. Heritage had intro, Watershed had intro, and both were good intros to their respective albums. ICV intro is interesting in itself, but i can't see what it has to do with the rest of tracks, it's like someone was playing with mixer and thought it sounds nice, let's put it in lol.

Seems they just wanted to write a Popol Vuh kind of song as intro to their shows. They played the first show of the tour yesterday and replaced the usual From Pain To Heaven for this song.

Ok i see it now, thanks. My favourite intro is from Lamentations.

Their brand of prog rock on here just doesn't click with me for the most part. There are some good sections that make me think that they've caught a moment of inspiration in their songwriting but as a whole I feel like it's lacking in identity.

Mikael is an incredible musician nonetheless and I respect their new direction since Heritage; they've released enough albums prior to that to cement their name as a pioneer of progressive death metal.