Written by Elio on 28.06.2011 at 17:46

but would you consider it a bad album?

Standing on it's own, it's probably 7-8 material. Compared to everything else they've done... It's 5-6.

I pray that the new album wont be all clean vocals... I dont mind them, but if an entire album is I will probably only get 5 minutes in before I want to fall asleep.

Here you go, the full Sonisphere show in 5 Youtube videos + an interview with Mendez. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=160537

Written by Zealot644 on 29.06.2011 at 18:57

I pray that the new album wont be all clean vocals... I dont mind them, but if an entire album is I will probably only get 5 minutes in before I want to fall asleep.

Opeth should have put much more emphasis on clean vocals a long time ago. Some songs on Watershed simply beg for more clean singing. I sincerely hope that Michael Akerfeldt already realised how limited growling is. He is such a versatile singer that he is probably able to sing clearly in quite a few ways, replacing 90% of growls.
Too much growling spoils such complex and erudite music.

Mendez said in a recent interview at Sonisphere that there are no growls on the new album, if people are still having doubts about it.

Written by BloodTears on 14.07.2011 at 19:56

Mendez said in a recent interview at Sonisphere that there are no growls on the new album, if people are still having doubts about it.

No growls? Now THAT is a stupdi move. Because Akerfeldt's growls are amongst the strongest there are and much better than his clean vocals.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 14.07.2011 at 20:08

Written by BloodTears on 14.07.2011 at 19:56

Mendez said in a recent interview at Sonisphere that there are no growls on the new album, if people are still having doubts about it.

No growls? Now THAT is a stupdi move. Because Akerfeldt's growls are amongst the strongest there are and much better than his clean vocals.

We are alone in this opinion buddy.
One clean-vocals-album (no matter how good it is) is enough imo.


Let's hope it will be heavy anyway. My expectations: low.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 14.07.2011 at 20:08

Written by BloodTears on 14.07.2011 at 19:56

Mendez said in a recent interview at Sonisphere that there are no growls on the new album, if people are still having doubts about it.

No growls? Now THAT is a stupdi move. Because Akerfeldt's growls are amongst the strongest there are and much better than his clean vocals.

I wouldn't say better than his clean vocals for me, but on par definitely.

But if their new album will be kinda a rock/bluesy Road Salt One type of thing, that doesn't surprise me at all.

Opeth ... new Anathema or Åkerfelt going old?

I love his growls in eraly werry early albums , but I also like his celan vox, its same liike Mikeal Stanne I love both, but somehow I lil voried how lame new Opeth can turn . I hope not to MDB or even worst Anathema scenario

Written by Bad English on 14.07.2011 at 20:40

Opeth ... new Anathema or Åkerfelt going old?

I love his growls in eraly werry early albums , but I also like his celan vox, its same liike Mikeal Stanne I love both, but somehow I lil voried how lame new Opeth can turn . I hope not to MDB or even worst Anathema scenario

Actually Road Salt One was Pain of Salvation's last album.

Written by Daniell on 14.07.2011 at 13:23

Written by Zealot644 on 29.06.2011 at 18:57

I pray that the new album wont be all clean vocals... I dont mind them, but if an entire album is I will probably only get 5 minutes in before I want to fall asleep.

Opeth should have put much more emphasis on clean vocals a long time ago. Some songs on Watershed simply beg for more clean singing. I sincerely hope that Michael Akerfeldt already realised how limited growling is. He is such a versatile singer that he is probably able to sing clearly in quite a few ways, replacing 90% of growls.
Too much growling spoils such complex and erudite music.

It's all opinions really, but if he can do both I say he should.

Heard about there being no growls through Storm Corrosion's Facebook page (Akerfeldt and Wilson band, but the page is done by a contact of theirs). Just have to wait and see...

I'm more excited about the Opeth concert in December, than about Wacken! lol

It's such a pleasure seeing them live.

To be fair this new album is going to be of a more progressive style anyway so the growling would fit in less and less with their music. In recent times Mikael has really been namedropping some of the better 70's prog rock bands (in that Sonisphere video for instance he is wearing a Comus t-shirt) so I really expect it to go more along those lines than Damnation Part. II

Written by PlagueAndFyre on 17.07.2011 at 14:00

To be fair this new album is going to be of a more progressive style anyway so the growling would fit in less and less with their music. In recent times Mikael has really been namedropping some of the better 70's prog rock bands (in that Sonisphere video for instance he is wearing a Comus t-shirt) so I really expect it to go more along those lines than Damnation Part. II

Seriously? Oh damn. Damnation part I was more than enough for me. I like heavier Opeth much more...:nogood:

I've always been in two minds about the Damnation material, I would never listen to the album in its entirety, however I do feel that the songs work well live with their heavier stuff.

Written by PlagueAndFyre on 18.07.2011 at 03:58

I've always been in two minds about the Damnation material, I would never listen to the album in its entirety, however I do feel that the songs work well live with their heavier stuff.

Damnation is good for those sleepless nights.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 14.07.2011 at 20:11

We are alone in this opinion buddy.
One clean-vocals-album (no matter how good it is) is enough imo.

Let's hope it will be heavy anyway. My expectations: low.

You're not alone anymore, Dexter. I prefer growls too, in fact I like Akerfeldt's vocals to be 75% growls and 25% clean for contrast. So now we've got lame song titles, terrible artwork and no growls. And here I was, praying that Watershed was just Opeth's one not-so-good album.

I think I may have mentioned this in another thread, but people take far too much heed by song titles in the run up to an album. Although at this point, I would say that if you look some of their previous titles they have always been showing their appreciation for prog rock. Please take these two Comus lyrics for example.

"as I carry you to your grave, my arms, your hearse"

"the dim light she comes peering, through the forest pines, and she knows by the sound of the baying, by the baying of the hounds."

Titles don't always mean anything, otherwise Master's Hammer would never have released anything.

Let's check some more original Opeth album titles:

My Arms, Your Hearse - taken from a song by a prog/folk/rock band Comus
Blackwater Park - the name of a German prog band from the 70's
Watershed - out of a few definitions of the word the most suitable seems to be "an important period or factor that serves as a dividing line". It looks like Opeth told us that after "Watershed" we can expect a new direction. And, judging by those tidbits of information we are getting, "Heritage" WILL be a new direction. A more proggy, less deathy one, no doubt.

Opeth have always been a progressive band. From "Orchid" do "Still Life" they searched the best formula for their style, which, extremely successfully, was found on "Blackwater Park". "Deliverance" and "Damnation" continued what was started on "Blackwater Park", the only difference being the (not sosuccessful if you ask me) division of songs.
"Ghost Reveries" and "Weatershed" already are a turn towards the new - definitely less heavy, more keyboard-laden. It seems that "Heritage" will be a logical next step towards less "brutality" and more progression. The matter whether this is a good or bad thing is another thing entirely.

EDIT: I found this funny:

Written by Daniell on 18.07.2011 at 12:23

EDIT: I found this funny:

Dude that picture is hilarious.

I'm pretty excited for the new album!

Got one ticket for the Stockholm show in December. Can't wait for that shit to go down.

I'm going to Heavy T.O. on saturday so I'll be seeing Opeth live pretty soon. Pretty exciting since I've never really listened to any songs except the Leper Affinity, which I liked.

Written by NyarlathoTim on 19.07.2011 at 14:57

Written by Daniell on 18.07.2011 at 12:23

EDIT: I found this funny:

Dude that picture is hilarious.

Huh? There's no link there... at least not anymore.

I think people might be overreacting, expecting another Damnation. Damnation was a great album, but that was a one time experience for the band. Even if the new album is just clear vocals, who said anything about it not being metal?

As for Mikael "recently" mentioning old prog bands, that has always been his thing. He pretty much says that in this 3 minute interview. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWelbs8ElJM

The picture was a direct link, it seems to be gone now, and I can't find it anywhere.
It had a black metal dude with corpse paint, with a grim face and a caption: "No growls on Heritage? Burning all my Opeth CD's"

Written by Daniell on 25.07.2011 at 14:35

The picture was a direct link, it seems to be gone now, and I can't find it anywhere.
It had a black metal dude with corpse paint, with a grim face and a caption: "No growls on Heritage? Burning all my Opeth CD's"

You mean like this

:Burning all my Opeth CDs!

: Apparently, you're not a golfer

lol

I pre-ordered Heritage with the Making of Booklet. I wanted the one with the fuckin' coin, but it's already sold out! I suppose I'll get the vinyl in December.

Whats so good about the coin? I would much rather have the making of booklet tbh.

Written by Jirpo on 26.07.2011 at 13:22

Whats so good about the coin? I would much rather have the making of booklet tbh.

No, you get the booklet and the coin(s).

Here's The Devil's Orchard:


I'm not quite sure if i like it yet...

I already see crowds of fans outraged by this album. Where is growling, where is this, where is that? In their blind indignation they will not even notice whether the music is good or not. As for me, after 3 listens, I love this track. I will now stop listening to it so that I won't skip it while listening to the whole album, whenever I get my hands on it.