Opeth

[staveoffzombies]

Any fans? Progressive death metal band from Sweden...tied with Dream Theater as my favorite band...anyone familiar with them?

 

[Desdinova]

Yeah, I find some of their earlier stuff pretty boring, but a terrific band for sure. "Godhead's Lament" is such a wonderful song.

 

[Dejeray]

excellent A+ band. Currently one of my favorites in fact.
I own both Ghost Reveries and Blackwater Park which are equally as great.

 

[ack44]

They're pretty good.

 

[Nienor]

I've only really listened to Damnation, but it's pretty awesome

 

[Chrome]

^^^yeah, too bad thats not the best representation of their overall sound. 'tis amazing still.

I've known about Opeth for awhile, but never really listened to them (even though i have all of their albums on my computer), until pretty recently, but since then, i've taken alot of inspiration from their works.

Defenitely a grade-A band, and i liken them to the Dream Theater of Death metal

 

[Nienor]

^^^yeah, too bad thats not the best representation of their overall sound. 'tis amazing still.

I've heard some of their other albums, I just don't like the screaming/growling vocals. I like them clean But they are good, and if I could get past that, I'd listen to a lot more of their stuff

 

[Citanul]

I've heard some of their other albums, I just don't like the screaming/growling vocals. I like them clean But they are good, and if I could get past that, I'd listen to a lot more of their stuff

It's the same with me - I'm not a fan of death vocals, and so the only Opeth album I have is Damnation. Now if only they'd do a full-out metal album with just clean vocals...

 

[staveoffzombies]

I love the growling vocals..they take some getting used to, but when you DO get used to them it opens up an enormous world of metal.

 

[Citanul]

but when you DO get used to them it opens up an enormous world of metal.

Maybe, but there's an enormous world of metal out there without growling vocals. I've tried bands with growling vocals on more than one occasion, and while I don't mind them as an occasional effect, it's not for me. So for that reason, I'm going to stay away from Opeth unless they put out another all-clean album.

 

[Opethian]

Well, as you can probably see from my name, Opeth are my favorite band, and have been for quite some years. I have all of their albums and all of them are masterpieces, except for maybe Damnation (a bit too boring, not much relistening value, but nice from time to time).
As for people not liking the growled vocals, I think it's just a matter of opening yourself up to them and getting used to them. Just look at it this way: you've probably been listening to music without growled vocals for most of your life, don't you think it's normal that at first it sounds unnatural and unpleasant? Really, just bear with it and you'll see that after a while you'll start to enjoy it, and in the end, like me, you will start to realise the music would never be as good without them. It adds another dimension of intensity, variety, dynamics, and passion. And even if you don't manage to ever really like them, the music is too good to be passed up for just the vocals alone, and half the time Mikael is singing clean anyway. Also, besides Damnation, all of their albums, excluding Orchid, contain at least one song that is sung completely clean (often the guitars are also completely clean), so you might want to search for some mp3s like "A Fair Judgment", "To Bid You Farewell", "Face Of Melinda", "Harvest", "Benighted", "Credence", "Still Day Beneath The Sun", "Patterns In The Ivy Pt. 2", "Hours Of Wealth" etc...
The combination of growled and clean vocals is simply the best of both worlds. As for my favorite album, I would have to say, it sometimes changes, but the one that had the biggest impact on me is My Arms, Your Hearse. I started off with Blackwater Park.

 

[Citanul]

As for people not liking the growled vocals, I think it's just a matter of opening yourself up to them and getting used to them. Just look at it this way: you've probably been listening to music without growled vocals for most of your life, don't you think it's normal that at first it sounds unnatural and unpleasant? Really, just bear with it and you'll see that after a while you'll start to enjoy it

I'm not jumping on you specifically, but this is something I've heard from other people and it frustrates me a bit. It's not as though I've heard half a song with growling vocals and decided that I hate it.

I've listened to numerous bands with growling vocals, and I just can't get into it. It's not a case of "try and you'll getting used to it" - I simply don't like them, and that's unlikely to change.

And even if you don't manage to ever really like them, the music is too good to be passed up for just the vocals alone

I'll grant that Opeth are good, but are they so amazingly good that their musical abilities overshadow the vocals? Personally, I don't think so, and I'm not prepared to fork out the money for a CD which I know contains a significant portion of something I don't like. There are plenty of other good bands (who as far as I can tell are just as talented as Opeth) out there with clean vocals, and I'll go for them rather than chasing a lost cause like me trying to get to like growling vocals.

 

[Chrome]

vocals mean alot to some people...

not me, i can stand the ranchiest of growls, screams, shrieks, barks, and whatever else many of the bands i listen to choose to convey their message to us with.

But seriously, Opeth is just so amazing, each band has its personality, and i love the fact that opeth's includes clean vocals, and growls, with clean guitars and deep metal distortion, jazzy beats and riffs, with mellow piano segments, and putting all that together and making it flow perfectly and well, in just one song? It pains me that someone passes them up because of their vocal style (which is only used really about 60% of the time)...

 

[TerminateDamnation]

Opeth are pretty good. i only have the blackwater park album but its really good

 

[cobaltburrito]

I've heard only a bit(Blackwater Park) but I liked what I heard.
They've got sort of a Rush vibe going on, to me.

 

[Mr.Cheese]

.

 

[TimmyPage]

I love Opeth, one of the best modern bands.

I saw them live at Gigantour - they played two of my favourite songs : The Leper Affinity and Ghosts of Perdition. His voice is so POWERFUL live, it's amazing.

My favourite album, hands down, is Still Life. It has an amazing backstory, and some of their best musicianship.

 

[Im_A]

Any fans? Progressive death metal band from Sweden...tied with Dream Theater as my favorite band...anyone familiar with them?

fantastic band! my favorite band to be honest.