Post by abraxas on Dec 18, 2009 10:45:44 GMT -5
While firmly rooted in Scandinavian death metal, Opeth has consistently incorporated influence by progressive music, folk, blues rock and jazz into their usually-lengthy compositions. Many compositions include acoustic guitar interludes and strong dynamic shifts, as well as both growling and clean vocals.
Opeth recorded its debut album, Orchid in April 1994, the album was not released until May 15, 1995, and only in Europe. Orchid tested the boundaries of traditional death metal, featuring acoustic guitars, piano, and clean vocals. Allmusic called Orchid "brilliant", "startlingly unique", and "a far-beyond-epic prog/death monstrosity exuding equal parts beauty and brutality"
Opeth did not experience American commercial success until the 2008 release of their ninth studio album, Watershed.
Mikael Åkerfeldt vocalist-guitarist, and primary songwriter and lyricist, influenced at a young age by heavy metal bands such as Slayer, Death, Black Sabbath, Celtic Frost, King Diamond and Morbid Angel, Åkerfeldt later discovered progressive rock and folk music, both of which had a profound impact on the sound of the band. Opeth's distinct sound mixes heavy metal with acoustic passages, while also incorporating elements of progressive metal and progressive rock.
Most of the band's songs exceed 10 minutes in length, which Aaron Burgess of Alternative Press magazine criticized, stating "you can't really be a casual Opeth fan. It takes enough as a listener just to get past the band's epic song lengths."
Vocally, Åkerfeldt shifts between growling death metal vocals for heavy sections, and clean, sometimes whispered vocals over acoustic passages. While death growls were dominant on early releases, later efforts incorporate more clean vocals, with the 2003 release Damnation featuring only clean singing. Åkerfeldt's lyrics are often poetic and metaphorical, focusing on the bleak side of human nature.
From Ghost Reveries
From Watershed
Opeth recorded its debut album, Orchid in April 1994, the album was not released until May 15, 1995, and only in Europe. Orchid tested the boundaries of traditional death metal, featuring acoustic guitars, piano, and clean vocals. Allmusic called Orchid "brilliant", "startlingly unique", and "a far-beyond-epic prog/death monstrosity exuding equal parts beauty and brutality"
Opeth did not experience American commercial success until the 2008 release of their ninth studio album, Watershed.
Mikael Åkerfeldt vocalist-guitarist, and primary songwriter and lyricist, influenced at a young age by heavy metal bands such as Slayer, Death, Black Sabbath, Celtic Frost, King Diamond and Morbid Angel, Åkerfeldt later discovered progressive rock and folk music, both of which had a profound impact on the sound of the band. Opeth's distinct sound mixes heavy metal with acoustic passages, while also incorporating elements of progressive metal and progressive rock.
Most of the band's songs exceed 10 minutes in length, which Aaron Burgess of Alternative Press magazine criticized, stating "you can't really be a casual Opeth fan. It takes enough as a listener just to get past the band's epic song lengths."
Vocally, Åkerfeldt shifts between growling death metal vocals for heavy sections, and clean, sometimes whispered vocals over acoustic passages. While death growls were dominant on early releases, later efforts incorporate more clean vocals, with the 2003 release Damnation featuring only clean singing. Åkerfeldt's lyrics are often poetic and metaphorical, focusing on the bleak side of human nature.
From Ghost Reveries
From Watershed