Their approach makes the beginning and end of each song almost arbitrary. At this stage in their careers, Opeth's songwriting style is fairly unique. This is just good, melodic progressive metal - twin guitar harmonies, heavy riffs, reams of acoustic passages, and a blend of death/black vox and low, chilling clean vox. There are no blastbeats, no Satanic lyrics about eating babies (yes, I'm stereotyping). It is never brutal or abrasive like, say, Cannibal Corpse (which I hate and it makes me nauseous). I agree with another reviewer that it is "Opeth Metal." The music is heavy, but melodic. It's metal, yep, but otherwise it's impossible to pigeonhole. I don't think anyone can call this death metal or black metal. The band has grown, obviously (their 2001 release Blackwater Park exemplifies their progress over the years), but this is still an astonishing release. I can't name many bands whose debut is this interesting.and even fewer whose debut is so original. I would have never guessed it was a debut if I hadn't known beforehand. The finesse and tightness embodying the band's progressive music this early in their careers is just unbelievable. Orchid is by far one of the most astonishing debut albums I've ever heard. Quite a contrast from the blood-splattered, diabolic art of many bands in the metal section, eh? "What the-!?"įew debut albums are written and recorded with such maturity and sophistication that they sound years beyond the incipient factors normally ascribed to a band's first release. There's also the cover, with its nice pink flower. The lyrics are dark and romantic, not violent or Satanic. The band's apparent demeanor changes moods on a dime by dropping the heaviness for beautiful acoustic passages and softly sung vocal sections (this is done often). But otherwise conventional.īut listen more.
Glorious but heavy guitars (care of Mikael Akerfeldt and Peter Lindgren), a deft & tuneful bass accompaniment (Johan de Farfalla), the complex drumming (Anders Nordin), and the fierce growls and enigmatic poetry (again, Akerfeldt) makes it all seem like ordinary death/black metal. The single, clear thought that swam through my head was, "What the-!?" "In the Mist She was Standing," the first track on the debut Orchid, explains my reaction. When I first heard Opeth, I was mystified.
0 kommentar(er)
