Topic: Opeth - Watershed

[PyroMenace]

Opeth's new album is coming June 3rd... or right "now". I am told that this one is more progressive than the others, but thats the direction that Opeth has been going over the passed couple albums, so I think it will still be interesting. 

[Quemaqua]

Suweet!  I could use a new Opeth.  I don't even have all their old shit, but I'm sort of wary of buying their 2nd and 3rd albums since I don't know how much like Orchid they sound.  Still Life I know I like, but that one was supposedly a big risk for them and such.  So... yeah.  But anyway, I could definitely go for a new album.  Like gangbusters.

[shock]

Nice!  I am going to see them in about a month with Dream Theater.  Whoo!

[Quemaqua]

2 songs in and I'm totally sold.

[PyroMenace]

Totally, Heir Apparent is awesome.

[Quemaqua]

Ultimately I think it loses a little steam toward the end of the album, though that isn't to say the latter half is *bad*... just a little less focused, more into the psychedelic stuff they seem to be enjoying more these days.  Plus since Peter left a lot of people are saying how this seems more like Mikael's band instead of Opeth, but I think that's BS.  You can hear the sounds of the new guys on the record, and while obviously Mikael's stuff is the most prevalent, I think it's a cool sound that doesn't have too much repetition from previous recordings.  It sounds good.

Will give it a more serious listen today at work, at any rate.

[PyroMenace]

I have given it quite a few more play throughs and I am definitely enjoying it. I won't say its superior or on par with that of Ghost Reveries, but I also wont say its a step back. Watershed has a bit of a different aim and direction, not totally different, make no mistake, this is not a new Opeth we're hearing, the death metal trends are still existent here. Its got some really fucking nice instrumental stuff, the keyboard and violin touches are fantastic. Mikael's vocals are pretty well refined if they couldn't get anymore better in the first place. I'd say the feel of the album falls somewhere between Deliverance and Damnation, the acoustics here I think are some of the best I've heard from the band, which are apparent in the tracks Porcelain Heart and Hessian Peel which are quickly becoming my favorites.

So yea, why I do prefer Opeth's more hard metal musical talent, this is another side to them I don't mind hearing as well. Practically anything from them never fails to impress.

[Quemaqua]

Yeah, I've listened to it a good bit as well and that's pretty much how I feel about it too.

[I_Chameleon]

This is definitely good news. I've got 5 or 6 of their albums, and particularly like their older stuff, like Morningrise and Blackwater Park.